Looks like the box office is about to pull an all-nighter! With excitement hitting fever pitch ahead of its release, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is already rewriting the rulebook for theatrical runs, even before
its first official day.
With less than two days to go for its March 19 release, Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar 2 is witnessing unprecedented momentum in advance bookings. The Aditya Dhar directorial has crossed a major milestone globally, selling over a million tickets ahead of release, making it the biggest premiere in Indian cinema history so far. The overwhelming response has prompted exhibitors across the country to expand show timings, with several theatres introducing late-night and even post-midnight screenings.
The spy thriller, which features Ranveer Singh as an Indian agent operating in Karachi, has sold nearly 15 lakh tickets across India in advance bookings at the time of writing. Notably, around half of these have been purchased for the paid preview screenings scheduled for March 18.
The film’s lengthy runtime, close to four hours, has created scheduling challenges for theatre owners. Industry sources indicate that exhibitors are allocating approximately four hours and forty minutes per show, accounting for trailers, interval, and turnaround time. As a result, most screens can accommodate only four shows per day under normal circumstances. To meet the surge in demand, theatres are increasingly opting for overnight screenings, a relatively rare move in the Indian exhibition space.
In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, cinemas such as PVR Chakala and MovieMax Sion have scheduled shows starting as early as 1:50 AM and running through the day until late evening. Similar arrangements are being seen at MovieMax Thane and Connplex Cinemas, where post-midnight screenings begin from Thursday. While not all regions can implement round-the-clock shows due to logistical and safety constraints, more theatres in western and southern India are expected to introduce late-night slots soon.
The film’s impact is also being felt at one of Mumbai’s most iconic cinemas, Maratha Mandir. Known for its uninterrupted 30-year run of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the theatre has made a rare scheduling adjustment. Traditionally screened at 11:30 AM daily, DDLJ has now been moved to an earlier morning slot to accommodate Dhurandhar 2’s extended runtime.
On the financial front, the film’s advance booking numbers continue to climb rapidly. Paid preview shows alone have sold close to 8 lakh tickets, generating ₹35 crore, comfortably surpassing the previous record of ₹25 crore set by OG last year. Additionally, day one advance bookings have contributed ₹21 crore to the tally. Internationally, the film has achieved another milestone by becoming the first Indian title to collect $5 million in pre-sales in North America. Its total global advance booking revenue has now crossed ₹125 crore.
Alongside Ranveer Singh, the sequel features a strong ensemble cast including R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi. Akshaye Khanna, who portrayed antagonist Rehman Dakait in the first installment, is also expected to make a cameo appearance.
The original Dhurandhar, released in December, turned out to be a massive success, earning ₹1300 crore worldwide and continuing its theatrical run even after three months. Trade analysts now suggest that the sequel could potentially surpass ₹2000 crore globally, possibly challenging the long-standing record held by Dangal.
