The countdown has begun for one of the biggest releases of the year. Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the much-awaited sequel to last year’s blockbuster Dhurandhar, is already setting the box office buzzing even before its theatrical release. Directed by Aditya Dhar and headlined by Ranveer Singh, the spy thriller has registered massive advance booking numbers with four days still to go before its worldwide release on March 19.
Trade reports by Sacnilk suggest the film’s pre-sales have picked up strong momentum since bookings opened, pointing to the possibility of one of the biggest openings in Hindi cinema.
Massive surge in Dhurandhar: The Revenge advance bookings
Within the first 24 hours of advance bookings opening for its opening day, Dhurandhar 2 sold more than 1.5 lakh tickets across India, as per Sacnilk.The film collected around Rs 15.74 crore in advance sales during this period.
However, industry trackers say that around Rs 8 crore of this figure came from block bookings. If those are excluded, the advance booking for the opening day currently stands at approximately Rs 7.80 crore.
The overwhelming share of this amount has come from the Hindi version of the film. The Hindi version alone contributed about Rs 7.61 crore through the sale of roughly 1.41 lakh tickets.
Dolby Cine shows generated Rs 77,750 from 107 tickets, while IMAX screenings brought in around Rs 6.26 lakh from 581 tickets sold.
Dubbed versions see steady response
Apart from the Hindi version, dubbed versions of the film are also witnessing a positive response from audiences.
The Telugu dubbed version of Dhurandhar: The Revenge has collected around Rs 6.38 lakh through the sale of more than 5,200 tickets.
On the same day, Ustaad Bhagat Singh, starring Pawan Kalyan and directed by Harish Shankar, is also scheduled to release. The film arrives during a festive window that includes Eid, Ugadi and Gudi Padwa, which traditionally brings a large number of moviegoers to theatres.
The Tamil dubbed version of Dhurandhar 2 has so far earned around Rs 4.56 lakh from nearly 4,000 tickets. Meanwhile, the Malayalam and Kannada versions have seen limited but steady traction with smaller ticket sales.
Trade observers note that the film’s pre-release performance may have also benefited from the postponement of Toxic: A Fairytale for Grownups, starring Yash and directed by Geethu Mohandas. The film was originally scheduled to hit theatres on March 19 but has now been pushed to June 4.
Dhurandhar: The Revenge eyes the top five advance bookings in Hindi cinema
With several days of advance booking still left and more shows being added across multiplex chains, trade experts believe Dhurandhar 2 could enter the list of the highest advance bookings for a Hindi film’s opening day.
At present, the fifth spot on the list is held by Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Ranbir Kapoor. The film had recorded advance bookings of Rs 29.25 crore for its opening day.
The fourth position belongs to Jawan, the 2023 action blockbuster directed by Atlee and starring Shah Rukh Khan. The film had amassed Rs 37.24 crore in advance booking collections for its first day.
Among the top three spots, the list is dominated by dubbed Hindi versions of major South Indian blockbuster sequels.
Pushpa 2: The Rule, directed by Sukumar and starring Allu Arjun, occupies the third spot with Rs 37.30 crore in advance bookings for its Hindi version.
The second position is held by Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, directed by S. S. Rajamouli and starring Prabhas. Its Hindi version recorded Rs 37.53 crore in pre-sales.
The highest advance booking for a Hindi version of a film still belongs to KGF: Chapter 2, directed by Prashanth Neel and starring Yash, which collected Rs 40.65 crore before release.
To enter the top five list, Dhurandhar 2 will need to cross around Rs 29 crore in opening day advance bookings.
Dhurandhar: The Revenge paid preview sales cross Rs 34 crore
Apart from opening day bookings, the film is also generating strong numbers through paid preview shows.
So far, Dhurandhar 2 has earned approximately Rs 34.80 crore through paid previews alone. If block bookings of nearly Rs 6 crore are excluded, the net advance sales for paid previews stand at about Rs 29.95 crore.
The Hindi version again dominates the numbers with around Rs 28.98 crore from paid previews. The Telugu version has contributed about Rs 43.63 lakh, while the Tamil version has brought in approximately Rs 40.43 lakh.
The Malayalam and Kannada versions have also contributed smaller shares to the total collections.
In terms of ticket sales, the paid previews have sold about 6.16 lakh tickets overall. The Hindi version accounts for the majority, with roughly 5.66 lakh tickets sold.
Pre-sales cross Rs 50 crore
When the advance booking collections for paid previews and opening day are combined, Dhurandhar 2 has already crossed the Rs 50 crore mark in pre-sales.
This milestone has been achieved with more than four lakh tickets sold so far. Industry analysts believe that the film’s numbers could climb sharply in the final two to three days before release, when advance bookings typically accelerate.
Given the current pace of ticket sales, trade estimates suggest the film could register an opening day collection of more than Rs 90 crore at the domestic box office.
Sequel to a historic blockbuster
Produced by B62 Studios and Jio Studios, the film is the sequel to Dhurandhar, which was released in December last year.
The first film went on to become the highest-grossing Indian film in the domestic market with collections of more than Rs 890 crore. Worldwide, it grossed over Rs 1,300 crore, making it one of the biggest global successes for an Indian film.
The sequel brings back several actors from the original cast. Alongside Ranveer Singh, the film features Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi reprising their roles.
With strong pre-release buzz, record-breaking advance bookings and a festive release window, Dhurandhar 2 is shaping up to be one of the biggest box office events of the year. Trade experts now say the coming days will determine whether the film can challenge the biggest opening day records in Indian cinema.