Secularism Film ‘Lal Salaam’ Struggles At Box Office, Earns Just ₹3 Crore

Rajinikanth’s latest movie, “Lal Salaam,” directed by his daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth, is not doing well at the box office. 

The sports drama film started with ₹3.55 crore globally, on its first day and has been declining since then. On its third day, it earned only ₹3 crore, struggling to reach even ₹10 crore overall.

The film Lal Salaam is being criticized for wrongly promoting secularism and exaggerating the Muslim community.

The movie’s performance is quite low compared to Rajinikanth’s earlier films like “Jailer.” Despite being a sports drama, “Lal Salaam” is more focused on political issues like caste and religious discrimination. 

It stars Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth in the lead roles, with Rajinikanth appearing in a special role as Moideen Bhai. 

Other notable actors in the film include Livingston, Senthil, and Jeevitha, among others. The film also features a cameo by cricket legend Kapil Dev.

Aishwarya, returning to directing after eight years, talked about her experience working with her father. She described it as a learning opportunity, praising his dedication and professionalism. 

She also shared her joy of returning to filmmaking after spending time with her sons, emphasizing the importance of balancing personal life and career.

“Lal Salaam” narrates the story of two rivals, played by Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth, set in a village where Hindu-Muslim tensions are rising. 

Rajinikanth’s character, Moideen Bhai, is central to this narrative. The film has shown a 29.24% occupancy in Tamil and 15.24% in Telugu.

Despite opening to positive reviews, the film has not resonated with the audience as expected, reflected in its decreasing box office collections. 

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The main plot of the film “Lal Salaam” revolves around the politics of religious intolerance and hatred between Hindus and Muslims in a fictional town called Murrabad.

The story follows two young men, Thirunaavukkarasu and Shamsuddin, who are cricketers and become pawns in a political game orchestrated by a politician’s son-in-law. 

The film explores how personal enmity and ego lead to religious unrest and social unrest in the town. 

However, the film is criticized for its lack of subtlety, overreliance on melodrama, and confusing screenplay. 

The presence of Rajinikanth in an extended cameo adds some appeal to the film, but the film has failed to attract an audience due to its poor narration of religious intolerance and sectarianism.