Akshay Kumar-headlined Diwali release Ram Setu has raised over Rs 35 crore at the box office, trumping Ajay Devgn-and-Sidharth Malhotra-starrer Thank God, which grossed more than Rs 18 crore at the box office during the same period.

Both Ram Setu and Thank God released in theatres on October 25. Ram Setu has managed to hold on to the audience’s footfalls, and is hoping to grow over the weekend. Meanwhile Thank God, also starring Rakul Preet, is trying to stay afloat.

After raising Rs 15.25 crore on its opening day, coinciding with Diwali, Ram Setu earned Rs 11 crore on the second day. The film’s collection came down to Rs 8.75 crore on the third day. On the other hand, Thank God raised Rs 8.10 crore at the box office on Day 1, but managed to gross only Rs 4.15 crore on the third day.

After a string of flops, Ram Setu has turned out to be Akshay Kumar’s first big opener in 2022. Bachchhan Paandey, Samrat Prithviraj and Raksha Bandhan, all starring Akshay as the lead, failed at the box office. Abhishek Kumar’s Ram Setu, despite a sagging second half, has managed to bring the audiences to the cinemas.

The film revolves around an archaeologist Dr Aryan Kulshrestha (Akshay Kumar). The atheist-turned believer must race against time to prove the true existence of the legendary Ram Setu before this pillar of India's heritage is destroyed. Satyadev Kancharana, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha round out the cast of the movie.

Thank God features Malhotra as a self-centred man who, after an accident, finds himself in Yamlok where CG, played by Devgn, offers him another chance at life if he agrees to play the Game of Life. The lighthearted comedy packs a social message in an otherwise dated plot.