Rajkummar Rao’s legal drama Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam is closing its India theatrical run at an estimated Rs 19.50 crore nett, trade figures collated by Pinkvilla show.
The Avinash Arun-directed film opened low, then managed Rs 13 crore in its first week. It added Rs 4.50 crore in week two—a drop of about 65%—and is projected to collect roughly Rs 2 crore in week three before leaving cinemas.
The shape of the run
Week-by-week estimates from the source:
- Week 1: Rs 13 crore nett
- Week 2: Rs 4.50 crore nett (down about 65%)
- Week 3: Rs 2 crore nett (estimated)
- Total: Rs 19.50 crore nett
With Ramayana arriving this weekend, the film is expected to lose its remaining screens.
Why the second-week fall matters
A 65% second-week drop is the key number here. It means paid marketing and premiere interest got people into the opening, but word of mouth did not convert them into repeat or referral audiences. For a film with a recognised cast, that is a clear signal the positioning or the film itself failed to cross over.
In entertainment marketing terms, the theatrical window is a discovery funnel. Opening weekend is the top of that funnel; week two shows whether the initial audience turned into advocacy. When week two retains only about a third of week one, the funnel is leaking.
What it signals for the category
Legal dramas remain a narrow theatrical genre in India. Unless they carry an event-sized hook or breakout reviews, their ceiling is modest. Prahaar’s final figure is a useful benchmark for mid-budget, star-led courtroom films: a three-week run and a low double-digit crore total are now a realistic downside case.
For media planners, the lesson is not to over-buy second-week inventory on the assumption that a familiar face guarantees hold. Watch the first Monday and the week one-to-two retention before committing more media.
Source: PINKVILLA
