The first quarter of 2026 in Tamil cinema has turned out to be a surprising win for small-budget films, with no major star-led releases hitting screens due to continuous postponements and the election scenario. However, smaller films have stepped up to provide much-needed relief to the theatre business.

Topping the list is the women-centric Thaai Kizhavi, starring Radhika Sarathkumar, which has grossed around ₹61 crore in Tamil Nadu so far. Interestingly, the film is backed by Sivakarthikeyan’s production banner and has overtaken his acting venture Parasakthi, which stands close behind at ₹58 crore.

Taking the third spot is Youth, which has emerged as a major success story, collecting ₹36 crore in just 8 days. The film continues its strong theatrical run with excellent word of mouth.

Completing the top five are TTT with ₹31 crore and With Love at ₹29 crore.

Notably, both Thaai Kizhavi and Youth are still running in theatres, with strong advance bookings, and trade expects both films to post solid numbers over the weekend.

In what can be termed a rare occurrence, a women-led film has dominated the box office, setting the tone for 2026 and highlighting how content-driven smaller films have stepped up in the absence of big-ticket releases.