Mardaani 2, Rani Mukerji's cop drama, makes Rs 28.05 cr in opening week at domestic box office

Yash Raj Films’ Mardaani 2  has made a total of Rs 28.05 crore in its opening week at the Indian box office.

Rani Mukerji-starrer sequel to the 2014 action thriller Mardaani, has also garnered appreciation from critics across the board. Inspired by harrowing true crimes against women by juveniles, the film deals with issues of sexual abuse and violence. The edge-of-the-seat thriller sees Rani in a race against time to capture a brutal serial rapist who systematically targets women.

Mardaani 2 released across 1,600 screens and has held up strongly on weekdays. The film has made Rs 2.15 crore (nett) on Thursday despite weekday ticket rates.

Leading film trade analyst Taran Adarsh even notes Mardaani 2 has recorded the highest numbers (in terms of first week collections) in Rani’s filmography, followed closely by  Hichki (also standing at Rs 26.10 crore), and Mardaani (which garnered Rs 22.97 crore).

Check out the box office collection of Mardaani 2

Rani has reprised the role of the fearless and committed Superintendent of Police Shivani Shivaji Roy in the film.

Mardaani 2 is competing with the Hollywood biggie  Jumanji: The Next Level , and Emraan Hashmi and Rishi Kapoor’s thriller,  The Body . Jumanji: The Next Level overtook Mardaani 2 on the first day,  making Rs 6.20 crore . However, Mardaani 2 has been getting strong word-of-mouth publicity, and may see a spike in collections during the second weekend.

The film marks the directorial debut of Gopi Puthran, who served as a writer on the first instalment, which was directed by Pradeep Sarkar. It featured Rani as a fierce cop who took on the kingpin of a child trafficking racket, played by  Tahir Raj Bhasin .

Produced by Aditya Chopra, Mardaani 2 is Rani’s next release after the global blockbuster Hichki, that made Rs 250 crores worldwide.