Tamil star Vijay wins big with ‘Theri’

South India’s matinee idol Ilaya Thalapathy Vijay has set a new personal opening record with his police thriller Theri, which raked in 280 million rupees at the box office receipts in its first two days of release, and a projected 200 million rupees more from overseas.

The Tamil star’s passionate fanbase couldn’t be dissuaded by critics’ mixed reviews, several of which gave the film low marks for its predictable story line. Theri’s plot centers on a former police officer who has sworn off violence and become a peaceful baker, only to be pulled back in to danger as his past life catches up with him.

The film earned 202 million net rupees in its first two days of release in the state of Tamil Nadu.