Ajith Kumar's Iconic 'Mankatha' Returns to Theaters with Massive Fan Frenzy
The stylish and swag-filled action thriller 'Mankatha' starring Ajith Kumar is making a spectacular return to the big screen, creating unprecedented excitement among fans and cinephiles alike. The mass actioner is set to hit theaters once again on January 23, and with just hours remaining before the first show, the anticipation has reached fever pitch across South India.
Advance Booking Numbers Approach Historic Milestones
The day one advance booking figures for 'Mankatha' have been nothing short of extraordinary. In Tamil Nadu alone, the film has already crossed an impressive Rs 2.00 crore in pre-sales for the opening day through tracked cinemas, as reported by industry tracker Cinetrak. This remarkable achievement places 'Mankatha' among the elite list of top-performing re-releases in recent memory.
What makes this accomplishment even more significant is how close the film has come to challenging the final pre-sales record currently held by Vijay's 'Ghilli', which stands at Rs 2.15 crore. The gap between these two iconic films continues to narrow as more tickets are being snapped up by enthusiastic audiences.
Bengaluru Joins the Celebration with Strong Advance Sales
The excitement surrounding 'Mankatha' extends far beyond Tamil Nadu's borders. Bengaluru has witnessed an equally impressive wave of enthusiasm for Venkat Prabhu's directorial masterpiece. According to Karnataka Talkies, the film has already collected over Rs 13.75 lakh in advance bookings within the city.
This number has already surpassed the pre-sales figures of Rajinikanth's classic 'Padayappa', which stood at Rs 12.65 lakh at the same stage of its re-release. The current trend suggests that 'Mankatha' is now aiming for the Bengaluru re-release record of Rs 16 lakh. If it successfully reaches this milestone, it will become the highest pre-booked Tamil re-release in the city's history.
Why 'Mankatha' Continues to Captivate Audiences
'Mankatha', written and directed by Venkat Prabhu, features an ensemble cast including Ajith Kumar alongside Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Lakshmi Rai, Anjali, Andrea, and Vaibhav. The film originally received critical acclaim, with ETimes awarding it 4 stars out of 5 in their official review.
The review highlighted that "Ajith is the soul of the movie" while noting that Arjun Sarja was "aptly cast" in the role of assistant commissioner of police Prithviraj, sharing excellent chemistry with Ajith. Another standout performance came from Ashwin, who played the corrupt cop Ganesh and showed promising potential. The review concluded by describing the film as "a good watch, especially because of Ajith's baddie act."
Fans are treating this re-release as nothing short of a festival celebration, with Ajith Kumar ensuring that the box office remains vibrant even in the absence of Thalapathy Vijay's 'Theri' re-release. The return of the cunning and brilliant character Vinayak Mahadev has particularly excited long-time followers of the film.
The overwhelming response to advance bookings clearly demonstrates how much audiences still cherish this cinematic gem, proving that quality storytelling and memorable performances continue to resonate with viewers years after a film's initial release.
