Thala Ajith returns to the big screen as ‘Mankatha’ re-releases on Jan 23

Ajith Kumar’s cult classic Mankatha is set for a grand return to the big screen, and the response ahead of its January 23 re-release has been nothing short of spectacular. Directed by Venkat Prabhu , the 2011 action thriller has triggered a wave of nostalgia among fans, translating into record breaking advance bookings across theatres.

According to early trends, Mankatha has sold over 20,000 tickets on BookMyShow within just 24 hours. The total advance bookings on the platform are already close to 40,000, with tens of thousands more tickets sold through other ticketing outlets. The film has reportedly collected around ₹1.09 crore in all India Day 1 advance sales, placing it ahead of several recent new releases and reaffirming its evergreen appeal.

Theatres in Chennai and other major cities are witnessing packed screens, especially popular venues like Rohini Silver Screens and Ram Cinemas, where multiple shows are nearing house full status. Fans have been actively sharing videos of celebratory bookings and banner installations on social media, turning the re-release into a festival-like event.

Venkat Prabhu has added to the buzz by sharing behind the scenes pictures from the film’s sets, while Sun Pictures has begun a countdown to the re release, keeping fan excitement at its peak. Mankatha , which stars Ajith as the iconic rogue cop Vinayak Mahadev alongside Arjun and Trisha, is also remembered for Yuvan Shankar Raja ’s chartbuster soundtrack.

The film does face competition from Theri re release on the same day, setting up an interesting box office clash. However, the current booking trends suggest that Mankatha is well on its way to a thunderous comeback, once again proving Ajith’s unmatched fan following.