Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan and Jyotika-starrer Shaitaan was released in theatres on March 8. According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the supernatural horror film collected Rs 14.5 crore on the opening day. The film had an overall 25.70 percent Hindi Occupancy on Friday. Helmed by Vikas Bahl, Shaitaan also stars Janki Bodiwala in a pivotal role. Shaitaan has sold nearly 195,000 tickets, raking in Rs 4.90 crore on its second day already. The movie faces little competition at the box office currently. Tera Kya Hoga Lovely starring Randeep Hooda and Ileana D’Cruz was also released on Friday. Ajay's last appearance was in the film Bholaa, opposite Tabu. The movie earned Rs 11 crore on its first day and eventually grossed Rs 90 crore during its theatrical run. Shaitaan's first-day earnings are comparable to Drishyam 2's opening, which garnered Rs 15.38 crore. With positive reviews, Drishyam 2 went on to amass Rs 239 crore in India, emerging as a rare hit for Bollywood during a particularly difficult period. Madhavan saw mixed results with his recent releases, such as Rocketry: The Nambi Effect and Dhokha Round D Corner. Rocketry had a slow start at the box office, while Dhokha Round D Corner failed to perform well, making Shaitaan a crucial release for the actor. Rocketry, based on the life of legend Nambi Narayanan, earned Rs 1.78 crore on its opening day. Despite the slow start, the audience embraced the film, and it managed to collect Rs 34 crore in India over four weeks. On the other hand, Dhokha Round D Corner struggled at the box office, earning a total of Rs 3.25 crore. Madhavan did, however, appear in the hit Netflix series The Railway Men recently. Director Vikas Bahl, who was accused of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement, which he subsequently denied, last directed the legendary bomb Ganapath: Part 1. Shaitaan revolves around Ajay Devgn's character, whose family is tormented by a mysterious stranger during a vacation. Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta gave the film 2 stars and called it ‘predictable.’ A part of the review read, “The trouble with this remake of Gujarati film ‘Vash’ is that all the ‘kaala-jaadu’ trickery is ultimately strictly window-dressing to a hero vs villain story.”
