Prahaar steadies at ₹5.07 crore after two days

Rajkummar Rao’s new courtroom drama Prahaar: The Ujjwal Nikam Story has crossed ₹5 crore in two days, holding steady rather than breaking out. The film added ₹2.72 crore on Saturday after opening at ₹2.35 crore, bringing its India net total to ₹5.07 crore.

Directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, Prahaar stars Rao as Ujjwal Nikam, the public prosecutor who played a key role in the prosecution of Ajmal Kasab after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Wamiqa Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sikandar Kher and Tarun Sharma appear in pivotal roles.

A small jump, not a surge

The day-two uptick is welcome because it points in the right direction, but the pace remains modest. On a crowded release weekend, even a small improvement can help a film keep screens, provided the audience conversation follows.

• Opening day: ₹2.35 crore
• Saturday: ₹2.72 crore
• India net total: ₹5.07 crore

Prahaar is sharing the box office with Yami Gautam’s Nayyi Navelli, Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 and Vijay Deverakonda’s Ranabaali. That is a tough field for a film sold less on scale than on emotion and credibility.

Why a real-life story changes the game

Because the film is drawn from Ujjwal Nikam’s career, it carries a weight that fictional legal dramas often do not. Nikam’s work in the Kasab trial connects him to one of Mumbai’s most difficult chapters, and that history gives Prahaar a reason for viewers to care beyond the courtroom set pieces.

Rao has spoken about the role as a responsibility rather than an imitation. In a release, he said he “wanted to understand the man behind the name” instead of simply recreating a public figure. That seriousness is also the commercial test: a restrained, respectful drama has to persuade audiences through reviews and word of mouth rather than a single high-concept hook.

The comparison that matters

For context, Rao’s biggest opener remains Stree 2, which began at ₹51.80 crore in 2024. The gap shows Prahaar is playing a different box-office game: a smaller, issue-driven release that will be judged on holding power rather than opening firepower.

For fans of Rao, Prahaar is also a reminder of how quickly he can switch registers, from the broad horror-comedy of Stree 2 to a restrained real-life performance. That range is part of why his openings are watched closely even when a film is not designed as an event.

Sunday’s number will show whether early viewers are recommending the film or simply sampling it. If the hold continues, the film can build slowly through the week; if it dips, the weekdays could be harder than expected.

Source: Hindustan Times

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#Bollywood#Box Office#Courtroom drama#Maddock Films#Prahaar#Rajkummar Rao#Ujjwal Nikam#Wamiqa Gabbi