Maidaan Box Office Collection Day 1: Ajay Devgn’s Motivational Sports Drama Gets Mild Opening Despite Terrific Word-of-Mouth – Check Detailed Report

Maidaan, starring Ajay Devgn, hit the screens as the big Eid release on Thursday. However, did it get the required hype from the festive holiday that it was expected to? Let's find out.

Delhi: Maidaan shows Indian football players as an underdog who did the unthinkable back in the ’70s. It is about the team’s coach who didn’t stop believing even when everything and everyone asked him not to. The Ajay Devgn starrer has received tremendous reviews and solid word-of-mouth from the audience on social media. And yet, its performance on day one remained dull. Directed by Amit Sharma, Maidaan opened at around Rs 7 crore on Thursday which is lower than expected and even lower if you consider the Eid holiday.

The festive box office shows a staggering boom in India, especially if a big film is released on Eid. Maidaan, with its minimum promotions, was riding high on its content value and therefore, the good word-of-mouth should have helped. However, the opening day remained unimpressive and the film couldn’t even gain a double-digit on its first day. Adding to more disappointment is the fact that out of this Rs 7 crore nett business on day one, around Rs 4-5 crore nett is from the paid previews on Wednesday. This means that the actual figures for Thursday – the opening day for the masses – remain around Rs 2-3 crore.

Maidaan vs Bade Miyan Chote Miyan opening day box office collection report

Maidaan saw a direct clash with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan at the Box Office. The Ali Abbas Zafar directorial has received mixed reviews but its scale seems to have impressed the audience who flocked to the theatres during the evening shows to take its opening day collection to cross Rs 10 crore. The Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff starrer ended up doing a business of Rs 15-16 crore nett on its first day, a total win for the film even with the dull advance sales.

It will now be interesting to see how Maidaan will use positive word-of-mouth in its favour to register a growing business over the long Eid weekend. While Friday could be lower than Thursday considering it is a working day, Saturday-Sunday could show some magic for Ajay Devgn’s ambitious sports drama at the Box Office. What are your thoughts? Watch this space for all the latest Box Office updates on Maidaan!