Hyderabad: Ajith Kumar's latest release, Good Bad Ugly, has hit the silver screens today, April 10, 2025, and early indicators point to a roaring start at the box office. The film, directed by Adhik Ravichandran and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, marks a significant moment in Ajith's career, especially after the underwhelming performance of his last film, Vidaamuyarchi, which was released in February this year.
According to early estimates by industry tracker Sacnilk, Good Bad Ugly has earned Rs 7.93 crore in India on its first day across all languages. These numbers are based on live data, with just two more hours of advance sales included at the time of estimation. The box office figures are being updated hourly and are expected to rise sharply by the end of the day.
In terms of gross collections, the film has already crossed the Rs 15 crore mark in Tamil Nadu, placing it among the top five opening day performers in the state. Nationwide, the total advance bookings for Good Bad Ugly are inching toward Rs 18 crore gross for Day 1. The four-day extended opening weekend projections are equally strong, with pre-sales crossing Rs 35 crore gross across India, of which over Rs 28 crore comes from Tamil Nadu alone.
The strong opening puts Good Bad Ugly on track to potentially achieve a 30+ crore gross opening in Tamil Nadu, a feat accomplished by only a few films. Industry insiders suggest that if the current momentum holds, the film could easily enter the 30-crore opening club in the state. Notably, Good Bad Ugly did not have any special early morning shows, which may have had some slight impact on its opening numbers in Tamil Nadu. Nevertheless, the film is showing great occupancy and great public response everywhere, signaling great word-of-mouth, which should help collections in the days ahead.
This action-comedy stars Ajith Kumar and Trisha Krishnan in lead roles, with supporting performances from Arjun Das, Jackie Shroff, Sunil, Sayaji Shinde, Tinnu Anand, and Priya Prakash Varrier. It also marks Mythri Movie Makers' debut into Tamil cinema. Good Bad Ugly reunites Ajith with director Adhik Ravichandran, known for his previous hits Trisha Illana Nayanthara and Mark Antony.
The technical crew of the film is impressive, with Abinandhan Ramanujam handling the cinematography, music by GV Prakash Kumar, and editing by Vijay Velukutty. With all the expectations, the next question is whether Good Bad Ugly can surpass Vidaamuyarchi's total domestic net of Rs 26 crore and put Ajith Kumar back on top at the box office.
Good Bad Ugly features a stylish gangster story, mixing action and nostalgia. The film is loud, indulgent, and unabashedly tailored to celebrate its star. It banks heavily on Ajith Kumar’s charisma and larger-than-life screen presence, but beneath the gloss and fan service lies a wafer-thin story stretched across an uneven narrative.
The film follows Ajith's character, Red Dragon, who gives it all up when his wife Ramya (Trisha Krishnan) tells him he can't touch their son Vihaan until he atones for his sins and leaves his criminal life behind. Red Dragon, also known as AK, chooses to surrender to the Mumbai police. As AK serves his sentence, Ramya and Vihaan move to Spain to start afresh, with Vihaan told his father is away on business rather than in prison. AK is released just in time for his 18th birthday, but as they prepare to leave Mumbai for good, they are ambushed by local gangsters, leading to a shocking twist: Vihaan has been kidnapped.
Ajith returns to mass mode in a role tailored for fans. Director Adhik Ravichandran crafts a story rooted in the classic gangster-gone-clean trope, but reinvents it with a stylish, swagger-filled presentation that pays tribute to Ajith’s iconic screen persona. The first half is loaded with elevation moments for the star, peppered with slick action sequences and songs, including a fun Ilamai Idho remix that fans will surely enjoy.
However, while the first half moves at a brisk pace, the second half drags in parts, especially during lengthy interactions that could have been trimmed. The film rests entirely on Ajith Kumar’s broad shoulders, and he pulls off Red Dragon with effortless ease. His screen presence is magnetic, giving his fans plenty to cheer for.
Despite the film's strengths, its biggest flaw is its cluttered cast of villains—Arjun Das, Jackie Shroff, Rahul Dev, Raghuram, Tinnu Anand, Shine Tom Chacko, and Pradeep Kabra—all appear briefly and leave little impact. While Trisha’s role as Ramya feels predictable and underwritten, the film also throws in cameos by Sunil, Prasanna, Simran, Prabhu, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley, and Priya Varrier—some of which land well, others less so.
The story itself is thin and lacks emotional depth. There’s little that truly drives the narrative, and while massy dialogues abound, many of them fall flat. The film leans heavily on nostalgia, referencing Ajith’s older movies and even borrowing famous lines from other stars. At one point, AK recites Yash’s KGF line: "Violence. Violence. Violence. I love violence." In another, he throws in Vijay’s "I am waiting."
GV Prakash Kumar’s background score does justice to Ajith’s elevation scenes, and several songs are already chartbusters. Cinematography by Abinandhan Ramanujam is impressive, though editing by Vijay Velukutty could have been crisper in places. Good Bad Ugly ultimately plays out as a fanboy tribute from Adhik Ravichandran to Ajith Kumar—packed with style, action, and star power, even if it falls short on storytelling. This one is strictly for the fans who’ve been waiting to see their vintage hero back on the big screen.
