Clashing at the Pongal box-office this year, actor Ajith starrer Thunivu and actor Vijay starrer Varisu released in Tamil Nadu theaters on January 11, 2023 i.e. Wednesday. The movies were off to a good start too with Thunivu leading the day 1 TN collections at Rs. 23 Cr, and Varisu grossing Rs. 21. 5 Cr. on its opening day in the state.
| Movie | Day 1 | Day 2 |
| Thunivu | Rs. 23 Cr | Rs. 7. 35 Cr |
| Varisu | Rs. 21. 5 Cr | Rs. 8. 2 Cr. |
However both movies have seen an enormous drop in their Tamil Nadu box-office collections on their day 2 i.e. January 12, 2023. Pongal in Tamil Nadu falls this year between January 14, 2023 (Bohi) - January 17, 2023 (Uzhavar Thirunal) i..e from Saturday till Monday.
TN Box office Day 2: An enormous drop witnessed despite adding additional shows. Trade blames the wrong release date #Varisu - Rs. 8.20 cr#Thunivu- Rs 7.35 cr pic.twitter.com/XZVThP2F0R
— MovieCrow (@MovieCrow) January 13, 2023
Thunivu and Varisu releasing 3 full days earlier that do not include the state-approved holidays, is cited as the reason for this box-office drop by trade experts. It remains to be seen if the box-office numbers pick up once the weekend arrives.