Tamil cinema has delivered several major box office successes, but a film crossing the Rs 1,000 crore mark worldwide remains an elusive milestone for the industry. Director Karthik Subbaraj has now shared his thoughts on why Kollywood is yet to enter this club, saying that such box office achievements cannot be planned or pursued as a target. Citing films from other industries that have reached the milestone, the Petta movie director says their success comes from something more than calculations. His comments come as Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 continues to set new records for Tamil cinema at the box office.
Karthik Subbaraj Says Rs 1,000 Crore Success Cannot Be Planned
In a recent interaction with students, director said filmmakers cannot set out to make a Rs 1,000 crore film and expect to achieve that figure. Responding to the question of why Tamil cinema has yet to produce a worldwide blockbuster of that scale, he called the milestone as a phenomenon that cannot be deliberately created.
“Nobody can target a thousand crore and get a thousand crore. That is not how it works. It is a phenomenon,” Karthik Subbaraj said. He added that a filmmaker from the Tamil industry who begins a project with the specific intention of reaching the Rs 1,000 crore mark is unlikely to achieve it.
Vidya Balan and Rajinikanth in Jailer 2
The director referred to films such as KGF and as examples. “When people across the globe connect with it and it keeps growing, that is a phenomenon. It is magic. And you cannot plan for magic to happen,” he explained.
Jailer 2 Takes Tamil Cinema Closer To New Box Office Records
Karthik Subbaraj’s comments come at a time when Tamil cinema has a new box office record-holder. Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 has emerged as the highest-grossing Tamil film ever, surpassing the previous record held by 2.0, which had earned around Rs 691 crore worldwide. The sequel crossed Rs 700 crore during its theatrical run and had collected more than Rs 765 crore worldwide within 15 days, according to the figures on Sacnilk.
Before Jailer 2, Rajinikanth’s Jailer had earned approximately Rs 604 crore worldwide. Meanwhile, Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, which was delayed following issues with its censor certification and subsequently faced piracy, reportedly ended its theatrical run with around Rs 325 crore worldwide.
Karthik Subbaraj is among the prominent filmmakers working in Tamil cinema. His filmography includes Pizza, Jigarthanda and Rajinikanth-starrer Petta. He most recently directed Retro, starring Suriya, and Dorothy, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2026.