Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava roars at the box office with a record-breaking ₹31 crore debut; can it maintain momentum?

Vicky Kaushal starrer Chhaava has made a strong debut at the box office, earning a net estimated ₹31 crore in India on its opening day on Friday, which coincided with Valentine’s Day. According to data from box office tracker Sacnilk, the film has so far amassed over ₹32.33 crore.

The movie marks the highest opening of Vicky Kaushal’s career, surpassing the ₹8.20 crore debut of Uri: The Surgical Strike in 2019. The film also reportedly stands as the biggest opening for any Indian film in 2025, overtaking Akshay Kumar's Sky Force, which collected ₹15.30 crore on its first day last month.

Additionally, the historical action-drama has set a new Valentine’s Day record with the highest box office collection on February 14, eclipsing Gully Boy’s ₹19.40 crore opening in 2019.

This Hindi-language historical action-drama is an attempt to narrate the story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Directed by Laxman Utekar and produced by Dinesh Vijan under the banner of Maddock Films, the film has been made on an estimated budget of ₹130 crore.

Vicky Kaushal leads the cast as Sambhaji, with Rashmika Mandanna portraying Maharani Yesubai. Akshaye Khanna takes on the role of Aurangzeb, while Ashutosh Rana plays Sarsenapati Hambirao Mohite, and Divya Dutta appears as Soyarabai. The film is an adaptation of Shivaji Sawant’s acclaimed Marathi novel Chhava.

A. R. Rahman has composed the film’s score and soundtrack, with lyrics by Irshad Kamil. Originally scheduled for release on 6 December 2024, Chhaava was later postponed to 14 February 2025.

Produced by Maddock Films, Chhaava comes from a production house that has carved a niche in Bollywood with its successful horror-comedy universe. Despite working with modest budgets, Maddock Films has consistently delivered box office hits, earning a reputation for crafting commercially successful films.

While Chhaava has generated significant buzz as one of the biggest films of early 2025, The Hollywood Reporter India noted that the film falls short on various fronts, criticising it for imitative storytelling and conforming to social prejudices for broader mass appeal.