Thalapathy Vijay’s ‘Bigil’ continues to be a part of the box office talk, even after its theatrical release. While the sports action drama emerged as one of the biggest Tamil releases of 2019, questions have repeatedly surfaced about whether the film was actually profitable given its reported high production cost. The success of the Atlee directorial has often been debated on social media and within the industry. Producer Archana Kalpathi has now put those rumours to rest by explaining the film’s financial performance and sharing why she continues to have complete faith in both Atlee’s filmmaking and Vijay’s guidance.

Archana Kalpathi declares ‘Bigil’ as the production’s most profitable film

Addressing the long-running speculation, Archana said the doubts about Bigil’s box office success are far from the truth. “Many people still ask if Bigil was a profitable film. Just three days ago, a producer asked me the same question. My answer was simple. ‘Bigil’ is the most profitable film in AGS Entertainment’s history. Everyone in the industry knows the business and box office collections of the film. Many assume it was a loss because of the budget, but that is completely false,” she said in a chat with actor Chitra Lakshmanan. She also clarified that the project was financed through bank interest rather than expensive private funding, making it financially stronger than many people believe.

Archana Kalpathi defends Atlee’s filmmaking

Archana also defended director Atlee, who has often faced criticism for making films on a grand scale. “Many say Atlee spends beyond the market value. Yes, he makes films on a bigger budget, but he doesn’t believe in making films for the existing market. He creates a new market for them. That magic reflects on screen, and that’s why audiences connect with his films. Just look at ‘Jawan.’ It became a massive blockbuster because of that vision,” she said. Speaking about Vijay, she added, “I have been a huge fan of Vijay, sir, since ‘Love Today.’ He suggested to my father that I should enter production. People say you should never meet your heroes, but he exceeded every expectation with his discipline, simplicity and humility.”

‘Bigil’ remains one of Vijay’s landmark blockbusters

Released in 2019, ‘Bigil’ was directed by Atlee. The film starred Vijay in dual roles alongside Nayanthara, Jackie Shroff, Kathir, Vivek, Yogi Babu, Indhuja Ravichandran, and Daniel Balaji. Featuring music by A.R. Rahman, the sports action entertainer enjoyed a successful theatrical run in India and overseas. With Archana Kalpathi now speaking out about the business of the film, the producer has reiterated that Bigil is a commercial success as well as the biggest moneymaker for AGS Entertainment.