A Marathi Film That Is No Longer Playing Small

For years, Marathi cinema has been creating powerful stories, powerful performances and films with a deep cultural emotion. However, the talk remained low on box office size in comparison to Hindi films. Raja Shivaji is bringing about this change in the conversation rather quickly. Now that the Raja Shivaji has been gathering huge collections at the box office, it has become one of the biggest talking points for the Indian film fraternity, particularly in Marathi circles. It is acting as a big event film.

The Riteish Deshmukh-equipped film has topped the ₹90 crore tally and is said to be in talks for the second highest-grossing Marathi movie of all time following the latest update on day 12. The box office collections of the film have already crossed ₹80 crore, and its popularity isn't dropping as rapidly as some believed it would. That matters because this is not just another successful regional release. It feels like a moment where Marathi cinema is pushing into a much larger box office space.

The Day 12 Picture: Still Holding Strong

As per the latest running box office updates on Day 12, Raja Shivaji has grossed a net of around ₹73.15 crore at the Indian box office. The movie was also expected to hit the ₹80 crore mark in gross collections and was on the verge of hitting ₹90 crore. Another box office tracker update placed the film at ₹70.65 crore India net before full day 12 reporting, with India gross at ₹83.80 crore. It also broke down the film’s total into ₹49.90 crore net from the Marathi version and ₹20.75 crore net from the Hindi version.

That split is important. It shows that the original Marathi version remains the emotional and commercial backbone of the film. But the Hindi version has also helped expand its reach beyond a one-language audience. The film was released on 1st May 2026, marking Maharashtra Day, which provided the film with a good cultural and emotional premiere window. The film then gained interest from its audience, its scale and word of mouth sustaining its run into the second week.

Opening Records Changed the Mood Early

From the first day it was evident. Following this, Raja Shivaji had a record-breaking day with Marathi cinema, with reports stating it had the largest-ever opening of Marathi-language films and has surpassed earlier records set by Sairat and Ved. The first day saw the movie grossing ₹11.35 crore domestic net and ₹13.51 crore domestic gross, the Week reported, adding that Sairat had grossed ₹3.60 crore and Ved ₹2.25 crore on opening day. According to other early reports, the movie made ₹23.90 crore in the first two days, with ₹12.40 crore on day 1 and ₹11.50 crore on Saturday.

Opening Records Changed the Mood Early Those numbers changed the tone around the film immediately. This was no longer just a “good opening.” It became a sign that a Marathi film could create genuine theatrical urgency when the subject, scale, and star power came together.

This is Riteish Deshmukh's biggest Marathi moment yet!

One of the key contributors to the run is Riteish Deshmukh. He has not treated Marathi cinema like a side space in his career. With Ved earlier and now Raja Shivaji, he has shown that regional cinema can be mounted with ambition and still reach a large audience. In this film, Riteish Deshmukh plays Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and also directs the project. That makes the success more personal. It is not just an actor-led box office win; it is also a director’s gamble paying off. The film also features a strong cast, including names such as Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Genelia Deshmukh, Fardeen Khan, Sachin Khedekar and Bhagyashree. Sources also reported that several big names worked on the project without taking any fees, with Riteish claiming that it was due to the goodwill that he had accumulated during his 23-year career.

Reviews Mixed, Audience Clear

The Raja Shivaji film review conversation has not been one-sided. Some people have praised the scale and emotion, while others have debated the treatment and dramatization. But box office often tells a different story from reviews. A film can have mixed critical reactions and still connect strongly with audiences. That seems to be happening here. Viewers are not only going because of reviews. They are going because the subject matters, the presentation feels grand, and Riteish’s involvement has created trust. At the end of the day, theatres respond to footfalls. And the footfalls are clearly there.

Can It Climb Even Higher? The next few days will decide how far the film goes. If it holds well through weekdays and gets another strong weekend push, the ₹90 crore milestone should become more realistic. The bigger question is whether it can go beyond that and challenge the top Marathi records. That will depend on screen count, repeat audience, family turnout, and competition from new releases. But even if it slows down from here, the film has already done enough to be called one of Marathi cinema’s major box office moments. It has brought pride, scale and numbers together. That is not easy.

For The United Indian

Why This Matters

At The United Indian, we look beyond box office figures to understand why a film connects. Raja Shivaji is not just earning money; it is showing how strongly history, pride and regional cinema can come together on the big screen.

The Bigger Picture

The success of this film proves that Marathi cinema does not have to think small. With the right subject, scale and audience emotion, it can compete for much bigger numbers.

Stay With Us

Follow The United Indian for grounded entertainment stories that explain not just collections but the emotion behind them.