Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, starring Ranveer Singh, has set a new benchmark at the box office by delivering a record-breaking opening day collection.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film raked in an impressive Rs145.55 crore net in India on Day 1, including contributions from paid previews. The sequel, released on March 19, witnessed massive audience turnout despite minor technical issues that led to show cancellations in some areas.
The film’s strong performance was backed by a huge number of screenings and high occupancy rates. It was screened in over 21,700 shows nationwide, while paid previews alone generated record earnings. The Hindi version led the collections, driven by strong audience demand across standard and premium formats such as IMAX and Dolby.
With this feat, Dhurandhar 2 has surpassed the opening day collections of major blockbusters like Jawan, Salaar, Kalki 2898 AD, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, and RRR. It now ranks just behind Pushpa 2: The Rule in all-time Indian opening day collections.
The film has also made a strong impact internationally, particularly in North America, where its release scale rivaled that of Project Hail Mary. It recorded strong premiere earnings and pre-sales, with expectations of a massive global opening weekend.
While the film continues to draw large audiences, critical response remains mixed, with some praising Ranveer Singh’s performance while others point to its lengthy runtime.
Last year, Indian Bollywood film Dhurandhar was banned across all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states for promoting an anti-Pakistan narrative.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE had refused to screen the movie, saying it carries content that misrepresents Pakistan.
The film was loosely based on figures from Lyari’s gang culture, including Rehman Dakait and martyred police officer Chaudhry Aslam.
Covering events from 2007 to 2018, the movie was framed as an action-packed underworld thriller.
The film portrayed Pakistani characters in an exaggerated and negative manner, presenting Lyari and its people as criminals or underworld heroes while ignoring the real security context.
The storyline depicted Pakistan as unsafe and crime-ridden country. The events of the said period were largely exaggerated and even the real heroes like Chaudhry Aslam were depicted as evil.
According to critics, Dhurandhar painted Lyari as a lawless war zone, which does not reflect ground realities. The GCC stated said such misleading content was the main reason for banning the film
Read more: Dhurandhar: controversy surrounds the film, what’s the truth?
