Raja Shivaji eyes biggest Marathi opening, advance booking crosses Rs 2.5 crore

Riteish Deshmukh's Raja Shivaji is poised to post the biggest opening ever for a Marathi film on May 1. Strong bookings from Maharashtra could push the historical drama past existing records.

In Short

• Raja Shivaji sold 1 lakh opening-day tickets before bookings closed
• Advance bookings touched Rs 2.5 crore, including limited Hindi version sales
• Trade expects Marathi collections of Rs 6-7 crore on day one

With hours to go before its theatrical debut, the upcoming Marathi film Raja Shivaji is already setting the pace at the box office. Strong advance bookings have placed the Riteish Deshmukh directorial on course for what could be the biggest opening day in Marathi cinema.

The historical action drama, which releases on May 1, is expected to post record numbers in its home market, even as its Hindi-dubbed version is unlikely to contribute significantly to the overall total.

Strong advance booking trends

Raja Shivaji has registered robust pre-release sales for its opening weekend. As of 2 pm on Thursday, with under 15 hours left for Day 1 bookings to close, the film had sold over one lakh tickets for its opening day.

According to Sacnilk, the film had already grossed Rs 2.5 crore through advance bookings, including around Rs 20 lakh from its Hindi version. This marks the highest advance booking collection for a Marathi film so far.

Ticket sales were also gaining momentum, with approximately 5,000 tickets being booked per hour on BookMyShow at the time. At this pace, the film’s final advance booking total is expected to cross Rs 3 crore by the end of the day.

Opening day projections

Trade estimates suggest that Raja Shivaji could collect Rs 6 to 7 crore net in Marathi on its opening day. The Hindi version is expected to contribute over Rs 1 crore, largely driven by audiences in Maharashtra.

With nearly 90 per cent of advance bookings coming from the state, the film’s overall performance is expected to remain heavily Maharashtra-centric.

Based on current trends, the film is looking at an India opening-day net total of Rs 8–10 crore. If it achieves that, it would comfortably surpass the existing opening-day record for Marathi cinema.

At present, the highest opening day for a Marathi film stands at Rs 4.2 crore, recorded by Sairat, directed by Nagraj Manjule. Raja Shivaji is also set to exceed Deshmukh’s previous best, with his 2022 film Ved having opened at Rs 3.5 crore.

Comparisons with Hindi releases

The film has drawn comparisons with recent Hindi titles based on Maratha history since its trailer release. Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava opened at Rs 30 crore, while Ajay Devgn’s Tanhaji had collected Rs 15 crore on its first day.

While Raja Shivaji is expected to set a new benchmark within Marathi cinema, its opening figures are likely to remain below those of these Hindi releases.

About the film

Raja Shivaji is a three-hour historical drama co-written and directed by Riteish Deshmukh, who also plays Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The film chronicles the ruler’s reign and his conflicts with Aurangzeb.

The ensemble cast includes Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi and Amole Gupte, with a cameo by Salman Khan. The film is produced by Mumbai Film Company and Jio Studios.

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