Janhvi Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao’s romantic sports drama, Mr & Mrs Mahi, directed by Sharan Sharma, hit cinemas on May 31. The film, which explores the love story of two ardent fans of former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, received generally positive reviews from critics, audiences, and cricket enthusiasts alike.

On its first day, Mr & Mrs Mahi earned Rs 7 crore at the box office, according to industry tracker, surpassing expectations. This opening day figure is a significant improvement compared to Rajkummar Rao’s last film, Srikanth, which garnered Rs 2.25 crore on its first day. The film's success was bolstered by its release coinciding with Cinema Lovers’ Day, offering tickets at discounted prices ranging from Rs 99 to Rs 199.

The film saw an overall 56.15 percent occupancy rate for Hindi shows, with the highest attendance during night screenings. In Mumbai, with 691 shows, occupancy was 55.5 percent, while Delhi and NCR saw a 61.5 percent occupancy across 789 shows. Jaipur recorded the highest occupancy at 86 percent for 103 shows.

Mr & Mrs Mahi faced competition from Divya Khossla’s Savi, directed by Abhinay Deo, and the children’s action-animation film Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan. Despite the competition, Mr & Mrs Mahi managed to draw significant audiences, providing a much-needed boost to the Hindi film industry, which has been struggling with low box office performances this year.

The film's positive reception and box office performance are seen as potential catalysts for reviving the Hindi film industry after a period with few notable releases. Last month, Rajkummar Rao’s Srikanth and Manoj Bajpayee’s Bhaiyya Ji were released. While Srikanth has earned over Rs 40 crore in three weeks, Bhaiyya Ji struggled, earning only Rs 8.2 crore in its first week.

The Indian Express’ Shubhra Gupta gave Mr & Mrs Mahi a two-and-a-half star rating, noting, “Janhvi Kapoor-Rajkummar Rao film gives us a rom-com nestled in India’s favourite sports, which in turn is nestled in the tropes of the family-entertainer movie.”

As Mr & Mrs Mahi continues its theatrical run, it remains to be seen if it can sustain its initial success and further contribute to the revitalization of the Hindi film industry.