Hansal Mehta has pushed back against the way trade coverage is measuring Rajkummar Rao’s new courtroom release, Prahaar: The Ujjwal Nikam Story. After a publication framed the film’s opening day as surpassing the entire opening weekend of Rao’s first courtroom drama, Shahid, Mehta argued the comparison ignores the economics of scale.
Why Mehta objected
The report’s headline claimed that Prahaar, directed by Avinash Arun and released in cinemas on October 16, had beaten the opening weekend of Shahid, which arrived 13 years ago. Mehta, who directed Shahid, shared a screenshot and questioned the relevance of lining up the two films.
“Nobody wants a Rajkummar Rao and Avinash Arun film to succeed more than I do. But when senseless comparisons are drawn, I’d rather not keep quiet,” he wrote.
His core objection is economic. Shahid was made for 75 lakh, while Prahaar is a far bigger film in budget and resources. Mehta wrote that a film made 14 years ago for 75 lakh is being compared with a far bigger film, adding: “Leave aside basic economics, which one can’t expect from the likes of Koimoi.”
Shahid’s place in the record
Shahid is not just another opening-weekend figure. Released in 2012 and reaching audiences in 2013, the film starred Rajkummar Rao as Shahid Azmi, the Mumbai lawyer and human rights activist assassinated in 2010 at 32. It became a turning point in Rao’s career and in Mehta’s filmography.
- Rao shared the National Film Award for Best Actor; Mehta won Best Director at the 61st National Film Awards.
- Rao also took the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for the role.
- The film has found new audiences after its long-awaited digital release on Amazon Prime Video in 2026.
For readers who follow Hindi cinema closely, the dispute is a reminder that context is part of the record. A 75-lakh film and a larger theatrical release are not playing the same game, and treating them as if they are tells us little about either film’s true performance.
Read the numbers with context
The useful frame for any box-office story is budget-to-collection context, not age alone. Viewers and readers should ask whether two films were made for the same kind of money, with the same release infrastructure, before treating a percentage jump as a meaningful record. Prahaar‘s collection has shown weekend growth but remains limited; that trajectory matters more than a cross-era comparison.
Mehta’s final position was clear. “I wish Prahaar all the best. It deserves to succeed on its own merits. Not at the altar of another film.”
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
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