Dhurandhar 2: The 'honsla and eendhan' entertainment industry was waiting for

Kismat ki sabse khoobsurat aadat pata hai kya hai ... woh waqt aane pe badalti hai…And Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar sequel could be that turning point, just when the Indian film industry is struggling with tired formulas and underwhelming sequels.

The second part of the Ranveer Singh-starrer spy action film set multiple box office records on Day 1 worldwide, emerging as the biggest Hindi opener to date. It collected over ₹100 crore net on its opening day in India, setting the tone for a strong run. The final numbers are expected to be confirmed later. The film could deliver net domestic lifetime collections of Rs 1,100–1,300 crore, potentially becoming the first Hindi original film to cross the Rs 1,000 crore mark in India. That performance could help support a subdued fourth quarter for FY26 at the box office.

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Dhurandhar: The Revenge reflects a clear upswing in audience sentiment towards theatrical releases, Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX told ET Online. “Its strong momentum is reinforcing confidence across the industry and encouraging a more ambitious and well-planned slate of films.”

Power-packed punch

It’s not just audience sentiment tilting in its favour. The numbers are lining up too, with analysts expecting it to become the highest-grossing franchise domestically, a first at this scale for a Hindi film series.

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Dhurandhar 2 is expected to deliver ₹1,200–1,300 crore (net domestic) lifetime net domestic box office, as per Karan Taurani, Executive Vice President and Research Analyst at Elara Capital, who has projected a record-breaking run for the movie. “Combined with Part 1, the franchise could cross ₹1,500 crore (net domestic), surpassing benchmarks set by franchise films (Part 1 and Part 2 combined) like Baahubali and Pushpa.”

The timing of Hamza’s revenge is also a factor. “Dhurandhar 2” is arriving about three and a half months after the first film, allowing it to benefit from strong recall and an already established audience base.

The success of the first part hadn’t just filled theatres, it had left audiences hungry for more. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the 2025 espionage actioner turned into a box office juggernaut, raking in Rs 840.2 crore in India, as per Sacnilk.

Revival of entertainment industry

Recent Bollywood sequels—War 2, Dhadak 2, Masti 4, Jolly LLB 3 and De De Pyaar De 2—seem to have missed the classic “picture abhi baaki hai” moment, falling short of recreating the magic of their originals.

Moreover, box office collections in the fourth quarter of FY26 have been muted so far, with only Border 2 at Rs 330 crore and The Raja Saab at Rs 140 crore standing out. Against this backdrop, Hamza’s return might just flip the script and support both overall collections and occupancy levels in the quarter, with spillover benefits likely to extend into the first quarter of FY27, assuming a theatrical run of three to four weeks.

The movie has the potential to act as a strong catalyst for multiplexes by bringing audiences back to theatres at scale, said PVR’s Bijli. Building on the success of the first instalment, which was a strong box office performer and helped popularise the spy-action genre, the sequel benefits from strong franchise recall and audience anticipation, he added.

PVR reported a 167% jump in consolidated profit for the December quarter, led by the strong box office run of Dhurandhar’s first instalment, with original Hindi-language films contributing significantly to overall earnings growth.

The multiplex chain said the Hindi box office delivered its strongest-ever collections of over Rs 5,500 crore in 2025, marking an 18% YoY growth. The performance was supported by a healthier genre mix and a more consistent release slate, led by a few large tentpole releases, as per the company filing.

Not an easy run

While the film may offer a much-needed breather for multiplexes and the Hindi film industry, experts point out that one hit alone won’t carry the show; sustained recovery will need a steady lineup of big-budget, high-quality releases, not just a lone blockbuster.

While Dhurandhar 2 is expected to act as a near-term catalyst, Taurani said it would largely offset the weak box office trend seen so far rather than drive a full recovery. His FY26 occupancy estimate of about 26.5% remains unchanged, incorporating roughly 28% occupancy in the fourth quarter. Occupancy levels may sustain near 28% for three consecutive quarters, although they remain around 15% below pre-Covid levels.

If Dhurandhar 2 delivers on expectations, it could give multiplexes the fuel they’ve been running low on, but one blockbuster alone won’t keep the reels spinning. For a lasting comeback, the industry will need more than a hero entry; it will need a full cast of consistent hits to keep the box office story rolling.