There was a close battle between two major Tamil language films, Varisu and Thunivu, at the box office on Wednesday.

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Varisu, the family entertainer starring Thalapathy Vijay, won out, but both films did well.

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Thunivu earned Rs 26 crore in India on its opening day, just Rs 50 lakh behind Varisu.

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Thunivu earned more money in the Tamil Nadu region compared to Varisu.

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South Indian films, especially those in the Telugu language, have become popular across the country in recent years.

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Tamil cinema has seen a decline in popularity in recent years.

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Thunivu's first-day box office results show that South Indian films still have a long way to go before they make an impression in the north.

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On its opening day, the movie had an occupancy rate of just 30% in the National Capital Region.

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Local fans of the movie appeared to have really enjoyed it with high occupancy rate in the south.

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Tamil cinema has a huge fan base in south India and it's a major contributor to the Indian cinema.

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