# Dorothy box office rises to Rs 3.37 crore amid mixed audience response

2026-09-27T13:41:30+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Karthik Subbaraj's Tamil psychological drama Dorothy earned Rs 1.25 crore on its first Saturday, up from Rs 90 lakh on its opening Friday, according to box office tracker Sacnilk. As of Sunday, the film's gross collection in India stands at Rs 3.37 crore, with advance reservations of Rs 2.38 crore for the next two days. Chennai remains the top city for ticket sales. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, has received universal critical acclaim but a mixed response from general audiences. A section of viewers criticised its LGBTQ+ themes, particularly the climax where two male friends fall in love. In a recent interview, Subbaraj said the climax should not be viewed through an LGBTQ+ lens, comparing it to the friendship-to-love arc in Dhanush's Thiruchitrambalam. Despite the controversy, distributor Sakthi Film Factory has added more shows, and the director said he trusts the audience. The film, starring Keerthy Suresh, Sananth and Rishikanth, features music by Ilaiyaraaja, his 1,540th film as a music director.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The coverage splits along lines of commercial viability versus cultural controversy. Neutral-report outlets (ndtvprofit, cinemaexpress) lead with box office growth and advance bookings, treating the LGBTQ+ angle as one element among many. M9.news, a sensationalist outlet, foregrounds the climax dispute and Subbaraj's clarification, framing it as a defensive justification. The neutral sources omit the director's comparison to Thiruchitrambalam, while m9.news amplifies social media backlash without citing data. The balanced reading is that the film's financial trajectory is positive but the discourse remains polarised, added shows and Rs 2.38 crore in advance sales suggest audience interest persists beyond the debate. The box office data from Sacnilk for the coming week will show whether the controversy boosts or hurts ticket sales.

## Coverage

- ndtvprofit.com (neutral report) <https://www.ndtvprofit.com/business/dorothy-box-office-collection-day-2-keerthy-suresh-sananth-starrer-gains-momentum-after-slow-start-check-saturday-earnings-12104785#publisher=newsstand>
  Repeats same box office data, no added context on backlash
- ndtvprofit.com (neutral report) <https://www.ndtvprofit.com/business/dorothy-box-office-collection-day-2-keerthy-suresh-sananth-starrer-gains-momentum-after-slow-start-check-saturday-earnings-12104785>
  Repeats same box office data, no added context on backlash
- cinemaexpress.com (neutral report) <https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Sep/27/dorothy-box-office-karthik-subbarajs-film-sees-growth-in-collection>
  Reports mixed response and added shows, quotes director calmly
- m9.news (sensationalist) <https://www.m9.news/tamil-movie-news/dorothy-lgbtq-climax-karthik-subbaraj/>
  Leads with LGBTQ+ climax controversy and director's clarification as drama
- cinemaexpress.com (neutral report) <https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Sep/27/karthik-subbaraj-says-he-trusts-viewers-amidst-mixed-response-for-dorothy>
  Reports mixed response and added shows, quotes director calmly

Tags: Dorothy, Ilaiyaraaja, Karthik Subbaraj, Keerthy Suresh, Sacnilk, Toronto International Film Festival
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