‘Raja Shivaji’ Ticket Craze: 40,000+ Advance Sales as Pune Opens 7:00 AM Shows
The Maratha roar is echoing loudly at the box office as Riteish Deshmukh’s historical epic, Raja Shivaji, prepares for a massive opening. As of the morning of April 29, 2026, the film has already sold over 40,000 tickets in advance bookings, signaling a potential record-breaker for Marathi cinema.
Releasing on May 1 (Maharashtra Day), the film is benefiting from a patriotic holiday weekend and intense local demand, particularly for the Marathi version. While it faces competition from the Hollywood sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2, the surge in domestic ticket sales suggests a dominant lead in the Maharashtra circuit.
Pune Goes on Overdrive
While Mumbai is seeing strong numbers, Pune has emerged as the highest-performing center in India for the film.
Early Starts: To accommodate the overwhelming demand, several theaters in Pune have opened shows as early as 7:00 AM.
Fast-Filling Hubs: Major chains like City Pride and E-Square are reporting “fast-filling” status across multiple screens.
Regional Surge: Beyond the metros, advance booking trends are equally encouraging in towns like Nashik, Latur, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Language-Wise Performance
The primary driver for these numbers has been the Marathi version, which accounts for the vast majority of advance sales so far.
Marathi Appeal: Audiences are drawn to the “local flavor” and the grand scale of the production, which features an ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vidya Balan.
Hindi Version: Full-fledged bookings for the Hindi version are beginning to roll out across the country. Trade analysts are watching closely to see if the national audience matches the fervor seen in the Maharashtra home turf.
Record-Breaking Expectations
With national chains like PVR Inox already reporting nearly 10,000 tickets sold and Miraj Cinemas crossing 4,100, the film is on track for a flying start.
Produced by Mumbai Film Company and Jio Studios, Raja Shivaji is being positioned as the grandest cinematic tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to date. With the 40,000-ticket milestone already crossed two days before release, a historic first-day collection is almost guaranteed.
