The courtroom drama, based on the life of veteran public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam and the trial that led to the hanging of Ajmal Kasab, was released in theatres on Friday. Rajkummar Rao’s latest outing, Prahaar : The Ujjwal Nikam Story, has opened to a lukewarm response at the box office. Here’s a look at the film’s opening-day performance.
Prahaar: The Ujjwal Nikam Story opened with ₹ 2.35 crore in net collections in India, while its gross collection stood at ₹ 2.77 crore, according to the trade website Sacnilk. The film had 4,133 shows across the country and recorded an average occupancy of 13% throughout the day. In terms of worldwide collections, the film grossed ₹ 0.75 Cr, pushing its total worldwide gross to ₹ 3.52 Cr. In the National Capital Region (NCR), the film had 615 shows, with an average occupancy of 10%. Mumbai recorded 411 shows and 20% occupancy, while Ahmedabad had 283 shows with an average occupancy of 7%.
The film stars Rajkummar Rao as Nikam. It is directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan.
Prahaar review
Hindustan Times’ Rishabh Suri gave the film three stars. In his review, he wrote, “Overall, Prahaar has a story that should have been difficult to look away from, yet it occasionally tests your patience with its own digressions. A film about Ujjwal Nikam had the opportunity to capture the fight for justice with the emotional weight it deserved. Instead, it gets caught between a courtroom drama and a family saga, losing some of its grip on both in the process. And yet, there is enough here to keep the film from becoming a missed opportunity altogether.”
The 26/11 attack remains one of the darkest scars on our nation’s memory.
Prahaar among the lowest openers of Rajkummar Rao’s career
The narrative chronicles the meticulous legal strategies, intense courtroom proceedings, and prosecution efforts led by Ujjwal Nikam in his lifelong pursuit of justice. The film has surpassed the opening-day collections of Srikanth and Badhaai Do, which earned ₹ 2.25 crore and ₹ 1.65 crore, respectively. However, it failed to match the openings of several other Rajkummar’s films, including Roohi ( ₹ 2.90 crore), Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video ( ₹ 5.50 crore), Mr & Mrs Mahi ( ₹ 6.75 crore) and Bhool Chuk Maaf ( ₹ 7 crore). Earlier reporting noted: On its opening Friday, Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam earned a net collection of Rs 2.35 crore across India, spanning a wide release of 4,133 shows nationwide. The film recorded an overall theater occupancy of 13.0 percent on Day 1. Including local taxes, the domestic gross opening collection stood at Rs 2.77 crore. Overseas, the film grossed a total of Rs 0.75 crore on its first day. Combined with its domestic gross performance, the overall opening day worldwide gross collection for Prahaar stands at Rs 3.52 crore. Earlier reporting noted: The film revisits some of the most critical criminal trials in modern Indian history, including the 1993 Bombay bombings and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks (26/11).
Earlier reporting noted: The legal drama also opened in key international markets alongside its domestic release.
