Mardaani 3 has marked Rani Mukerji’s return to cinemas, with the film recording a moderate yet promising opening at the box office. The film collected Rs 3.8 crore on its first day, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.

In the latest instalment of the franchise, Rani Mukerji reprises her role as Shivani Shivaji Roy, once again taking on a case that highlights issues of systemic sexism and patriarchy. The release comes after the success of Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, a performance that earned the actor her maiden National Film Award.

Despite receiving largely positive reviews from critics, Mardaani 3 witnessed a moderate turnout on its opening day. The film was screened across approximately 2,345 shows nationwide, registering an overall occupancy of 18.01 percent. Morning shows began with an occupancy of 8.97 percent, which improved to 14.78 percent during the afternoon. Evening shows recorded 17.13 percent, while night shows saw a stronger response with 31.14 percent occupancy.

Among key markets, Delhi-NCR led in terms of show count with 526 screenings, recording an occupancy of 18.75 percent. Mumbai followed with 381 shows, posting a higher occupancy rate of 26.75 percent.

Backed by Yash Raj Films, Mardaani 3 has seen a relatively limited release, as it continues to share screens with last week’s major release, Border 2. The latter remains steady at the box office, currently running on nearly 5,000 screens across the country and earning Rs 11 crore on its eighth day.

Notably, Mardaani 3 has matched the opening-day collection of Mardaani 2, which also earned Rs 3.8 crore during its 2019 release. The film has also outperformed several of Rani Mukerji’s recent projects, including Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway (Rs 1.27 crore), Bunty Aur Babli 2 (Rs 2.8 crore), and Hichki (Rs 3.3 crore) on their respective opening days.

In comparison with other recent female-led films, Mardaani 3 has opened stronger than The Buckingham Murders, directed by Hansal Mehta, which earned Rs 1.15 crore on day one, and Haq, starring Yami Gautam, which collected Rs 1.75 crore.