A much-awaited Bollywood release began its box office journey on Friday, with early trade figures showing a modest opening despite a wide release across cinemas.

According to trade website Sacnilk, Alpha collected an estimated ₹9 crore net in India on its first day. The film was released in 7,534 shows across the country.

The spy action film marked the first female-led story in the YRF Spy Universe and featured Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in the lead roles.

The opening-day collection was reported to be lower than other films in the same franchise. War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, had opened with ₹52 crore net, while Pathaan remained the biggest opener in the franchise with ₹57 crore on its first day.

Despite that, Alpha performed better than Alia Bhatt's previous theatrical release, Jigra. The 2024 film had earned ₹4.55 crore net on its opening day.

Directed by Shiv Rawail, Alpha also featured Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor in important roles. Hrithik Roshan made a special appearance as Kabir, the character from the War franchise.

Related: 'Alpha' opens big with 9,000 shows nationwide

The film also marked a busy period for Sharvari, whose earlier release Main Vaapas Aaunga continued its theatrical run while Alpha arrived in cinemas.

Earlier, according to industry reports, the film was released in more than 9,000 shows across nearly 2,750 screens, making it one of the biggest releases ever for a female-led Hindi film.

The wide release came despite competition from several other movies playing in theatres.

A trade source said, “In times when most films are struggling for a proper release in a crowded window, YRF has secured a solid release for Alpha, which speaks volumes about their goodwill and muscle power.”

Reports stated that the film had been expected to sell around 40,000 tickets in major national cinema chains on its opening day. Early estimates also projected an opening-day collection of around ₹7 crore.

Ahead of its release, the Central Board of Film Certification cleared the Hindi version of the film with English subtitles. Reports stated that the film received a UA 16+ certificate and had a runtime of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 48 seconds.