The highly anticipated historical epic Raja Shivaji made its grand theatrical debut on May 1, 2026. While the film has shattered records for Marathi cinema and benefitted from a high-voltage cameo by Salman Khan, the opening day numbers suggest that Riteish Deshmukh still has his own Bollywood milestones to chase.

The Box Office Breakdown: A Historic Win for Marathi Cinema

Despite the mixed critical reception, Raja Shivaji has delivered a formidable performance at the ticket windows. The film has officially become the biggest opening ever for a Marathi film, comfortably surpassing previous regional benchmarks.

• Total India Net Collection: ₹11.35 crore

• Total India Gross Collection: ₹13.51 crore

• The Language Split: The Marathi version led the charge with a record-breaking ₹8 crore, while the Hindi version contributed ₹3.35 crore.

Salman Khan’s Impactful Entry

The buzz surrounding the film reached a fever pitch thanks to a surprise appearance by Salman Khan. Fans have flooded social media with praise for his portrayal, which undoubtedly boosted the Hindi belt's numbers and fueled advance bookings. However, the film faced stiff competition from other current hits at the Indian box office, which limited its overall reach on day one.

Lags Behind: Riteish’s Own Top 5 Openers

Despite the massive scale of this project, Riteish Deshmukh couldn't surpass the massive opening day figures of the biggest Bollywood hits in his career. The ₹11.35 crore start trails behind these five blockbuster openers:

1. Housefull 5 (2025): ₹24.35 crore

2. Ek Villain (2014): ₹16.72 crore

3. Total Dhamaal (2019): ₹16.50 crore

4. Housefull 4 (2019): ₹16.50 crore

5. Housefull 3 (2016): ₹15.21 crore

Budget and Path to Recovery

Produced by Jio Studios and directed by Riteish Deshmukh, the film carries a reported budget of ₹100 crore, making it the most expensive Marathi production to date.

To be declared a commercial success, the film needs to maintain strong momentum over the opening weekend, with trade experts eyeing a ₹50 crore domestic total by Sunday. Along with Riteish and Salman, the film boasts a massive ensemble including Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Bhagyashree, and Boman Irani, making it one of the most star-studded releases of the year.