Kangana Ranaut's much-anticipated directorial venture, Emergency, finally premiered in theaters this Friday after multiple delays. The film recorded a commendable opening, making it Kangana's highest first-day box-office collection in the past five years, post-pandemic.

Box Office Collection on Opening Day

According to reports from Sacnilk, Emergency grossed Rs 2.35 crore on its first day. This marks the highest opening for Kangana compared to her previous solo films in recent years. For context, her 2023 aerial action drama Tejas, directed by Sarvesh Mewara, opened with Rs 1.25 crore. Meanwhile, her 2022 action thriller Dhaakad, helmed by Razneesh Ghai, garnered just Rs 1.20 crore on its first day.

Comparison with Kangana's Past Films

Among Kangana's previous projects, Thalaivii (2021), a biographical drama directed by AL Vijay based on the life of Tamil Nadu’s former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, registered a combined opening of Rs 1.46 crore across its Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu versions.

The last time Kangana saw a stronger opening than Emergency was in January 2020 with Panga, a sports drama directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, which collected Rs 2.70 crore on its first day before the pandemic significantly impacted theatrical releases.

Audience Engagement and Occupancy

On its release day, Emergency reported an overall Hindi occupancy rate of 19.26%, with the highest turnout in Chennai at 25%, followed by Mumbai at 23.75%.

The night shows had the highest audience engagement, recording a 36.25% occupancy. Morning shows attracted only 5.98% of viewers, while afternoon screenings registered 13.95%. Evening shows witnessed a moderate increase, reaching 20.86%.

Plot and Star Cast

Emergency is set during India's Emergency period from 1975 to 1977, a turbulent time when civil liberties and press freedom were severely curtailed. The political drama features an ensemble cast, including Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhary, Anupam Kher, late actor Satish Kaushik, and Vishak Nair. The screenplay is penned by Ritesh Shah.

With its promising start at the box office, Emergency has emerged as Kangana Ranaut’s strongest solo opener in years. It remains to be seen how the film sustains its momentum in the coming days.