Aakhri Sawal Box Office Collection Day 2: Sanjay Dutt’s Film Earns Rs 73 Lakh Despite Weak Occupancy

Not every big-screen release gets the roaring weekend start filmmakers hope for. Sometimes, even a film led by a major star struggles to pull audiences into theatres despite buzz, scale and heavy themes. That currently seems to be the story of Aakhri Sawal, which is still searching for momentum at the box office.

Starring Sanjay Dutt in the lead, the political psychological drama witnessed a noticeable rise in collections on Saturday. However, the growth was not enough to significantly improve its overall performance.

According to trade reports, the film earned Rs 73 lakh net in India on Day 2 across 1,894 shows. While this marked an 82.5 per cent jump from its opening-day earnings, the total numbers remain modest for a film reportedly mounted

on a budget of around Rs 30-40 crore.

The movie had opened with Rs 40 lakh net on Friday. With Saturday’s collection added, its total India net box office now stands at Rs 1.13 crore. The India gross collection has reportedly reached Rs 1.35 crore after two days in theatres.

Overseas too, the film has had a slow start, collecting around Rs 15 lakh gross so far. Its total worldwide gross currently stands at approximately Rs 1.50 crore.

Trade watchers believe the film now depends heavily on Sunday collections to show stronger growth before weekday drops begin. If the current trend continues, the coming week could prove challenging for the film’s theatrical run.

Interestingly, the movie’s release itself faced delays before finally reaching cinemas.

Aakhri Sawal was initially scheduled to release on May 8, 2026. However, reports suggested that certification-related issues involving the Central Board of Film Certification pushed the release ahead by a week. The makers eventually released the film on Friday.

Directed as an intense political and psychological drama, the story revolves around Vicky, a gifted but controversial scholar whose life spirals after he publicly accuses his mentor, Professor Gopal Nadkarni, of institutional bias.

The conflict reportedly begins after Vicky’s thesis on the RSS gets rejected. What initially appears to be an academic disagreement soon snowballs into a much larger public controversy after a sensationalist news anchor and an ambitious political activist turn the issue into a nationally televised debate.

As the story progresses, the relationship between Vicky and Nadkarni reportedly transforms into a tense psychological face-off. The film also touches upon politically sensitive historical topics, including the Gandhi assassination and the Emergency, while exploring ideological clashes and personal conflict.

Despite the weak start, the makers will likely hope that word-of-mouth and weekend audiences help improve the film’s performance in the coming days.