Critical response A review over the
Hindustan Times noted it to be a magnificent work, which had exceptional individual performances, a captivating story-line and excellent virtual effects.
Namrata Joshi of
The Hindu noted of the film to have started off well, before floundering in the middle but regaining brilliance at the end, delivering a catharsis and adrenaline rush. Uday Bhatia of
The Mint noted it to be a silly cartoon history, which borrowed its physics from
Prince of Persia, but nonetheless consisted of fluent actions and interesting individual performances.
Saibal Chatterjee of
NDTV noted it to be a historically inauthentic work that ironed out any and all nuances in its portrayal of a saffronized Hindu-Muslim binary; however, he noted the overall production to be crisp and backed by powerful individual performances. Tanul Thakur of
The Wire noted it to be a work that had excellent cinematography but was intensely buoyed down by its ahistorical religio-nationalist propaganda, catering to the overall saffronization of India.
Shubhra Gupta over
The Indian Express noted it to offer a "simplistic, dressed-up slice of the past" that painted hyperbolic tales of Maratha bravery with a Hindu fervor.
Sukanya Verma of
Rediff noted it to be a mythical retelling of history with a bout of saffron fervor; individual performances and choreography of combat sequences were praised.
Rajeev Masand noted it to be a dubiously stereotyped fictional work, which appealed to the hyper-nationalistic climate but had robust filmography, visceral battle scenes, and superb individual performances. A critic from
The Economic Times praised the visual effects, computer graphics and editing of the film, making it a must-watch film. Stutee Ghosh of
The Quint noted it to be a visually stunning film with strong individual performances, despite its broad liberties with historical accuracy and problematic prejudices. Jyoti Kanyal of
India Today gave two-and-a-half out of five stars stating "
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior is an exaggerated and slow-paced ode to the great Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare." Writing for the
Firstpost,
Devanesh Sharma gave two-and-a-half out of five stars and praised Kajol and Khan's performance while criticizing Devgn's characterization as the review stated "The leading man, though undoubtedly an unsung warrior, as the title suggests, comes across as rather one-dimensional, as Devgn fails to take his character beyond the written word." Harshada Rege of
The Times of India gave four out of five stars and stated "
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior scores on various counts – superior performances, powerful action, visual impact, and most of all, it unfolds a story from the pages of history that deserved to be told, with just this kind of intensity, passion and vigor."
Sify gave the film 3 out of 5 stars stating "
Tanhaji is substantially enriched by its technical crew that has worked to create a splendid canvas for the cast to shine upon. It tells the story of a lesser known hero from the chapters of Indian history, which makes this an intriguing film." Monika Rawal Kukreja of
Hindustan Times wrote in her review stating "
Tanhaji is a complete package. It’s magnificent, high on visual effects and has powerful action backed by rock solid performances." Rohit Vats of
News18 gave three-and-a-half out of five stars stating "Devgn and Khan ensure that the viewers get enough dose of high-voltage dialogues, along with fascinating action scenes." Nandini Ramnath of
Scroll stated "
Tanhaji loudly sings its hero’s praises, creating a spectacle that is thrilling when in battle mode and troubling when considering the dynamic between the Marathas and the Mughals." Avinash Ramachandran of
The New Indian Express gave three out of five stars stating "In
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, we get to see iconic warriors of India shed tears copiously. We get to see jingoism masked as Maratha valor. There are a lot of things going for
Tanhaji, but, deep inside, it is unsettling to see such polarizing historical dramas." A critic from
Bollywood Hungama rated four out of five stars and stated
Tanhaji is an entertaining and a paisa-vasool film that would be loved by the masses as well as classes. Suparna Sharma of
Deccan Chronicle gave three out of five stars stating "
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, whose plot is essentially a march towards the battle, is not a bad film. It is, in fact, quite entertaining when it is at war." A critic from
Daily News and Analysis gave three out of five stars stating "Watch it for the magnificent performances by Kajol and Khan who clearly outshine this Devgn-led vehicle."
Box office Tanhaji earned at the domestic box office on its opening day. On the second day, the film collected . On the third day, the film collected , taking total opening weekend collection to ₹619.3 million . On the fourth day (13 January), the film collected , and film's collection stood at . On the fifth day (14 January), the collection stood much higher after the long holiday weekend owing to
Makar Sankranti and the film collected , totalling the first five-day collection to . On 15 January, the film hit the 100-crore mark, as the six-day collections stood up to . At the end of the first week (16 January), the film collected . The film collected , on the eighth day of its release, with a strong opening on the second Friday. The film crossed the 150 crore mark on the tenth day of its release. On 25 January, the film crossed the 200 crore mark, as the overall collection stood up to . On 3 February, the film collected at the box office. At the end of its seventh week, the film collected . The film managed to earn , at the domestic box office, within 50 days of its release. As of 13 March 2020, with theatres closure due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the film had accumulated , == Historical accuracy ==