Raja Shivaji box office collection day 1: Riteish Deshmukh film surpasses Manikarnika's opening; collects ₹11 crore

Raja Shivaji box office collection day 1: Raja Shivaji is based on the life of Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire.

Raja Shivaji box office collection day 1: Riteish Deshmukh’s ambitious historical drama -- which he has co-written, directed, and headlined -- hit theatres on May 1. The Hindi-Marathi film, also featuring Genelia D'Souza, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Vidya Balan, among others, has made a stronger start at the box office, surpassing the opening day collection of Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi starring Kangana Ranaut.

Raja Shivaji box office collection day 1: Apart from Riteish Deshmukh, the film also stars Genelia D'Souza, and Abhishek Bachchan.

Raja Shivaji box office collection

According to the trade website Sacnilk, Raja Shivaji collected ₹11.70 crore net in India on its opening day. The film fared better in Marathi than in Hindi with an overall 32% occupancy. Raja Shivaji collected ₹8.75 crore net in Marathi and ₹2.95 crore net in Hindi. The film had a decent opening, and it remains to be seen how it fares in the coming days and if it shows a hike, especially with the weekend approaching.

This means that Raja Shivaji has beaten the opening-day collections of Manikarnika (2019), which collected ₹8.75 crore. For context, other historical dramas like Om Raut and Ajay Devgn’s Tanhaji (2020) had collected ₹15.10 crore on its opening day, while Laxman Utekar and Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava (2025) had made ₹33.50 crore.

About Raja Shivaji

Raja Shivaji is co-written and directed by Riteish Deshmukh and is based on the life of Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire. It is produced by Genelia D’Souza and Jyoti Deshpande. Riteish and Genelia star in it as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Saibai. Their sons, Rahyl and Riaan, played young Sivaji. Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, and Amole Gupte also play key roles. The film is reportedly the most expensive Marathi film ever made at ₹100 crore. It was also released in Hindi and received mixed reviews.

Hindustan Times’ review of Raja Shivaji reads: “On the acting front, Riteish Deshmukh gives the role his all and, for the most part, manages to convince. The impact, however, might have been stronger had the runtime been trimmed. Genelia Deshmukh, his real-life partner, is wonderful in her part as Saibai.” But to sum it up: “Overall, Raja Shivaji is a film that commands respect more than it commands engagement. The intent is noble, the scale undeniable. But for all it's visual grandeur, it doesn’t translate into a consistent, gripping cinematic experience. It soars in parts, especially towards the end. But as a whole, it remains a spectacle that you admire more than you feel.”