Rani Mukerji’s Mardaani 3 has delivered a better opening than Mardaani 2 at the global box office, but high expectations, mixed reviews, and strong competition have kept its day-one collections below the hoped-for double-digit mark.
A Mixed Start for Mardaani 3
New Delhi: Rani Mukerji has returned to cinemas with Mardaani 3, the third installment of the popular action-thriller franchise. While the film has managed to open better than its predecessor, the overall response has been mixed, leaving trade experts and fans somewhat disappointed. Given the success and strong fan following of the earlier films, expectations for the threequel were considerably higher.
Despite the buzz, the film’s opening numbers suggest that it has not fully capitalized on its potential, especially in comparison to what many expected from a well-established franchise.
In international markets, Mardaani 3 collected ₹2.73 crore gross on its first day. This is a respectable figure, particularly as the film is facing stiff competition from other major releases like Border 2 and Dhurandhar. However, the overseas market will now depend heavily on audience word-of-mouth during the weekend.
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For comparison, Mardaani 2 had earned around ₹1 crore gross overseas on its opening day in 2019. This means the new film has registered a 173% improvement, which is a notable achievement. Still, the mixed audience reactions could affect its ability to sustain momentum in the coming days.
At the Indian box office, the film earned ₹4.72 crore gross on day one, taking its worldwide opening total to ₹7.45 crore gross. While this figure places the film ahead of its predecessor, it remains below expectations for a franchise of this scale.
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Ideally, industry analysts believe the film should have crossed the ₹10 crore worldwide mark on its opening day. Instead, its performance is only about 38% higher than Mardaani 2, which had opened at ₹5.40 crore gross globally.
One of the major challenges for Mardaani 3 is the strong competition from Border 2, which continues to draw large audiences. In addition, mixed reviews have limited positive word-of-mouth, making it harder for the film to grow rapidly during its crucial opening weekend.
These factors combined have prevented the film from delivering a blockbuster-level opening, despite the star power of Rani Mukerji and the popularity of the franchise.
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Currently, Mardaani 2 holds the record as the highest-grossing film in the franchise with a lifetime worldwide collection of ₹67.12 crore, followed by Mardaani with ₹59.55 crore. To claim the top spot, Mardaani 3 will need strong weekend growth and consistent performance over the coming weeks.
Whether it can achieve this depends largely on audience reception and sustained box office traction.
