Mumbai’s National Stock Exchange buzzed with a different kind of energy on April 30, 2025, when Bollywood heavyweight Ajay Devgn and producer Bhushan Kumar stepped up to ring the opening bell. The occasion? A ceremonial nod to Akshaya Tritiya, neatly timed with the promotional blitz for their upcoming crime thriller, Raid 2, set to hit theaters the next day, May 1. The event, steeped in the festive glow of the auspicious day, wasn’t just about tradition—it was a calculated move to drum up hype for a film already generating serious chatter.
Devgn, dressed sharp but low-key, stood alongside director Raj Kumar Gupta and producers Kumar Mangat Pathak and Bhushan Kumar, the T-Series bigwig who’s been a driving force behind the project. The NSE’s managing director, Ashish Chauhan, greeted them with a speech that leaned into the festive spirit, tying the film’s themes of justice and anti-corruption to the day’s symbolism of prosperity. The bell rang out, cameras flashed, and the Raid 2 team soaked in the moment, a blend of Bollywood glitz and corporate gravitas.
Raid 2, the sequel to the 2018 hit Raid, sees Devgn reprising his role as Amay Patnaik, the steely IRS officer who takes on white-collar crime with a bulldog’s tenacity. This time, he’s squaring off against a slick, power-hungry politician played by Riteish Deshmukh, a casting choice that’s raised eyebrows for its bold departure from Deshmukh’s usual comedic roles. The film, backed by T-Series and Panorama Studios, has been in the works since 2020, with principal photography wrapping in April 2024 after shoots across Mumbai, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Its release was initially slated for November 2024, then February 2025, before landing on this strategic May 1 slot.
Advance bookings are already showing muscle, with over 12,000 tickets sold by April 28, raking in Rs 42.12 lakh in pre-sales, according to industry trackers. Maharashtra and Delhi NCR are leading the charge, with projections pegging the opening day gross at around Rs 1.08 crore. The film’s facing stiff competition—Akshay Kumar’s Kesari Chapter 2 and Sunny Deol’s Jaat drop the same day—but Raid 2’s gritty narrative and Devgn’s star power give it a fighting chance.
The NSE event wasn’t just a photo-op. It underscored the film’s thematic core: a battle against black money and systemic corruption, inspired by real-life income-tax raids from the 1980s. The 2018 original, made on a modest Rs 48 crore budget, pulled in Rs 101 crore at the box office, proving its sleeper-hit credentials. This sequel, with its beefed-up cast including Vaani Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla, and Rajat Kapoor, aims to raise the stakes, weaving in high-drama confrontations and a soundtrack featuring Yo Yo Honey Singh and Amit Trivedi.
As the bell echoed through the NSE floor, Devgn and Kumar stood shoulder to shoulder, their presence a reminder that in Bollywood, business and showbiz often share the same stage. Raid 2 hits screens tomorrow, and if the buzz is any indication, it’s ready to make some noise.