Despite facing stiff competition from director PS Mithran’s Karthi-starrer Sardar 2, Mathimaran Pugazhendhi’s Mandaadi, featuring Soori and Mahima Nambiar in the lead roles, has emerged as a blockbuster and entered the Rs 100 crore club.

Mandaadi crosses Rs 100 crore globally

With a worldwide collection of Rs 109.25 crore as of Wednesday (September 23), according to industry tracker Sacnilk, Mandaadi has surpassed Arun Matheswaran’s Lokesh Kanagaraj-led DC (Rs 106.59 crore) to become the fourth highest-grossing Tamil film of 2026, trailing behind Vishwanath & Sons (Rs 209.44 crore).

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While the sports action drama’s team revels in its massive success, director Mathimaran’s words highlighting actor Mahima Nambiar’s commitment to her work have gone viral. Revealing that she returned to the sets just days after an accident that left her with an injury to her face, he thanked her for her dedication, which helped him complete the filming on time.

“I saw in a couple of your interviews where you mentioned crying after performing. Thank you so much for the effort you put into the movie,” he recalled during the movie’s success meet.

Director Mathimaran on Mahima Nambiar’s accident

“When talking about the song ‘Usure Needhan Pulla,’ I don’t think many people know about her accident. About five days before the shoot of this song, she had a major accident. Her face was completely collapsed and injured, leaving over 20 stitches,” he said.

“She even sent me a selfie after the accident. Yet I shamelessly asked if she could come to the shooting. I had no other way. She returned to the set on the sixth day after her plastic surgery. Behind our success is her immense hard work and dedication. I will never forget it,” he added.

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Who is Mahima Nambiar?

Mahima Nambiar is best known for her roles in movies such as Saattai (2012), Kuttram 23 (2017), Puriyatha Puthir (2017), Magamuni (2019), Madhura Raja (2019), RDX: Robert Dony Xavier (2023), Chandramukhi 2 (2023), Jai Ganesh (2024), Little Hearts (2024), and Bromance (2025).

Also starring Suhas, Sathyaraj, Mithun Jai Sankar, Ravindravjay, Bala Saravanan, and Stun Siva in key roles, Mandaadi features music by GV Prakash Kumar, cinematography by SR Kathir, editing by Pradeep E Ragav, and production design by DRK Kiran.