With only 4 more days left for two of Kollywood's biggest stars locking horns for the Pongal, here's a look at the current status of these films with respect to bookings and screenings:

Share of Theatres

Vijay's Varisu and Ajith's Thunivu are releasing head-to-head on January 11, 2023, which is a Wednesday right before the Pongal weekend. Both films have been getting equal number of theatres across Tamil Nadu (TN), though in certain regions the signing process is yet to be done.

Almost all theaters are screening both the films; Even the single screens are alternating Varisu and Thunivu between different show timings. Currently, Thunivu is said to have a 5% lead among the two in terms of screen share.

(Exorbitant) Ticket Pricing

It is not unusual for theaters to bank on a star's popularity by holding special fan shows and selling movie tickets at more-than-allowed exorbitant prices. Despite the Tamil Nadu government and its various bodies being stringent about such practices, the ticket pricing of Thunivu and Varisu shows are selling for as high as Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1500.

These early morning fan shows begin at 1 AM and 4 Am respectively for the Ajith and Vijay starrer. 

Overall Demand

Interest surrounding festival/holiday releases are always a notch higher than usual, and this energy is witnessed in online buzz surrounding both Thunivu and Varisu. On the ground, enquires for fan shows have been high, and normal shows low compared to what one witnessed during the Viswasam (Ajith)- Petta (Rajinikanth) clash in 2019.

However these status reports are subject to change and the pick up is expected to be higher closer to the release dates. With big actors locking horns for Pongal, trade expects a huge bang in coming days.