Raja Shivaji has rewritten the Marathi box office record book in its opening week. The Riteish Deshmukh starrer collected Rs 61.25 crore gross (approximately Rs 50.50 crore nett) in India in its first seven days, more than doubling the previous record of Rs 26 crore held by Sairat. Even when isolating the original Marathi version, the number stands at Rs 42.25 crore, a commanding lead over any prior release.
The film opened strongly and posted decent weekday holds, though collections softened after Monday. The first-week trajectory kept it firmly on the path to Rs 100 crore, a threshold no Marathi film has ever crossed. If it reaches that mark, Raja Shivaji will become the highest-grossing film in the history of the industry.
The numbers are all the more notable because they invite comparison with Hindi blockbusters that have mined the same historical era. Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior grossed over Rs 175 crore in Maharashtra alone in 2020. Chhaava went on to collect over Rs 300 crore in the state. Both films were based on figures from the Maratha Empire, and both were made in Hindi. Raja Shivaji, by contrast, centers on the founder of that empire, was long anticipated, and is told in the actual language of the kingdom. The film is a Marathi-language production through and through, and its box office haul reflects that authenticity.
Some trade analysts believe the film could have aimed even higher, given the subject's cultural resonance and the historical precedent set by the Hindi films. The critical test now is the second Friday hold. If Raja Shivaji can stay above Rs 4 crore on its eighth day, the second weekend could propel it past the century mark and keep it in the conversation alongside the biggest regional hits of the year.
The Marathi film industry has been steadily expanding its commercial footprint over the past decade, and a Rs 100 crore grosser would be a watershed moment for the entire ecosystem. Raja Shivaji is closer to that milestone than any film before it.