Marathi cinema has found its first breakout hit of the year. Dashavatar has stormed the box office with a powerful opening weekend collection of Rs 4.37 crore (Day 1 - Rs 58 lakh, Day 2 - Rs 1.39 crore, Day 3 - Rs 2.4 crore), marking the strongest start for a Marathi release in 2025.
Meanwhile, its global box office collections remain at Rs 5.22 crore in three days, as per Subodh Khanolkar. This performance surpasses Gulkand's Rs 55 lakh opening day, which until now held the title for the biggest launch of the year.
Starring veteran actor Dilip Prabhavalkar alongside Mahesh Manjrekar and directed by Subodh Khanolkar, Dashavatar delves into the Dashavatara tradition, the ten avatars of Vishnu, through the life of a theatre artist devoted to this heritage. By rooting its story in Marathi culture and the living tradition of regional performance art, the film brings a sense of authenticity and nostalgia to mainstream audiences.
Critics and audiences alike are praising Prabhavalkar's performance, which serves as the emotional anchor of the film. Manjrekar's presence adds star power and balance, while Khanolkar's confident direction keeps the narrative taut.
Film trade analyst Girish Wankhede said, "Dashavatar's opening weekend is not just about the numbers, it is a landmark moment for Marathi cinema. It shows a renewed audience appetite for strong, rooted storytelling and signals a true resurgence for the industry post-COVID. We have not seen such excitement around a Marathi film in years, and this success could well change the trajectory of 2025 for regional cinema."
Until now, Gulkand has been the top-grossing Marathi film of 2025 with Rs 5.47 crore in net collections, driven by strong word of mouth. Made on an estimated budget of Rs 4 crore, Gulkand was regarded as one of the year's most successful Marathi films. With Dashavatar already breaking the record for the biggest opening weekend, trade experts believe it is on track to overtake Gulkand in the coming weeks and emerge as the year's highest-grossing Marathi release.
To put Dashavatar's performance in context, Sairat remains the biggest earner in the history of Marathi cinema, grossing approximately Rs 110 crore worldwide, with over Rs 80 crore earned in India alone. While Dashavatar has a long way to go to reach that benchmark, its opening weekend numbers show that Marathi cinema's box office potential is once again on the rise.