The 2005 Tamil romantic comedy Sachein, starring Vijay, returned to cinemas on April 18, 2025, marking its 20th anniversary with a commercially successful re-release that drew considerable fan attention across Tamil Nadu and internationally. Initial box office reports indicated a strong performance, reflecting a continuing trend for popular film re-releases in the region.
According to figures reported, the re-release earned approximately ₹10 crore on its opening day. This performance positioned Sachein as the second highest-grossing Tamil re-release shortly after its opening, surpassing the lifetime collections of many previous re-runs. The record for the highest-grossing Tamil re-release is currently held by another Vijay film, Ghilli, which reportedly earned ₹32.50 crore worldwide during its re-release in April 2024. Ticket sales for Sachein were robust, with over 154,000 tickets sold via the platform BookMyShow by the end of its second day, as reported by Koimoi.
The film’s producer, Kalaippuli S. Thanu of V Creations, stated in promotional materials that the re-release opened on over 300 screens worldwide, including locations in France, the United States, and Malaysia. The production company also highlighted strong pre-booking figures and reported 59,000 tickets sold via BookMyShow in Chennai city alone, with numerous screenings marked as ‘houseful’.
Reports and social media activity documented enthusiastic fan gatherings at theatres, particularly in Tamil Nadu. Videos showed crowds celebrating, dancing to the film’s songs, and reacting positively to a newly introduced title card featuring the name ‘Thalapathy Vijay’. This reception underscores the sustained following for the actor and the film itself, two decades after its initial debut.
Directed by John Mahendran and adapted from his own 2002 Telugu film Neetho, Sachein originally starred Vijay alongside Genelia D’Souza, with Bipasha Basu in her Tamil debut, supported by comedians Vadivelu and Santhanam. The film featured a popular soundtrack composed by Devi Sri Prasad. Upon its original release on April 14, 2005, Sachein achieved significant commercial success, reportedly running for 200 days in theatres despite facing competition from other major releases at the time.
The successful return of Sachein to cinemas adds to a series of profitable re-releases in Tamil cinema, demonstrating the audience appetite for revisiting older popular films on the big screen, often buoyed by the enduring popularity of their lead stars.