The much-anticipated Akshay Kumar starrer, “Mission Raniganj,” opened to a lukewarm response at the box office, collecting ₹2.75-3 crore nett on its first day. The film, which is based on the inspiring true story of mining engineer Jaswant Singh Gill’s heroic rescue mission in Raniganj, struggled to capture the audience’s attention despite high expectations.
According to Box Office India, “Mission Raniganj” failed to generate the kind of buzz and footfall that was expected, especially with a prominent star like Akshay Kumar in the lead role. The film’s opening day earnings were marginally better than the film “Selfiee,” but it still fell short of pre-release predictions.
The report from Box Office India stated, “Mission Raniganj opened to a dull response as it collected ₹2.75-3 crore nett. The collections of the film looked to be coming under the ₹2.54 crore nett of Selfiee when the film opened but managed to beat that film by around 10-15% though it hardly matters much.” The report further highlighted the film’s underwhelming start, attributing it to a lack of audience interest despite an impressive trailer.
Analysts expressed concerns about the film’s prospects, suggesting that while it may see some growth in the coming days, it faces an uphill battle due to its unimpressive opening. The report mentioned, “This sort of cinema had a chance pre-pandemic, but today it’s tough with a star like Akshay Kumar unless it’s an established franchise where the audience knows about the film like ‘Oh My God 2’ or ‘Drishyam 2.'”
“Mission Raniganj” also received largely average reviews from critics, with film critic Saibal Chatterjee giving it 1.5 stars and noting, “Mission Raniganj reinforces the lingering belief that Hindi cinema should leave true stories alone, especially if Akshay Kumar is to be placed at the center of the action. Mission Raniganj suffers the deleterious consequences of the spotlight being focused on the star rather than on the issues surrounding the mining disaster.”
Despite its star-studded cast, including Parineeti Chopra, Kumud Mishra, Pavan Malhotra, Ravi Kishan, and others, and being directed by Tinu Suresh Desai, “Mission Raniganj” faces an uncertain journey at the box office.
The film tells the gripping tale of the 1989 Raniganj mining disaster and the heroic efforts of Jaswant Singh Gill to rescue miners trapped in a flooded coal mine. However, it appears that the film’s box office fate may not be as heroic as its subject matter.
With hopes resting on the film’s performance in the coming days, the industry will be closely watching to see if “Mission Raniganj” can turn its fortunes around and become a success story despite its lackluster start.
Sources By Agencies
