Chhaava gets new early morning and midnight shows in Maharashtra amid massive popularity as occupancy pips 97%

Vicky Kaushal starrer Chhaava has taken the domestic box office by storm, earning over ₹67.5 crore in just two days of its theatrical release. The film is close to the ₹100 crore mark and will likely achieve it by the weekend itself.

Directed by Laxman Utekar, the period drama is based on the life of Maratha King Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and his fight against the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Given Chhaava's historical context and Sambhaji's cult popularity in Maharashtra, the film has received an overwhelming response in the state, achieving even 97 per cent occupancy in some cities.

To meet the high demand for tickets for the movie, exhibitors are now adding late-night and early-morning shows in Maharashtra.

According to a Hindustan Times report, many theatres in Mumbai and Pune started screening midnight shows for the film from Sunday onwards, extending the screening window by a couple of hours.

Theatres in smaller centres have even started 6 am and 1 am shows, exhibitors told HT.

A Bollywood Hungama report said the show timings in various locations across Mumbai have been extended as late as 12.45 am, 1 am, 1.15 am, and even 1.30 am. However, these have not come into effect as of now.

According to a KoiMoi report, as occupancy hit 95% in Pune, many theatres opened 6 am shows in the city.

Chhaava: Occupancy

While Chhaava saw 50% occupancy across shows on Saturday, it increased to 69% for night shows.

In Mumbai, the figure stood at a staggering 93%, while in Pune, it went up to 97%.

The movie has done surprisingly well in the south, too, with centres like Chennai and Hyderabad reporting occupancy of 81% and 88%, respectively, for Saturday night shows.

Chhaava Box Office Collection Day 2

Vicky Kaushal's movie surpassed its opening-day earnings on Saturday. With a 17.74% uptick, Chhaava earned ₹36.5 on the second day of its release, according to Sacnilk.

Chhava, reportedly made with a budget of ₹130 crore, had a solid opening at the box office. According to Sacnilk, it collected ₹31 crore, marking the biggest opening of a Vicky Kaushal movie.