The Atharvaa-starrer 'Idhayam Murali' continues its steady march at the box office, achieving a significant milestone on its eighth day. The coming-of-age romantic drama, directed by debutant Aakash Baskaran, has now become Preity Mukhundhan's 4th highest-grossing film in India.
On its eighth day (Friday, July 17), the film earned approximately Rs 0.75 crore net in India across 781 shows, registering a Tamil occupancy of 24%. This brought the film's total India net collection to Rs 14.93 crore after eight days of release.
The film features Atharvaa in the titular role of Idhaya, alongside Preity Mukhundhan, Kayadu Lohar, and a special appearance by Fahadh Faasil. The ensemble cast also includes Thaman S, who returns to acting after 22 years and doubles as the film's music composer, along with Natty Subramaniam, Rakshan, Sudhakar, Niharika NM, and Jonita Gandhi in a cameo. The technical crew includes cinematographers Manoj Paramahamsa and CH Sai, with editing by Pradeep E Ragav.
Speaking at the film's success meet, Atharvaa reflected on the project's personal significance. 'Honestly, this feels like the last day of school when everyone gathers for a reunion. That's exactly how I feel today,' he said. Calling the title 'Idhayam Murali' deeply personal, Atharvaa added that he had hoped to pay tribute to his father, late actor Murali, through the film. 'I wanted to do something as a tribute to my father. But today, I feel Aakash has done that as a friend, and that makes me genuinely happy.'
The film's box office journey began with a strong opening of Rs 1.9 crore on its first Friday. It witnessed remarkable weekend growth, collecting Rs 3.5 crore on Saturday and Rs 3.8 crore on Sunday. As expected, collections dipped to Rs 1.5 crore on Monday, eased further to Rs 1.23 crore on Tuesday before a rare 1.6% mid-week growth to Rs 1.25 crore on Wednesday.
With this performance, 'Idhayam Murali' has entered the top 10 Tamil openers of 2026, securing the ninth position with its Day 1 net of Rs 1.90 crore. The film now ranks fourth in Preity Mukhundhan's filmography, behind Sarvam Maya (Rs 76.84 crore), Blast (Rs 53.11 crore), and Kannappa (Rs 33.01 crore).
As the film enters its second weekend, it faces an important period before Thalapathy Vijay's highly anticipated Jana Nayagan releases on July 23 and occupies most screens. With positive word-of-mouth and the upcoming weekend, the film is expected to continue its steady performance and aim for the Rs 20 crore milestone in India.