Box office: Tanhaji scores nearly Rs60 crore, Chhapaak gets Rs18 crore on first weekend

Director Om Raut’s Hindi film debut Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior had a good first weekend at the domestic box office, making close to Rs60 crore nett.

Starring Ajay Devgn, the film’s collection in the first three days was Rs59.75 crore nett, as per figures shared by BoxOfficeIndia.com. 

The film is based on the life of Maratha general Tanaji Malusare who died while recapturing Kondhana fort, now known as Sinhagad, near Pune from the Mughals.

Tanhaji gained from good reviews and positive word-of-mouth publicity over the opening weekend. After opening with Rs14.50 crore nett on Friday, the film made Rs19.75 crore nett and Rs25.50 crore nett, respectively, on Saturday and Sunday.

According to trade sources, Tanhaji was made on a budget of around Rs150 crore, so the film will need to continue this momentum on the weekdays and hope for another boost on the second weekend. The film’s performance today will play a crucial role in determining its lifetime journey.

Meanwhile, the Deepika Padukone-starrer Chhapaak, which was released along with Tanhaji, did average business in the first weekend. After a low opening of Rs4.50 crore nett, the film directed by Meghna Gulzar saw a jump on the next two days and has finished the first weekend with Rs18 crore nett.

Since the film's estimated budget is Rs35 crore, Chhapaak still has some way to go before it can be considered a safe bet for the producers, who include Padukone.

The film has received good reviews and positive word-of-mouth publicity, but at the same time rightwing trolls have been trying to hurt its chances after Padukone stood with the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University protesting against the reign of terror unleashed by masked hoodlums on the campus on Sunday 5 January.