Raja Shivaji Day 1 Advance Booking: Grosses Rs.1.07 Cr; Surpasses Ved By 3x Margin

Marathi cinema traditionally relies on post-release word-of-mouth for growth, but Raja Shivaji is currently breaking that trend with significant pre-release urgency. The advance booking for its opening day on May 1, 2026, indicates high ground-level interest, which is a rare phenomenon for the regional industry. This early traction suggests that the film is positioned to challenge previous records for a Marathi release.

As of the latest reports, Raja Shivaji has recorded an All-India advance booking gross of ₹62.86 Lac (excluding block seats). When factoring in block seats, the figure reaches ₹1.1 Crore. The film has sold a total of 23,566 tickets across 943 shows nationwide. The primary driver is the Marathi 2D version, which alone has contributed ₹62.05 Lac from 874 shows with 23,242 tickets sold. The Hindi version is currently playing on a limited scale with 69 shows across the country.

Raja Shivaji has already carved its name in the record books by shattering the all-time advance booking records for Marathi cinema. With an ongoing gross of ₹1.07 crore, it has comfortably surpassed the previous record held by Riteish Deshmukh's own directorial debut, Ved, which stood at approximately ₹35.50 lakh. Other notable performers in this category, such as Navra Maza Navsacha 2, follow with a gross of ₹28.40 lakh. This significant leap—more than triple the previous record—highlights the strong pre-release demand and the potential for a historic theatrical run in the Marathi market.

In its home territory of Maharashtra, the film is maintaining a real occupancy of 11% across 919 shows. The Mumbai circuit is leading with 327 shows and 13% occupancy, while Pune follows with 177 shows at a higher occupancy of 17%. Currently, 49 shows are reported as almost full and 42 shows are filling fast, indicating that the momentum is picking up as the release date approaches. Other regions like Nashik and Aurangabad are also contributing to the steady buildup.

The film's performance across national cinema chains is particularly noteworthy for a regional production, showing strong pre-release momentum. Current ticket sales for Day 1 indicate that INOX is leading the surge with 6,500 tickets, while PVR and Cinépolis have recorded sales of 5,000 and 4,000 tickets, respectively. This collective interest across major chains suggests a broad appeal that complements the traditional strongholds of Marathi cinema.

Raja Shivaji is now in direct competition with the highest-grossing Marathi openers of all time. Given the current pace, the film is expected to comfortably enter the top tier of regional openings. For context, the leading opening day collections for Marathi films in the state are:

• Sairat: ₹3.6 Crore
• Timepass 2: ₹3.00 Crore
• Ved: ₹2.25 Crore

While the film aims to set a new benchmark for Marathi cinema, the overall record for highest Indian movie openers in the state of Maharashtra remains dominated by large-scale pan-India productions. For reference, the top three all-time openers in the state (approximate figures) are:

• Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge (2026): ₹22.00 Crore (Approx.)
• Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024): ₹18.00 Crore (Approx.)
• Chhaava (2025): ₹17.00 Crore (Approx.)

The strategic release on May 1, coinciding with Maharashtra Day, is playing a major role in these numbers. With strong technical backing and a high-profile directorial vision from Riteish Deshmukh, Raja Shivaji is trending toward a historic start for a regional language film, with the potential to surpass the first-day figures of all previous Marathi blockbusters.