'Navra Majha Navsacha 2' Tops Box Office, Outperforming 'Stree 2'

For weeks, no film seemed capable of challenging the dominance of the Hindi film Stree 2, which released on August 15. The movie had a strong grip on the box office, raking in a whopping ₹600 crores. However, on National Cinema Day, celebrated on September 20, the Marathi-language film Navra Majha Navsacha 2 took the industry by storm, outshining Stree 2, Yudhra, and Kahan Se Shuru Kahan Khatam across Maharashtra.

Navra Majha Navsacha 2 Tops Box Office, Outshines Stree 2

Produced, directed, and starring Sachin Pilgaonkar, Navra Majha Navsacha 2 is a comedy film and the sequel to the 2004 hit Navra Majha Navsacha. No one could have predicted that this Marathi film would quickly topple Stree 2 at the box office. Its impact was so significant that theaters in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra had to reduce the number of shows for Stree 2, Yudhra, and Kahan Se Shuru Kahan Khatam to accommodate the new Marathi blockbuster.

On National Cinema Day, tickets were priced at ₹99, which helped boost the earnings of both Marathi and Hindi films. Actors like Siddhant Chaturvedi started making bold claims about their films’ success. But the very next day, when ticket prices returned to normal, the box office collections of most films dropped sharply—except for Navra Majha Navsacha 2, whose collections continued to climb. The Marathi film grossed ₹1.85 crore on September 20 and ₹2.5 crore on Saturday, September 21. On Sunday, September 22, it made nearly ₹4 crore in Mumbai and Maharashtra alone. In comparison, Stree 2 managed to collect only ₹4.5 crore across the entire country on the same day, showcasing the massive competition between the two films.

The success of Navra Majha Navsacha 2 is so overwhelming that theater owners are cutting back on Hindi films to make room for more shows of the Marathi hit. Trade analysts are predicting that the strong word-of-mouth promotion could help the film reach ₹15 crore by the end of the week.

In Mumbai’s iconic G7 multiplex, also known as Gaiety-Galaxy, two shows of Navra Majha Navsacha 2 and three shows of Kahan Se Shuru Kahan Khatam were running on Friday, September 20. By Sunday, the number of shows for the Marathi film had increased to four, while the Hindi film was reduced to a single noon show. In primarily Marathi-speaking areas like Dadar, Matunga, and Lalbaug, theaters have stopped screening Yudhra altogether, dedicating all their slots to Navra Majha Navsacha 2. Even the previously dominant Stree 2 and Tumbbad are struggling, with theaters like Inox Nakshatra and Movietime Star City offering them only one show each.

Multiplexes such as Inox Raghuleela in Kandivali, PVR Oberoi Mall in Goregaon, PVR Orion in Panvel, and Mukta A2 in Suncity are now giving Yudhra just one show, while Navra Majha Navsacha 2 enjoys six shows in some venues. In Cinepolis Thane, the film is being screened 16 times, while Movietime Hub Goregaon is hosting 14 shows, PVR Orion Panvel has 13 shows, and Maxus Borivali is running 12 shows.

Even Regal Cinema, which rarely screens Marathi films, is now showing Navra Majha Navsacha 2 all day. Other theaters like Movietime Suburbia in Bandra and PVR Le Reve in Bandra have also added more shows to meet the rising demand. Rumors suggest that even more shows will be added from Tuesday onward.

Navra Majha Navsacha 2 faces tough competition in its second week, starting September 27, when two other significant films are set to release: Dharmaveer 2 and Ghaat, directed by Chhatrapal Ninave, which has already made waves at international film festivals, including Berlin. On the same day, the much-anticipated Telugu film Devara One, starring Junior NTR, Janhvi Kapoor, and Saif Ali Khan, will release, alongside Binny and Family, featuring Anjali Dhawan, Pankaj Kapur, Himani Shivpuri, and Rajesh Kumar. Many trade experts believe that after September 27, the biggest blow will be felt by Hindi films. Given the audience’s love for Navra Majha Navsacha 2, it seems likely to hold its ground even in the second week. Meanwhile, there’s considerable buzz around 

Dharmaveer 2, as the first film was a major success, and Ghaat is expected to offer strong competition given its international acclaim. The film delves into the struggles of indigenous people caught between the police and Naxalites, a story that Indian audiences haven’t seen before. The trailer has already piqued viewers’ curiosity.

It remains to be seen how Hindi films like Stree 2 will fare against the rising tide of Marathi cinema.

—Shanti Swaroop Tripathi

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