Rajkummar Rao’s highly anticipated venture into the gangster genre, “Maalik,” opened to a sluggish start at the box office, collecting just Rs 3.35 crore on its first day.
A Slow Start for “Maalik”
The film, directed by Pulkit, features a strong ensemble cast including Manushi Chhillar, Saurabh Shukla, and Prosenjit Chatterjee. Despite the buzz around Rajkummar Rao’s new action-packed avatar, “Maalik” struggled to attract audiences.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the movie’s opening day earnings of Rs 3.35 crore fell significantly below industry expectations. The overall Hindi occupancy rate for Friday was a mere 12.86%.
Audience Turnout Across the Day
“Maalik” began its theatrical run on a very quiet note, with morning shows recording only 6.65% occupancy. There was minimal improvement throughout the day, with afternoon shows at 11.12% and evening shows slightly higher at 11.78%.
The night shows saw a modest rise to 21.88% occupancy, but this was not enough to salvage the film’s opening day figures.
Regional Performance Insights
Interestingly, some cities showed more enthusiasm for “Maalik” than others. Chennai led the occupancy charts with 26.67%, followed by Lucknow at 24.00% and Jaipur at 22.00%.
However, traditional strongholds for Hindi films, such as Mumbai and Delhi NCR, underperformed significantly. Mumbai registered only 13.00% occupancy, while Delhi NCR saw 14.25%.
Comparing Box Office Numbers
“Maalik’s” opening day collection is notably lower than Rajkummar Rao’s previous release, “Bhool Chuk Maaf,” which garnered Rs 7 crore on its first day. It also lagged behind John Abraham’s political thriller, “The Diplomat,” which opened with Rs 4 crore.
However, “Maalik” did manage to outperform “Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan,” starring Vikrant Massey and Shanaya Kapoor, which had a very modest debut of Rs 32 lakh.
Facing Stiff Competition
The film is up against tough competition from both domestic and international releases. Anurag Basu’s “Metro… In Dino,” now in its second week, earned Rs 2.25 crore on Friday, bringing its total to Rs 29.1 crore.
Hollywood’s “Jurassic World Rebirth” continues its strong performance, adding Rs 3 crore on Friday in its second week, pushing its cumulative total past Rs 58 crore. Adding to the challenge, the highly anticipated superhero film “Superman” debuted with a robust Rs 7 crore on Day 1, nearly doubling “Maalik’s” earnings.
The Road Ahead
Despite the initial excitement surrounding Rajkummar Rao’s foray into the gangster genre, “Maalik” has received mixed reviews. Critics have pointed out a generic storyline and lack of character depth.
With a reported budget of Rs 54 crore, “Maalik” faces a significant uphill battle to recover its costs. The film will need a dramatic surge in audience reception over the weekend to improve its box office prospects.
- “Maalik” earned Rs 3.35 crore on its opening day, falling below expectations.
- The film registered an overall Hindi occupancy of just 12.86%.
- It underperformed compared to Rajkummar Rao’s previous release and other recent films like “Superman” and “The Diplomat.”
- With a reported budget of Rs 54 crore, “Maalik” faces a tough challenge to recover its investment.
The coming days will be crucial for “Maalik” to prove its mettle at the box office.
