Rajkummar Rao’s latest film, Maalik, has recorded a total box office collection of ₹14.1 crore in its opening weekend, reflecting a modest performance despite the actor’s popularity. Released across theaters over three days, the film faced challenges competing against other popular releases and received a mix of critical and audience reactions.
The crime thriller showcases Rao in the role of a gangster, a departure from his usual portrayal of more sympathetic characters. Despite this fresh take, Maalik’s earnings started slow, with its Friday collections at ₹3.75 crore. Saturday saw a 40% jump to ₹5.25 crore, but Sunday experienced a slight dip to ₹5.09 crore, leading to a stagnation in its overall weekend growth.
Occupancy rates on Sunday highlighted the film’s struggle to maintain strong viewership, with only 8.05% occupancy in morning shows and 22.43% in the afternoon. Evening and nighttime screenings fared better, drawing occupancy rates near 23% and 30% respectively. Overall, Hindi screenings averaged a 20.77% occupancy throughout the day.
Metro… In Dino Shows Robust Growth and Outperforms Maalik
Meanwhile, Anurag Basu’s ensemble drama Metro… In Dino has demonstrated a powerful hold on audiences, surpassing Maalik’s box office numbers comfortably. After a slow start, the multi-starrer accumulated ₹38.55 crore in total, with ₹4.75 crore earned on Sunday alone. Its strong word-of-mouth momentum helped the film collect ₹26.85 crore during its first week, and it continued to build on that success during the second weekend.
On its second Saturday, Metro… In Dino witnessed a remarkable 95% increase in collections, earning ₹4.6 crore, surpassing Sunday’s earnings. In comparison, other competing films like Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, which stars debutante Shanaya Kapoor and Vikrant Massey, accrued only ₹41 lakh on Sunday and ₹1.2 crore over their opening weekend, indicating stiff competition among releases.
Context of Rajkummar Rao’s Previous Box Office Performances
Looking at the broader context of Rajkummar Rao’s recent projects, Maalik’s weekend figures fall short of expectations compared to some of his earlier films. For instance, Bhool Chuk Maaf, his earlier release, earned nearly twice as much in its opening weekend with ₹28 crore. Another previous film, Mr & Mrs Mahi, which did not meet critical acclaim, still managed to generate ₹16.85 crore in three days, edging past Maalik’s collection.
As Maalik continues its run through the weekdays, maintaining positive word of mouth will be essential for improving its box office performance. The film’s future success depends significantly on how it manages to capture audiences amid competitive releases and its mixed reviews.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Has Rajkummar Rao done any surgery?
A. “I haven’t had any plastic surgery,” he stated. Rao then mentioned he tried fillers approximately eight years ago. His dermatologist recommended this to improve his chin’s appearance a bit.
Q. Did Rajkummar Rao have surgery?
A. A photo of Rajkummar Rao at a recent Diljit Dosanjh concert led to rumors about possible plastic surgery. As the picture spread widely, people began to wonder if he had cosmetic work done. Rajkummar Rao addressed these rumors himself, stating clearly: “It is not plastic surgery!”
