Riteish Deshmukh has turned into a box office tsunami for the Marathi film industry! After the record-shattering success of Ved, the actor-director has returned to the silver screen with the much-anticipated historical epic Raja Shivaji, and the day 1 early trends are nothing short of legendary.
If the initial numbers are anything to go by, Riteish Deshmukh has broken the ceiling.
Riteish Deshmukh’s Last Opening
The film is currently trending to earn almost 3 times more than the biggest Marathi opener in history. The biggest Marathi opener in history was Timepass 2, with an opening day collection 4.1 crore. Riteish Deshmukh‘s latest period drama has opened almost 200% higher.
Raja Shivaji Box Office Day 1 Estimates
According to the early trends, on Friday, May 1, Raja Shivaji has earned in the range of 11.5 to 12.5 crore*. To put this into perspective, the Marathi film industry has never seen a double-digit opening before. The film saw an incredible 68% occupancy across 1.9K shows. From morning shows to late-night screenings, the Bhagwa flag is flying high across Maharashtra.
- Raja Shivaji: 11.5 – 12.5 crore*
- Timepass 2: 4.1 crore
- Lai Bhaari: 3.7 crore
- Sairat: 3.6 crore
- Ved: 2.25 crore
Raja Shivaji has earned far more than he did with his debut directorial film, Ved. The romantic drama earned 2.25 crore on its opening day. Compared to other cult classics, the gap is staggering. Timepass (1.7 crore) and Duniyadari (1.4 crore) were once considered the gold standards of openings, but Raja Shivaji has redefined what a Marathi film can achieve at the ticket windows. With positive word of mouth and a massive weekend ahead, it remains to be seen where it lands in the list of the top grossers!