Seems like the Dhurandhar fever that gripped the nation three months ago isn’t going to die down anytime soon! The Aditya Dhar directorial that released on December 5 last year grossed more than Rs 1300
crore worldwide and broke records. It emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film in India and the highest-grossing A-rated Indian film of all times. With hardly any promotional event, marketing campaign and press interaction, Dhurandhar created a storm at the box office, riding solely on word-of-mouth.
Much like Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur and Nishaanchi, the makers of Dhurandhar decided to waste no time and get its sequel released within a very short window – a move that’s being lauded by Bollywood trade experts. Ahead of its release on March 19, Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge is already creating records. As per Sacnilk, it has already sold over 12.5 lakh tickets, with its advance sales for day one (domestic) standing at about Rs 30 crore – close to surpassing the presales of Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal.
On BookMyShow, nearly 6,30,000 users have expressed their interest in catching the first day first show of Dhurandhar 2. Paid preview shows on March 18 sold out quickly as the film is reportedly selling over 17,000 tickets every hour. It’s set for a massive global launch over 10,000 screens with more than 9,500 shows in India, as reported by Sacnilk. With over Rs 32 crore reportedly collected from preview bookings, the Ranveer Singh starrer is expected to shatter the glass ceiling.
‘Sky Is The Limit For Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge’
Veteran trade expert Taran Adarsh believes nothing can stop this euphoria. “Sky is the limit for Dhurandhar 2. The first part created a box-office tsunami. But one thing is for sure – this film will create history. It will create history in its paid previews, day one, first weekend, extended weekend, lifetime. It will set a new benchmark. First day, excluding paid previews, should be around Rs 80 crore – Rs 90 crore. This is for the Hindi version,” he tells us.
Trade guru Atul Mohan echoes Adarsh’s remarks and, in fact, asserts that the ‘anticipation for Dhurandhar 2 is bigger than that of Baahubali 2 and Pushpa 2’. “For Dhurandhar part one, expectations were less and so, the pre-sale figures weren’t very high. It only picked up on day three-four. But Dhurandhar 2 will wreak havoc even with the paid previews. I predict Dhurandhar 2’s day one collection to be Rs 75 crore – Rs 80 crore (domestic). It will see the biggest day one and highest paid preview figure for a Hindi film,” he says.
And what about its worldwide collections? “It could clock Rs 150 crore – Rs 175 crore on day one (plus premiere shows), worldwide. I won’t be surprised if it even earns Rs 200 crore. Toxic isn’t releasing on March 19 and that’s working in Dhurandhar 2’s advantage as it’s getting a solo release now. No other big film is running right now. They’ll make the most of this quiet period,” remarks Chennai-based film business expert Ramesh Bala.
Wider Release and Lengthier Runtime
What’s also working in Dhurandhar 2’s favour is that this time around, the actioner is going to have a multi-lingual release – Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Adarsh reacts to this and says, “It was a great decision to dub it in other languages. Look at the advance bookings! When the first part came out, a lot of people had wished it had released in their local languages too. They makers decided to go for it this time and the paid previews bear a testament to what a good decision it is!”
“It will open much bigger than part one as the sequel has also been dubbed in multiple south languages,” Bala chimes in. But what about its 3-hour-55-minute runtime? “If the content is good, nothing can stop it – not even its run-time. Animal, Pushpa 2, Chhavaa, Border 2 – ran beyond three hours. Even Sholay was about 22-23 reels. So was Mughal-e-Azam and Hum Aapke Hai Koun. Nothing stopped them from being a success,” states Adarsh.
Dhurandhar 2 VS Ustaad Bhagat Singh In South
With Dhurandhar being dubbed in four south languages, movie-goers in the non-Hindi speaking belt are booking tickets for both the premiere and the first day shows in large numbers, according to Bala. “The craze is at par with any big Hindi movie even though everyone knows what Dhurandhar 2 will be about. There’s no surprise there. It carries the same buzz as a Shah Rukh Khan, a Salman Khan or an Aamir Khan film releasing in south. In fact, it could be slightly more as it’s a sequel,” he points out.
While the makers of Toxic and Dacoit have averted a clash with Dhurandhar 2, Pawan Kalyan’s long-delayed film Ustaad Bhagat Singh will lock horns with Dhar’s magnum opus this Thursday. Will that impact the spy actioner in the Telugu-speaking belt? “Yes, it may face some competition from Ustaad Bhagat Singh in south but will dominate screens across north India,” states Mohan. Bala adds, “Pan-Indian films have shifted their release. But Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh is releasing on March 19.”
He further explains, “It’s a big film in the Telugu states – maybe even in Bengaluru but not as much in Tamil Nadu or Kerala – though not as big as Toxic. The makers of Toxic used the conflict in the Gulf region as a reason for the postponement. As for Dacoit, I believe the shoot is still pending. As Dhurandhar 2 deserves a big release after the huge success of its predecessor, it was better to clear up that Friday. It’s good for those films too. There’s no harm being released a few Fridays later.”
The Three-Month Window
Unlike the likes of some pan-Indian franchise films, the team helming Dhurandhar chose to not keep audiences waiting for a sequel, especially since conversations surrounding the film, including its music, memes and ‘peak detailing’ content, continue to dominate social media. Mohan refers to this short release window a ‘USP’ for Dhurandhar. “Baahubali 2 released after two years. Pushpa 2 released after three years. But Dhurandhar 2 is releasing only three months after the first film,” he says.
“Re-releasing the prequel a week before the release of its part two is also a good call. It’s still very much a part of chatter on social media. The audience will truly lap the sequel up. Marketing and promotions aren’t required. The anticipation is so much that all the makers needed to do was announce the date and drop the trailer. No effort is required as the film is still fresh in audience’s mind. They’ll now have the sequel freshly baked and served to them,” Mohan adds.
As per reports, the advance booking digits of the Tamil version of Dhurandhar 2 is also a staggering Rs 20 lakh (approximately). In Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad, a 24-hour screening model will reportedly be adopted so that the film can have shows as late as two o’clock and as early as five o’clock in the morning. For the unversed, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge shows have been advanced in Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir to accommodate Dhurandhar 2.
Additionally, many believe that the mega success of Dhurandhar has significantly recalibrated Singh’s commercial standing. Following a mixed phase where some films couldn’t land and some that never took off, one could say that Dhurandhar has restored industry confidence in his ability to headline large-scale entertainers once again. “It’s a milestone in both Ranveer and Aditya’s careers. It’s a crown they’ll always cherish. Something of this sort happens very rarely. It’s a very big thing for all of them,” remarks Adarsh.
