Box office: Akshay Kumar's 'Mission Raniganj' grows on Saturday
After putting up a forgettable opening of Rs. 2.8cr on Friday (October 6), Akshay Kumar's Mission Raniganj finally found some takers on Saturday. This can be attributed to good word of mouth as well as the weekend factor that often helps movies sail their boat. Notably, Varun Badola, Ravi Kishan, Kumud Mishra, and Parineeti Chopra (special appearance) are also part of Mission Raniganj.
Why does this story matter?
With MR's less than Rs. 3cr opening, Kumar delivered one of his career's worst openings—a shocking feat for an A-lister who has been active in showbiz for three decades. Kumar's overexposure and oversaturation (with multiple films every year) have waned the audience's interest in his movies. Even though MR is based on a heroic true story, it had shockingly low buzz and no anticipation.
It collected little less than Rs. 5cr on Saturday
Per trade tracker website Sacnilk, the film netted Rs. 4.7cr (early estimates) on its second day (Saturday), and its total collection now stands at Rs. 7.5cr. Night shows witnessed an occupancy of 23.47%, while evening and afternoon shows had a turnout of 15.8% and 13.5%, respectively. MR has been directed by Tinu Suresh Desai and produced by Vashu Bhagnani and Jackky Bhagnani's Pooja Entertainment.
Competition: Facing contest from these films currently
Kumar's Mission Raniganj was released alongside Bhumi Pednekar's Thank You For Coming, though it has found even fewer takers than the former. Apart from that, the audience's first choice remains the multistarrer comedy film Fukrey 3 and Shah Rukh Khan's action drama Jawan. Vivek Agnihotri's The Vaccine War is also in the theaters currently. MR will next face competition from Ganapath (October 20 release).
True story that inspired 'Mission Raniganj'
In 1989, 65 miners got entrapped in water-logged coal mines in Raniganj, West Bengal. Engineer Jaswant Singh Gill (Kumar) then took it upon himself to save their lives. He built an iron capsule—six feet tall and 21 inches broad—to lower into the mine and save them. Coal India commemorates his courage every year on November 16 (the day of the incident) as Rescue Day.
Take a look at Kumar's upcoming confirmed films
Mission Raniganj is Kumar's third film of 2023 after Selfiee and OMG 2 (extended cameo). He has a long list of upcoming films ahead. These include Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (action thriller), Welcome to the Jungle (comedy), Sky Force (patriotic thriller), Singham Again (action; cameo), Housefull 5 (comedy), Soorarai Pottru remake (drama), and Veer Daudale Saat (historical drama; Marathi film debut).
