Eight years after the cult success of Tumbbad, director Rahi Anil Barve has returned with a film that prioritizes psychological dread over jump scares – but the Box Office hasn’t quite caught up yet.
Mayasabha: The Hall of Illusion, starring Jaaved Jaaferi in the titular role, made a quiet entrance on Friday, January 30, 2026, earning a meagre Rs 12 lakh in India net collections. According to data from Sacnilk, the film collected a worldwide gross of Rs 13 lakh on opening day. This makes it the lowest opener for a film this year.
The modest start was not entirely unexpected given the film’s experimental chamber piece format. Its 104-minute runtime – set almost entirely within a decaying Mumbai theater – revealed to audiences that it is a slow, unwinding path that the director has taken rather than the commercial, blockbuster one.
Theatre occupancy in cities across India
The film’s premiere was largely confined to urban multiplexes, leading to a nationwide average occupancy of about 8.5% on its first day. Most of the audience interest was concentrated in major metropolitan hubs, where morning shows started slowly with just 4% attendance before seeing a slight uptick during evening and night screenings.
In Mumbai, where the film is set, audience interest was the strongest, with theatres recording an average occupancy of around 12%. Pune was close behind, with a theatre occupancy rate of about 11%. Meanwhile, in regions such as Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru the turnout was relatively modest, with theatre occupancy coming up to 9%. In these cities, ticket sales were largely supported by premium-format screens located in busy, high-traffic malls rather than regular theatres.
Reception to the movie
Despite the low earnings, the primary selling point of the film so far has been Jaaved Jaaferi’s dark transformation. Shedding his comedic persona, Jaaferi plays a delusional former producer in a role that many critics have called a career-defining performance. His portrayal of a man obsessed with hidden gold has provided the film with its strongest reviews.
While the general public has been somewhat divided by the “bizarre” and “tedious” first half, art-house enthusiasts have praised the film’s visual achievement and technical precision. Reviews have mentioned that while the craft is respectable, the film may struggle to involve the average viewer emotionally.
Reasons behind the slow start
A major reason for the low numbers was the intense competition from other high-profile releases. Mayasabha arrived in theaters alongside Mardaani 3, which pulled in a significant portion of the thriller-seeking audience.
Additionally, the war epic Border 2 continued to dominate the market in its second week – earning a respectable Rs 11 crore on it’s eighth day – while the silent film Gandhi Talks also competed for the attention of viewers interested in unique concepts.
The film’s layered story telling also played a role in its limited appeal. Unlike mainstream horror or thrillers that rely on frequent action or scares, this movie stays in a single mood and demands significant patience from the audience. Because it focuses on a dialogue-heavy, psychological battle between a few characters in one location, it lacks the broad commercial elements usually required to drive high opening-day numbers.