Mumbai, Mar 22 (IANS): Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta on Monday said he has taken a bold step by releasing his latest film Mumbai Saga in theatres amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The director hopes even though the returns might be delayed, they will not be denied.

"With Mumbai Saga safely in theatres, now praying for people to be safe. We have taken a bold step and returns maybe delayed but will never be denied. Thank you for all the love showered on the film and my entire team," Sanjay Gupta tweeted on Monday.

In a separate tweet, the filmmaker spoke about the box office collection of the film.

"In ordinary times the numbers would've been extraordinary and in these extraordinary times these numbers are very encouraging," he wrote.

The film has collected a total of Rs 8.74 cr in its opening week.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted the figures on Monday saying the out-and-out commercial entertainer has been affected by the pandemic.

"#MumbaiSaga jumps, witnesses an upward trend on Day 3... Single screens/mass circuits show healthy gains... #Covid pandemic has played spoilsport... All eyes on weekdays... Fri 2.82 cr, Sat 2.40 cr, Sun 3.52 cr. Total: ? 8.74 cr. #India biz," Adarsh wrote.

The film features John Abraham, Emraan Hashmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Amole Gupte, Suniel Shetty, Kajal Aggarwal, Rohit Roy, Anjana Sukhani and Prateik Babbar in key roles.