Rajkummar Rao’s courtroom drama Prahaar: The Ujjwal Nikam Story collected ₹3.15 crore on Saturday, according to trade figures reported by News18. With Friday’s ₹2.35 crore opening, the film’s two-day India net total stands at ₹5.50 crore.
Directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, Prahaar follows prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam’s legal battles in major criminal cases, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks trial. Rao leads the cast, with Wamiqa Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Lalit Prabhakar and Sikandar Kher in key roles.
Day two: a slight bump, not a surge
The Saturday number is a roughly 34% improvement over Friday. For a star-led film on a crowded weekend, that is a hold rather than a breakout. The day-by-day arithmetic is below.
- Friday: ₹2.35 crore
- Saturday: ₹3.15 crore
- Two-day India net: ₹5.50 crore
The film has not lost ground, which gives exhibitors a reason to keep shows through the weekend. But the absolute size of the number matters more than the direction. At this level, every show and every walk-in counts.
Competition is splitting the audience
Prahaar is playing alongside Yami Gautam’s Nayyi Navelli, Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 and Vijay Deverakonda’s Ranabaali. Four films are now competing for screens, premium formats and the same weekend audience. For distributors and media planners, the real test is not just the Saturday bump; it is whether the film can hold its screen share when other releases are pushing for stronger show placement.
Mixed reviews put Sunday in focus
News18 Showsha rated the film 3 out of 5 stars. The review praised the ensemble but argued the narrative is overloaded. In its words: “Prahaar is all over the place, struggling to decide what it wants to focus on.”
That is a problem for a legal drama built around a well-known real-life prosecutor. The theatrical proposition is narrower than an action film, so word of mouth needs to be strong. A modest Saturday uptick without a clean critical push makes Sunday the make-or-break session. If the Sunday number does not jump more decisively, programmers may begin trimming shows from Monday.
What to watch next
Track Sunday’s collection first, then the first-Monday hold. For marketers, this is a reminder that a serious, news-driven subject does not automatically command a large opening; it needs a sharper audience promise and a clearer theatrical window. The early numbers are not a disaster, but they are not yet recovery.
Source: News18
