India, May 18 -- When Nagraj Manjule's Sairat crossed the Rs.100 crore mark at the worldwide box office in 2016, it was a red-letter day for Marathi cinema. It took the industry over a hundred years to reach the mark. And in the 10 years since, no Marathi film even came close to replicating the feat. Until Riteish Deshmukh rewrote the record books with Raja Shivaji. On Sunday, the historical action drama became the second Marathi film to breach the Rs.100 crore barrier, and given its momentum, it wouldn't be long before it takes the top spot.

Raja Shivaji, based on the life and triumphs of Maratha hero Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, opened very strongly, earning over Rs.30 crore net in its first weekend itself. It sustained its momentum du...