Aug 12, 2026 6:10pm IST
‘DC’ Strides Ahead of Pack at South Indian Box Office; Strong Run Adds to Competition Ahead of ‘Vishwanath & Sons’
Arun Matheswaran’s “DC” has emerged as a strong forerunner at the South Indian box office, with the Tamil film registering a strong theatrical presence not just in Tamil Nadu but also in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh-Telangana and Karnataka. The film’s strong show continues to command in multiple markets, even as competition intensifies ahead of Suriya’s “Vishwanath & Sons,” which is scheduled to release on August 14.
‘DC’: Strong hold
“DC" has earned around ₹32.9 crore net in India, while R. Madhavan's "G.D.N.," which released alongside the Lokesh Kanagaraj-Wamiqa Gabbi-starrer, collected ₹3.58 crore net in the same period. "DC" is therefore ahead by roughly ₹29.3 crore in domestic collections.
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“DC" has recorded an estimated ₹5.40 crore (net) on its fifth day, registering a 10 per cent drop from Monday’s ₹6 crore. The film opened at ₹4.40 crore (net) on Friday. The weekend witnessed growth with Saturday and Sunday contributing ₹7 crore and ₹9.55 crore respectively. Monday brought in another ₹6 crore.
The film’s five-day India gross stands at ₹37.21 crore, while its overseas gross is estimated at ₹14.50 crore. This takes the worldwide gross to approximately ₹51.71 crore, according to Sacnilk.
Kerala, a strong market
Kerala has turned out to be a strong market for the movie as the net collection stands at ₹6.95–7 crore. Tamil Nadu has contributed ₹9.70 crore net, and Andhra Pradesh-Telangana has contributed ₹8.45 crore and Karnataka ₹3.90 crore, respectively.
The film also recorded an overall occupancy of 26.9 percent in India on Tuesday, while its Tamil version registered 39.35 percent occupancy.
With the film continuing to hold well on weekdays, "DC" has emerged as one of the notable performers among the current South Indian releases. The strong contribution from Kerala and the Telugu-speaking states, along with a steady run in Tamil Nadu, gives the film a positive platform heading into its second weekend.
Interestingly, “DC” is also competing strongly for screens in Kerala with Vismaya Mohanlal’s “Thudakkam”. “Thudakkam” collected ₹13.6 crore net collection in India over its first five days across 4,604 shows.
Anoop, an exhibitor based in Kerala, said that “DC” and “Thudakkam “ have good audiences in theatres.
However, there has been an increase in screen count for “DC” in the state. Vinod Iyer, a trade expert and a Kerala exhibitor, said that “DC” has a good trend in Kerala and there are more screens for the movie than "Thudakkam."
Tight competition
The competition is set to become even tighter from August 14, when Suriya’s “Vishwanath & Sons” arrives in theatres. The film, directed by Venky Atluri, is releasing during the Independence Day weekend and is expected to command a major number of shows in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the other South Indian markets. The movie already has good advance sales for the Suriya-starrer in overseas markets.
Trade experts have noted that in Tamil Nadu, screen sharing will be tough with the release of Vishal's “Magudam” on August 14.
For “DC”, the immediate challenge will be retaining its screens and shows once “Vishwanath & Sons” gets released. With “Thudakkam” also continuing its run, exhibitors in Kerala will have to balance three films with strong audience interest.
In Chennai, the multiplexes will have to find slots for Sunny Deol’s “Batwara 1947” and Emraan Hashmi’s “Awarapan 2” this Friday, while “Spider-Man Brand New Day” continues to hold in its third week.
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