Mission Mangal box office collection Day 2: Akshay Kumar-Vidya Balan film is a winner

Jagan Shakti's Mission Mangal, starring Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan in lead roles, is doing quite well at the box office and is in no hurry to slow down.

Akshay Kumar has proved that he is the true Khiladi of the box office. His latest film Mission Mangal, which stars Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Sonakshi Sinha and Nithya Menen in crucial roles, is off to a phenomenal start at the box office. On the first day, the film minted Rs 29.16 crore, and made Rs 17.28 crore on its second day, bringing its total collection to Rs 46.44 crore.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted the figures and said that the film is expected to make around Rs 85 crore in its opening weekend itself.

The film's bumper opening was also helped by the fact that it had an Independence Day release. Mission Mangal was up against John Abraham's Batla House, which didn't fare too badly either and earned Rs 14.49 crore on the first day. This isn't the first time that Akshay and John have had a face-off at the box office, as last year Akshay's Gold clashed with John's Satyameva Jayate.

Talking about the films’ clash this year,, John had earlier said, "Honestly, if there was a controversy, I would have loved to create it, but Akshay and I are very dear friends, we really get along. In fact, just the other day we texted each other. There is absolutely nothing there. We are just releasing two films on the same day."

Directed by Jagan Shakti, Mission Mangal is based on India's Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission which was launched in 2013.

Mission Mangal has received mixed reviews from critics. India Today reviewer Lakshana N Palat wrote, "Despite its flaws of excessive sermons and some crucial characters like Taapsee and Kirti not fleshed out completely, Mission Mangal makes for an entertaining Independence Day watch. That seems to be how the director intended it as well, a space-entertainer, rather than a hardcore scientific film. The flight might face some turbulence but it lands well."

Over the past few years, Akshay has ensured a release on Independence Day for himself. In 2016, his film Rustom hit the screens and 2017, his film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha released around the same time. In 2018, he brought the story of India's first Olympic win in Gold after gaining freedom in 1947. Needless to say, these films have all struck the right chord with the audience.