Maalik Box Office Collection Day 1: Rajkummar Rao Starrer Opens Lower Than His Previous Film, Fails To Cross Even Rs...

The box office saw two new Bollywood releases on Friday, but both failed to make a strong impact. Rajkummar Rao’s gangster drama Maalik and Vikrant Massey’s romantic film Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan opened to low numbers, leaving trade experts disappointed.

Maalik, despite Rajkummar’s strong track record in urban cinemas, didn’t attract his usual multiplex audience. Early estimates from Sacnilk suggest that the film earned just around Rs 3.35 crore on Day 1, falling short of the Rs 5 crore mark. This is a big drop compared to Rajkummar’s last release, Bhool Chuk Maaf, which collected Rs 7 crore on its opening day.

Maalik Box Office Collection Day 1

Maalik had a wide release with over 8,000 shows across the country, but it didn’t translate into ticket sales. Trade experts believe gangster films usually work better when led by stars with mass appeal, which this film lacked. Rajkummar’s movies have mostly worked well in urban markets, but this time, the audience didn’t seem interested.

The weekend will be crucial for Maalik. If the film receives positive word of mouth, it might follow the Srikanth route and aim for a lifetime collection of Rs 50 crore. But if the content doesn’t click, it may wrap up its run around Rs 30 crore. The next two days will give a clearer picture, especially in the mass belts.

Maalik Box Office Collection Day 1: Rs 3.35 cr net 

Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan Box Office Collection Day 1

While Maalik struggled, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan had an even tougher start. The romantic drama, starring Vikrant Massey and debutante Shanaya Kapoor, earned just Rs 0.35 crore on Day 1, as per early estimates. Directed by Santosh Singh and based on Ruskin Bond’s short story The Eyes Have It, the film failed to strike a chord with the audience.

Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan Box Office Collection Day 1: Rs 0.35 cr net

Ticket sales were weak right from the start. In the final pre-sales, the film sold only about 1,500 tickets across top national chains like PVR Inox and Cinepolis. Audience reactions were mixed, with many criticising the film for its slow and monotonous storyline. Additionally, the film lacked the star power to draw people to theatres.

Both Maalik and Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan are also facing tough competition from earlier releases like Metro In Dino, F1: The Movie, and Jurassic World: Rebirth. Adding to their challenge is the Superman reboot, which also released yesterday with them and is expected to grab a large share of the audience.