Nov 08, 2026 3:00pm IST
Nayanthara, Shruti Haasan, Rukmini Vasanth: South Indian Actresses Behind ₹50 Crore-Plus Openers
Over the past decade, several South Indian movies led by superstars delivered massive first-day box office numbers. While much of the spotlight remains on male stars because of their humongous fandoms, several leading actresses have also been part of films that stormed the box office with opening-day collections crossing the ₹50 crore mark.
Nayanthara: ‘Toxic’ and ‘Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy’
The ‘Lady Superstar’ of the entertainment industry, who is known for her range and versatility, has featured in two ₹50 crore-plus openers belonging to different regional industries. While the Yash starrer is a Kannada psychological gangster thriller (₹101.10 crore), another is a Telugu period actioner headlined by Chiranjeevi (₹62 crore).
Shruti Haasan: ‘Salaar: Part 1’ and ‘Coolie’
Shruti, too, featured in two ₹50 crore openers in different languages. One being Prabhas’s Telugu action thriller “Salaar” (₹90.70 crore) and the other, a massy Tamil entertainer starring Rajinikanth (₹65 crore).
Rukmini Vasanth: ‘Kantara - A Legend: Chapter 1’ and ‘Toxic’
Known for her nuanced performances, Rukmini’s two films in the list include: “Toxic” (₹101.10 crore) and “Kantara: Chapter 1” (₹61.85 crore).
Kiara Advani: ‘Game Changer’ and ‘Toxic’
Apart from “Toxic,” Kiara Advani was also seen in Ram Charan’s Telugu political thriller “Game Changer,” which raked in ₹51 crore on its first day.
Janhvi Kapoor: ‘Devara: Part 1’ and ‘Peddi’
Despite being a prominent name in the Hindi film industry, Janhvi Kapoor delivered her two biggest openers in the Telugu industry with Jr NTR’s “Devara” (₹82.50 crore) and Ram Charan’s “Peddi” (₹51 crore).
Alia Bhatt: ‘R.R.R.’
Alia Bhatt’s Telugu debut is among the record openers, as the SS Rajamouli directorial collected ₹133 crore on its first day in India across all languages.
Rashmika Mandanna: ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’
The action drama co-starring Allu Arjun is currently the biggest Indian opener of all time, with a massive business of ₹164.25 crore.
Anushka Shetty: ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’
The blockbuster sequel, which featured Shetty in a prominent role, alongside Prabhas and Rana Daggubati, earned ₹121 crore on its first day.
Deepika Padukone: ‘Kalki 2898 AD’
Deepika Padukone’s Telugu debut, co-starring Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan, enjoyed an opening day of ₹95.30 crore.
Kriti Sanon: ‘Adipurush’
“Adipurush,” which was simultaneously shot in Telugu and Hindi, had a strong first day of ₹86.75 crore.
Related Stories
Srinidhi Shetty: ‘KGF 2’
Yash’s “KGF 2,” co-starring Srinidhi Shetty and Sanjay Dutt, raked in ₹116 crore on its release day in the domestic market.
Priyanka Mohan: ‘They Call Him OG’
The Pawan Kalyan and Emraan Hashmi gangster flick, which also featured Priyanka Mohan in a pivotal role, collected ₹63.75 crore at the ticket windows.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.