The year 2025 turned out to be a mixed bag for Tamil cinema at the Tamil Nadu box office. While a few big-ticket films delivered solid numbers, several releases failed to make an impact despite high expectations. At the same time, smaller and mid-range films emerged as major success stories, becoming big blockbusters for their makers even if they did not feature among the absolute top grossers.
Key Performance:
Good Bad Ugly : Ajith Kumar’s Good Bad Ugly emerged as the highest-grossing Tamil Nadu film of 2025, minting approximately Rs 152 crore gross in the state.
Despite receiving a mixed critical response, the film worked strongly with audiences as a full-fledged fan service entertainer. Ajith’s fun, mass-oriented avatar after a long time struck a chord with viewers, resulting in a super theatrical run and securing the top position for the year.
Coolie: Strong Start, Underwhelming Finish
Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and starring Rajinikanth, Coolie was expected to cross Rs 200 crore gross in Tamil Nadu, given the scale, star power, and multiple cameo appearances from across industries.
The film opened well but fell short of expectations due to content not fully meeting the hype, which reflected in its box office performance. Nevertheless, with an estimated Rs 148 crore gross, Coolie still stands as the second highest-grosser of 2025 in Tamil Nadu.
Dragon: The Biggest Surprise of the Year
Dragon turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of 2025. A relatively mid-range film, it exceeded expectations at the box office and collected around Rs 83 crore gross in Tamil Nadu.
The film marked yet another success for Pradeep Ranganathan, reinforcing his back-to-back success streak and proving strong audience acceptance beyond big-star vehicles.
Top 10 Highest Grossing Films in Tamil Nadu (2025)
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Good Bad Ugly – Rs 152 Cr
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Coolie – Rs 148 Cr
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Dragon – Rs 83 Cr
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Vidamuyarchi – Rs 82 Cr
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Kantara – Rs 70 Cr
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Tourist Family – Rs 62 Cr
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Madharaasi – Rs 62 Cr
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Thalaivan Thalavii – Rs 60 Cr
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Dude – Rs 58 Cr
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Bison – Rs 52 Cr
Other Notable Grossers of 2025 in TN
Several films performed exceptionally well relative to their scale and budget, some of them turning into profitable ventures for their makers:
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Retro – Rs 51 Cr
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Madhagaja Raja – Rs 52 Cr
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Idli Kadai – Rs 46 Cr
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Maaman – Rs 45 Cr
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Kudumbasthan – Rs 23 Cr
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Aan Paavam Polathadhu – Rs 25 Cr Notable performer in its segment
Overall, 2025 reaffirmed that star power alone is no longer enough to guarantee massive box office success. While films like Good Bad Ugly and Coolie benefited from fan bases, the strong performance of films like Dragon and Tourist Family underlined the importance of content, relatability, and audience connect in today’s Tamil cinema landscape.