Opening Day Shockers: Jolly LLB 3 takes the lead; Anurag Kashyap's Nishaanchi will need more to stay in

Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi’s courtroom face-off has struck a chord with audiences. The third installment of the beloved legal-comedy franchise, Jolly LLB 3, opened on a steady note with an estimated Rs 12.5 crore net on its first day. While this figure is just a shade lower than the Rs 13.2 crore opening of Jolly LLB 2, it’s a solid start for a genre that rarely delivers big numbers on day one. The film also comfortably surpassed the first-day earnings of Akshay’s recent releases like Sky Force (Rs 12.25 crore) and Kesari: Chapter 2 (Rs 7.75 crore).

Nishaanchi Trails Behind

In contrast, Anurag Kashyap’s limited release Nishaanchi barely made a mark, managing only around Rs 25 lakh on Friday. The gap between the two films couldn’t be wider. With Jolly LLB 3 grabbing the spotlight across major metros and Nishaanchi targeting a niche audience, their box office journeys were bound to look very different from the start. For Kashyap’s film, positive reviews might help build momentum, but it faces an uphill battle for wider recognition.

The Road Ahead: Competition and Weekend Push

Despite Jolly LLB 3’s lead, the race isn’t entirely free of competition. The Telugu fantasy-action blockbuster Mirai, still strong in its second week with a total of Rs 67.6 crore, continues to pull crowds in key markets. On its opening day, Jolly LLB 3 saw an overall Hindi occupancy of 22.4percent , with Delhi-NCR topping the charts at nearly 29 and Mumbai following at 23. Evening shows spiked to nearly 40 percent, hinting at strong word-of-mouth that could drive a bigger weekend.

With fewer than 4,000 shows on day one, the film still has room to grow as more screens are likely to be added if demand rises. Given the franchise’s track record and the chemistry between Akshay and Arshad, a healthy weekend jump seems likely. Nishaanchi, meanwhile, will rely on critical acclaim and niche audiences to sustain itself in the shadow of these heavyweights.

As the weekend unfolds, Jolly LLB 3 looks poised to hold the courtroom crown, while Nishaanchi will need more than just good reviews to stay in the conversation.