Mardaani 3 Box Office Collection Day 1: Rani Mukerji film stands pale next to Border 2 opening, earns this much

Mardaani 3, the much-anticipated third instalment in the Rani Mukerji-starring crime thriller franchise, has made a modest beginning on its first day in Indian cinemas.

Mardaani 3 box office collection day 1

According to early tracking figures, the film reported a Day 1 [1st Friday] collection of ₹1.96 Cr, bringing its total to the same amount on release day.

Mardaani 3 recorded an overall Hindi occupancy of 11.88% on Friday, with morning shows at 8.97% and afternoon shows at 14.78%, while evening and night shows showed no significant turnout.

Industry trackers note that this represents a slower than expected start for a franchise that has previously performed well on opening weekends, particularly given the positive critical response surrounding the film’s narrative and performances.

Mardaani 3 follows Rani Mukerji in her third portrayal of DCP Shivani Shivaji Roy, who investigates the disappearance of 93 girls under mysterious circumstances. The film is produced by Yash Raj Films and directed by Abhiraj Minawala, reinforcing the franchise’s reputation for gritty storytelling and strong female lead performances.

In contrast, Border 2, the patriotic war drama starring Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh, continues to perform robustly in its second week at cinemas. On the same Friday that Mardaani 3 opened, Border 2 added a Day 8 Friday collection of ₹30 Cr to its tally and maintained an overall Hindi occupancy of 9.91%.

The longevity of Border 2 at the box office is notable. In its first week, the film grossed a significant sum, pushing past the ₹200 crore mark in India and surpassing ₹300 crore worldwide.

The film’s strong performance stems from a combination of patriotic themes, nostalgic appeal and footfalls across single-screen and multiplex circuits, particularly during the Republic Day weekend.

Shah Rukh Khan extends support to Rani Mukerji for Mardaani 3

Rani long time friend and collaborator, Shah Rukh Khan took to X and congratulated the former upon the release of Mardaani 3.

SRK wrote, “Just from the heart….to my Rani ‘Mardaani’ all my best wishes. I am sure you will be feisty, strong & compassionate in Mardaani 3 like u are in the real world too. @yrf #Mardaani3 #RaniMukerji (sic).”

On social media, early audience reactions have been mixed to positive, with many praising Mukerji’s performance and the film’s intense narrative, although that has yet to fully translate into theatre footfall.

One user wrote, “Mardaani 3 is proof that meaningful cinema still commands love (sic).”

Another person commented, “if you have liked Mardaani & Mardaani 2 then you’d love Mardaani3 as well. There is almost no difference between the 3 movies. Same kind of movies, same kind of premise, same kind of screenplay and same kind of climax. No difference, all same to same (sic).”

Analysts pointed out that while Border 2 has seen a drop in daily collections after the initial release week — including an 81% fall in Hindi occupancy figures ahead of the Mardaani 3 release — it still holds considerable commercial appeal.

Mardaani 3 is directed by Abhiraj Minawala and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film serves as a sequel to Mardaani 2 (2019) and marks the third instalment in the Mardaani franchise. Rani Mukerji reprises her role in the lead, with Janki Bodiwala and Mallika Prasad featuring in key supporting parts.

The story centres on police officer Shivani Shivaji Roy as she probes the disappearance of 93 young girls who vanish under mysterious circumstances over a span of three months. Mardaani 3 was released in theatres on 30 January 2026.