Ajay Devgn’s much-anticipated sports drama, Maidaan, hit theaters on the auspicious occasion of Eid, but its box office performance on day one fell short of expectations. Despite positive reviews, Maidaan managed to collect only Rs 7.10 crore on its opening day, including previews.
This disappointing start is particularly noteworthy considering Maidaan’s release on a major holiday like Eid. The film opened with paid previews on Wednesday, accumulating Rs 2.6 crore, followed by a full-scale release on Eid, where it added Rs 4.50 crore to its tally. However, the overall response from audiences remained lukewarm, with occupancy rates hovering around 16 percent throughout the day.
Compared to Ajay Devgn’s recent releases, Maidaan’s opening day figures are significantly lower. For instance, his previous films like Shaitaan, Drishyam 2, and Bholaa enjoyed much stronger openings, with earnings ranging from Rs 11.20 crore to Rs 15.38 crore on day one.
Now, the spotlight is on Maidaan’s performance over the weekend. The film needs to achieve double-digit collections in the coming days to demonstrate an upward trend at the box office and gauge audience acceptance.
Adding to the challenge, Maidaan is facing competition from another Eid release, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff. Despite a larger opening collection of Rs 15.50 crore, even Bade Miyan Chote Miyan faces the task of maintaining momentum to offset its substantial production costs.
Reports suggest that Maidaan, after years of delay, has a substantial landing cost of Rs 250 crore. Similarly, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan reportedly boasts a budget of around Rs 350 crore. The underwhelming opening for both films poses a considerable challenge for them to recover their production expenses.
As the weekend unfolds, the box office performance of Maidaan and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan will be closely watched to determine their prospects in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned for updates on their box office journey.
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