Mumbai, May 2: Riteish Deshmukh’s ambitious historical drama Raja Shivaji has made a powerful impact at the box office, recording an impressive ₹11.35 crore on its opening day. Released on Maharashtra Day, the film drew audiences in both Hindi and Marathi, with the regional version emerging as the stronger performer.

According to trade tracker Sacnilk, the Marathi version contributed ₹8 crore, while the Hindi version added ₹3.35 crore to the total. The film was showcased in around 6,000 shows across India, with Marathi accounting for 1,900 shows and Hindi for 4,200. Occupancy rates highlighted the dominance of the Marathi release, which saw 68 percent turnout compared to just 16 percent for Hindi.

Mumbai, the cultural hub of Maharashtra, led the charge with approximately 600 Marathi shows, achieving an impressive 73 percent occupancy. In contrast, Delhi-NCR, which hosted around 400 Hindi shows, reported a modest 13 percent turnout. The figures underline the strong regional appeal of the film, which celebrates the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Raja Shivaji boasts a stellar ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Boman Irani, Amol Gupte, and Genelia Deshmukh. Adding star power, Salman Khan makes a cameo appearance. The film is backed by Jio Studios and Mumbai Film Company, ensuring a grand scale production.

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At the box office, Raja Shivaji outshone its competitor Ek Din, which managed only ₹1 crore on its opening day. It also surpassed Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par, which had earned ₹10.7 crore on Day 1. However, the film’s opening remains lower than Chhaava, another historical drama that collected ₹33 crore on its first day. Notably, Chhaava had a much wider release with 16,000 shows compared to Raja Shivaji’s 6,000.

Despite this, the strong regional response and solid collections mark a promising start for Raja Shivaji. With positive word-of-mouth and the cultural significance of its subject matter, the film is expected to maintain momentum in the coming days.

As audiences continue to flock to theatres, Raja Shivaji stands tall as a celebration of Maharashtra’s history and a testament to the growing power of Marathi cinema in the national box office landscape.