Gangubai Kathiawadi, featuring Alia Bhatt in the lead, has earned close to Rs 38 crore over its first weekend.
The film has done exceptionally well in the Mumbai circuit, as expected, and it has also outperformed in parts of central India as well as in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, despite facing strong competition from the Telugu film Bheemla Nayak in the latter region.
In most of these circuits, Gangubai Kathiawadi has notably also performed better than the last big Hindi film, Ranveer Singh’s 83, which had a theatrical release in December 2021.
Some parts of the northern region are anticipating an even better performance from the film once Covid restrictions are lifted.
On Saturday, the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial earned Rs 12.50 crore (nett) and on Sunday, there was an increased footfall and the film raked in around Rs 15 crore (nett). If it manages to hold ground on Monday, as well as the Maha Shivratri holiday on Tuesday, Gangubai Kathiawadi could put in an even more impressive performance at the box-office.
Compared to Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi, which earned a whopping 77 crores in its first weekend, Gangubai Kathiawadi may have fallen short, but the film has brought in significantly more audience than the last theatrical release in Hindi, Badhaai Do.
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It is to be noted that the overseas numbers for Bhansali’s film are also impressive and it is expected to finish at around $2.5 million. US/Canada will cross $1 million, while in the UK, it is expected to be close to £200k.
Gangubai Kathiawadi is loosely based on a chapter from Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges’ book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai, a collection of stories about women who were a part of Mumbai’s underworld. Bhatt plays the titular character of Gangubai Kathiawadi, known to have been one of the most influential women in Kamathipura, a red-light district in Mumbai, and the owner of many brothels in the area. Despite facing some legal hurdles before its release, the film has proved to be a success at the box-office.