Mardaani 3, the third instalment of the Rani Mukerji starrer franchise, took a modest opening on Friday, January 30. The action-thriller collected Rs 4 crore (nett) at domestic box office, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.
While the figures may seem low, this is the highest opening Rani Mukerji-led theatrical film in nearly 13 years. While her previous big releases like Hichki and Mardaani 2 had opened in the range of Rs 3-3.8 crore, Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway had opened much lower at 1.25 crore, only to pick up in subsequent days.
However, considering its high budget, Mardaani 3 would need a strong boost on day 2 and day 3, to have a chance at steady box office run. The film is reportedly made on a budget of Rs 60 crore. As of 2pm on Saturday, the film had added another 1.04 crore to its domestic collections.
Meanwhile, the film performed well at overseas market too, grossing Rs 2 crore overall.
Produced by Yash Raj Films, Mardaani 3 is directed by debutant director Abhiraj Minawala. After launching actors like Tahir Raj Bhasin and Vishal Jethwa, Mardaani 3 featured Mallika Prasad as the main antagonist. Aayush Gupta has penned the screenplay and dialogues, besides co-writing the story with Deepak Kingrani and Baljeet Singh Marwah. The action-thriller has technicians like cinematographer Artur Zurawski, editor Yasha Jaidev Ramchandani, and production designer Kailash Sahu on board.
In our review for the film, we noted, “Mardaani 3 hangs somewhere between serving the nuance of an impactful story and the hoot-worthiness of a mass entertainer. It patiently builds but then loses all patience.”
