Maalik Opens To Lukewarm Response: Rajkummar Rao’s Film Earns Half Of Superman’s Day 1 Total
Rajkummar Rao's gangster debut, 'Maalik', earned ₹3.35 crore on its opening day, with a 12.86% Hindi occupancy.
Maalik Box Office Collection Day 1: Stepping into uncharted territory, acclaimed actor Rajkummar Rao made his gangster genre debut with Maalik, which hit theatres this Friday. Directed by Pulkit, the film boasts an ensemble cast including Manushi Chhillar, Saurabh Shukla, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Swanand Kirkire, and Saurabh Sachdeva.
Despite considerable curiosity around Rao’s new on-screen persona, Maalik failed to meet box office expectations on its opening day.
Opening Day Box Office and Occupancy Details
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Maalik earned ₹3.35 crore on Day 1. The film posted an overall Hindi occupancy rate of just 12.86% on Friday. Morning shows struggled with only 6.65% occupancy, with slight improvements in the afternoon (11.12%) and evening (11.78%). It saw a modest uptick to 21.88% during night shows.
Interestingly, Chennai led regional performance with 26.67% occupancy, followed by Lucknow (24.00%) and Jaipur (22.00%). However, metro cities like Mumbai and Delhi NCR underwhelmed with only 13.00% and 14.25% respectively.
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Maalik vs Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan
Maalik’s debut lags behind Rajkummar Rao’s previous outing, Bhool Chuk Maaf, which had collected ₹7 crore on its opening day. It also trailed The Diplomat, John Abraham’s political thriller, which opened at ₹4 crore. However, Maalik performed better than Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, starring Vikrant Massey and Shanaya Kapoor, which managed only ₹32 lakh on Day 1.
Tough Box Office Competition
The film’s performance is further challenged by stiff competition from both Indian and international titles. In the domestic space, Metro… In Dino, now in its second week, earned ₹2.25 crore on Friday, pushing its total to ₹29.1 crore. Meanwhile, Jurassic World Rebirth—Hollywood’s summer juggernaut—continues to dominate with ₹3 crore on Friday, taking its total beyond ₹58 crore.
Adding to the pressure is the release of Superman, a major Hollywood tentpole, which debuted with a strong ₹7 crore, more than double Maalik’s opening day collection.
Mixed Reception and Uncertain Future
Despite the pre-release buzz around Rajkummar Rao’s gangster avatar—especially in a time when many leading actors are turning to action—the film has received mixed early reviews. Critics and audiences have pointed to its “generic storyline” and “lack of character depth.”
With a reported budget of ₹54 crore, Maalik now faces an uphill climb at the box office. Unless it sees a sharp rise in audience turnout and favorable word-of-mouth over the weekend, recovering its investment may prove to be a significant challenge.
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