Box office: 'Maidaan' fails to score big despite positive reviews
Ajay Devgn's latest film, Maidaan, has had a disappointing start at the box office, despite receiving positive reviews. The sports drama, which was strategically released on the prime Eid holiday, managed to collect only ₹7.1 crore on its opening day. This figure includes ₹2.6 crore from the select paid previews on Wednesday and ₹4.5 crore from its full-fledged release on Thursday, according to Sacnilk's report.
'Maidaan' underperformed compared to Devgn's previous films
Maidaan's box office performance pales in comparison to Devgn's previous films. His recent supernatural thriller Shaitaan earned ₹14.75 crore on its opening day, while Drishyam 2 raked in ₹15.38 crore. Even his action film Bholaa, released in March last year, saw an opening of ₹11.2 crore, significantly higher than the sports drama's debut earnings.
Crucial weekend ahead for 'Maidaan' amidst stiff competition
The upcoming weekend is critical for Maidaan as it needs to hit double digits in the next two days to indicate a positive trend and audience acceptance. The film faces tough competition from another Eid release, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, which collected ₹15.5 crore on its opening day despite a slow start.
High production costs add to 'Maidaan's box office challenge
Trade analysts have noted that both Maidaan and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan face a tough journey ahead to recover their budgets due to their lackluster openings. The production cost of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is estimated to be around ₹350 crore, while the landing cost of Maidaan, after years of delay, amounts to ₹250 crore.
