Marathi cinema has officially witnessed a historic box office phenomenon. Raja Shivaji, the magnum opus historical action drama directed by and starring Riteish Deshmukh, has breached the coveted ₹100 crore gross milestone worldwide on its 17th day of release. This monumental achievement places the epic as only the second Marathi film in cinema history to enter the elite ₹100 crore club, a feat that had gone unrepeated for an entire decade.
The film, based on the monumental life and military victories of the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has maintained an unstoppable, record-breaking run since its theatrical release on Maharashtra Day (May 1, 2026). The film opened to a thunderous start, raking in an unprecedented ₹33.90 crore net over its first weekend. Demonstrating incredible weekday stability, it closed its opening week at a staggering ₹52.65 crore net.
A Spectacular Third Weekend Surge
While standard regional releases tend to taper off sharply by the third week, Raja Shivaji witnessed a massive resurgence over its third weekend. On Sunday (May 17) alone, the film registered an exceptional single-day haul, adding ₹4 crore gross to its soaring tally.
Following 17 days of uninterrupted theatrical run, the domestic box office haul stands at a massive ₹84.55 crore net, pushing the total domestic gross collection past the ₹100.07 crore mark. What makes this commercial triumph truly staggering is that Raja Shivaji achieved this number entirely through its domestic market, lacking the traditional, expansive overseas release that usually boosts multi-language projects.
Chasing the All-Time Record: ‘Sairat’ in Sight
With ₹100 crore firmly in the bag, Riteish Deshmukh’s directorial project is now hot on the heels of Nagraj Manjule’s 2016 cult romantic drama Sairat. Sairat currently holds the undisputed crown as the highest-grossing Marathi film of all time, with a lifetime collection of ₹110 crore gross worldwide.
Top-Grossing Marathi Films of All Time:
1. Sairat (2016) – ₹110 Crore Gross (Lifetime)
2. Raja Shivaji (2026) – ₹100.07 Crore Gross (17 Days - Running)
3. Baipan Bhari Deva (2023) – ₹90.50 Crore Gross (Lifetime)
4. Ved (2022) – ₹75 Crore Gross (Lifetime)
Trade analysts and box office trackers project that despite inevitable weekday drops, the film will comfortably secure an additional ₹5 crore gross before entering its fourth weekend, effectively placing it on track to permanently shatter Sairat’s decade-long record.
A Passion Project Fueled by Star Power Working for Free
Beyond the astronomical box office numbers, Raja Shivaji has captured headlines due to a heartwarming revelation regarding its ensemble cast. Produced jointly by Genelia D’Souza and Jyoti Deshpande under the banners of Mumbai Film Company and Jio Studios, the film boasts a massive multi-star lineup, including industry heavyweights like Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Fardeen Khan, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, and a special cameo by Salman Khan.
In a recent interview, director Riteish Deshmukh revealed that in a phenomenal gesture of respect toward the historic icon, none of the lead actors charged a single rupee for their roles.
“All the big actors have worked for free in this film; everyone has worked for free out of sheer respect for Maharaj,” Deshmukh shared.
With this landmark success, Riteish Deshmukh has cemented his position as a visionary powerhouse in regional filmmaking. Having previously delivered the blockbuster Ved, Deshmukh now claims two spots out of the top five highest-earning Marathi movies in history, proving that regional content, when mounted on a grand scale with authentic storytelling, can challenge mainstream box office boundaries.