Laxman Utekar’s Chhaava, based on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s valiant war efforts against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, had released in theatres on February 14, 2025. Starring Vicky Kaushal in the lead, the film also features Akshaye Khanna, Rashmika Mandanna, Divya Dutta, Ashutosh Rana, and Diana Penty. Initially slated for a December 2024 release, where it would have clashed with Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 (which, interestingly, also stars Rashmika Mandanna as the female lead), Chhaava was wisely postponed to 2025 by its producers, Maddock Films. ‘Chhaava’ Movie Review: Vicky Kaushal Dials Up the Aggression in Laxman Utekar’s Historical War Drama That Growls More Than It Roars.

Pushpa 2 went on to become Indian cinema’s highest-grossing film (in India), while Chhaava, at the time of writing, has enjoyed a highly successful first day, breaking two major records. It has given Vicky Kaushal his biggest box-office opener for a solo film and scored the highest opening-day collections for a Bollywood historical.

Vicky Kaushal’s Best First-Day Collections

According to Sacnilk, Chhaava netted INR 31 crore in India on its opening day. The film was expected to perform exceptionally well in Maharashtra, given the region’s affinity for Maratha rulers, particularly Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s legacy. This marks Vicky Kaushal’s highest opener for a solo film, surpassing Bad Newz from last year. In fact, Chhaava is the first Vicky Kaushal film to achieve a double-digit opening.

Vicky Kaushal’s Top 5 Opening-Day Collections:

1. Chhaava - INR 31 crore

2. Bad Newz - INR 8.62 crore

3. Uri: The Surgical Strike - INR 8.20 crore

4. Raazi - INR 7.53 crore

5. Sam Bahadur - INR 5.75 crore

'Chhaava' Scores Highest First-Day Collections for a Bollywood Historical

Not only has Chhaava given Vicky Kaushal his best opening-day figures, but it has also set the record for the highest first-day collections for a Bollywood historical, surpassing Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat. This double achievement is a significant milestone for the film.

Top 5 Opening-Day Collections for Bollywood Historicals:

1. Chhaava - INR 31 crore

2. Padmaavat - INR 24 crore

3. Kesari - INR 21.06 crore

4. Tanhaji - INR 15.10 crore

5. Bajirao Mastani - INR 12.80 crore

Watch the Trailer of 'Chhaava':

Chhaava was made on a reported budget of INR 190 crore, meaning it needs to net at least INR 220 crore to be considered a hit. ‘Chhaava’: Before Shining As Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Did You Know Vicky Kaushal Was Set To Play Aurangzeb in Karan Johar’s ‘Takht’? Here’s Why It Never Happened!

Allegations of Block Bookings

In a now-viral YouTube video, trade analyst Komal Nahta accused Maddock Films of engaging in box-office malpractices, such as block bookings, to inflate collections for their previous release, Sky Force, and now for Chhaava. Other trade analysts have echoed these allegations, though they also acknowledge that the film has shown strong organic collections over the first weekend.

Komal Nahta Calling Out Maddock Films' Block Booking

If the allegations are true, it remains to be seen how much of the film’s earnings are organic versus corporate bookings. Additionally, it will be interesting to observe whether Chhaava can overcome this negative perception and sustain its box-office performance with genuine audience support.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 15, 2025 08:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).