Riteish Deshmukh's Raja Shivaji Advance Booking Signals Record Start: But Can It Convert Into Historic Double-Digit Opening?
BY SACNILK
Mumbai, April 30 - Jio Studios is having a dream run at the box office. After the two back-to-back monstrous blockbusters in the form of Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar 2, the studio's Marathi film Raja Shivaji is heading towards a blockbuster start at the domestic box office.
The buzz around Riteish Deshmukh-led historical action drama is clearly translating into impressive advance booking numbers. The Marathi version of the film has already crossed 3 crore gross (with block seats) for Day 1 pre-sales, and there is still half a day left before release, indicating that the final advance figures could climb even higher.
A Double-Digit Indicator, But Market Limitation Is Real
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By the look of it, the pre-sales numbers are extremely promising for the Marathi film. In fact, if this level of booking was recorded for a mainstream Bollywood release, a double-digit opening would almost be guaranteed. Strong pre-sales at this scale typically point toward robust occupancy across major centres and a healthy opening day total.
However, Raja Shivaji operates in a different space. While the film is also releasing in Hindi, the bookings for the same are underwhelming, hinting at the opening in the range of 2 crore net. Despite the bilingual strategy, Raja Shivaji remains a Marathi-language driven film, with its core business coming from a single dominant state - Maharashtra.
Unlike Bollywood films, which benefit from a wider national reach, this restricts Raja Shivaji's ability to fully capitalise on its impressive pre-sales, even though the movie is releasing on Maharashtra day (May 1). This geographical limitation plays a crucial role in determining how far the opening day number can stretch.
Record Opening Locked For Raja Shivaji
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For Raja Shivaji to secure a double-digit opening at the domestic box office, the Hindi version must perform above trade expectations and then rely on the original Marathi version to push the total past double digit net. In terms of gross collection, the film still has a chance to achieve it, with 8-10 crores gross being well within reach.
Irrespective of whether the film can deliver 10+ crore net opening, it is certain to score the biggest start for a Marathi film. Currently, Sairat and Timepass 2 are the biggest openers with around 3.60 crores net each, and looking at the pre-sales, Raja Shivaji will easily cross this figure to script a new chapter for Marathi cinema.
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