'Padayappa' re-release smashes box office, sequel on the way
Rajinikanth's 1999 hit Padayappa just made a huge comeback, earning over ₹12 crore worldwide after its re-release on December 12, 2024.
The film was brought back to theaters to celebrate Rajinikanth's 75th birthday and his five decades in cinema—pretty epic for fans old and new.
Packed theaters across the globe
Padayappa drew near-full crowds in Tamil Nadu and in overseas markets with sizeable Tamil audiences.
It pulled in up to ₹12 crore during its opening weekend and kept steady momentum, hitting around ₹16 crore by week's end.
Among top Indian re-releases
With these numbers, Padayappa now ranks as the fifth highest-grossing Indian film re-release—just behind Baahubali: The Epic and a few others.
The film also stars Ramya Krishnan (as Neelambari) and Soundarya.
Sequel officially announced
Riding this wave of nostalgia, Rajinikanth has confirmed that a Padayappa sequel is happening!
This time, the story will center on Neelambari—Ramya Krishnan's iconic villain character—which has already sparked plenty of excitement among fans.