Riteish’s Reign: Raja Shivaji Storms Box Office With ₹11.70 Crore Opening, Rewrites Marathi Cinema History
Released on Maharashtra Day, Riteish Deshmukh’s directorial debut as a historical filmmaker has not only shattered every Marathi box office record in existence but outgunned Kangana Ranaut’s big-budget Bollywood epic Manikarnika on opening day — a landmark moment for Indian regional cinema.
Maharashtra’s biggest cultural holiday just got its most fitting cinematic gift. The Indian film industry has witnessed a massive historical opening as Riteish Deshmukh’s ambitious project Raja Shivaji roared into theatres on May 1, 2026. On its very first day, the film collected a staggering ₹11.70 crore net in India, a feat that has sent ripples through the trade circuit.
Manikarnika, Sairat — All Records Broken
This opening has surpassed Manikarnika‘s (2019) opening-day earnings of ₹8.75 crore, officially making Raja Shivaji the bigger opener among Indian historical dramas. The film also rewrote the record books within Marathi cinema itself. With ₹3.60 crore net in advances alone, Raja Shivaji went past the long-standing opening-day figures of Sairat and Timepass 2, which had scored around ₹3.60 crore net each — records that had stood for nearly a decade.
With an aggregate 32% occupancy, the film performed better in Marathi than in Hindi. In Marathi, Raja Shivaji earned ₹8.75 crore, while the Hindi version contributed ₹2.95 crore.
Record Before Release
The film’s box office dominance was telegraphed well before a single frame was projected. Raja Shivaji closed its advance booking at ₹5.14 crore gross (without block seats), including a historic ₹4.25 crore gross (₹3.60 crore net) for the original Marathi version alone — the biggest advance booking ever for a Marathi film. Over 2 lakh tickets were sold across the nation, with the majority of sales in the Marathi belt, where ticket sales exceeded 1.67 lakh.
On Day 1, Raja Shivaji collected a net of ₹11.35 crore across 6,192 shows, with a total India gross of ₹13.51 crore.
A Star-Studded Vision of Swarajya
Released on the occasion of Maharashtra Day, Raja Shivaji is not merely a historical film, but a narrative that evokes the spirit of Swarajya (self-rule) and Maratha identity. Directed by Riteish Deshmukh, the film has been received well by audiences and runs for a duration of 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Riteish Deshmukh portrays Shivaji Maharaj, Sanjay Dutt plays Afzal Khan, Abhishek Bachchan portrays Sambhaji Maharaj, and Fardeen Khan plays Shah Jahan. Bhagyashree is seen as Jijau, with Salman Khan making a cameo as Jiva Mahala. Music is composed by the celebrated duo Ajay-Atul.
India’s Most Expensive Marathi Film
The film’s grand scale, supported by a reported budget of ₹100 crore, makes it the most expensive Marathi film ever made, and the visual grandeur on display has been a major draw for audiences looking for a high-quality cinematic experience.
Trade analysts are now closely watching the weekend trends, predicting that the film could see a significant jump as word-of-mouth spreads across other states. By shattering existing records for Marathi cinema and outperforming established Bollywood historicals in its opening, the film has set a new benchmark for regional storytelling on a global stage.
