📌 Key Points
- Dhurandhar 2 crossed ₹1000 crore in India in 18 days, joining Baahubali 2 and Pushpa 2 in an elite club.
- Pathaan earned just over half of Dhurandhar 2’s collection, despite selling 3.3 crore tickets.
- Dangal sold 3.7 crore tickets but earned significantly less due to lower average ticket prices.
- Dhurandhar 2’s success is notable given competition from OTT platforms and pan-India films.
Bollywood witnesses history as Dhurandhar 2 becomes the first Hindi film to earn ₹1000 crore domestically. Surpassing blockbusters like Pathaan and Dangal, the film’s success highlights a new era for Indian cinema, despite challenges from OTT platforms.
Dhurandhar 2 Enters the Elite ₹1000 Crore Club
It was less than two decades ago that the term ‘100 crore club’ was coined. The occasion was Aamir Khan ’s Ghajini, which earned ₹ 100 crore net at the domestic box office. Prior to that, films like Disco Dancer, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge had earned ₹ 100 crore, but always with the additional help of overseas collections. For an Indian film to touch ₹ 100 crore purely at the Indian box office was unthinkable.
So it is crazy to think that in just 18 years, a Hindi film is now touching the ₹ 1000-crore mark domestically. Dhurandhar: The Revenge has crossed ₹ 1000 crore net in the Indian market on April 5, its 18th day in the theatres. This marks its entry into an elite club that houses only two other films – Baahubali 2 and Pushpa 2.
Outperforming Giants: Dhurandhar 2 vs. Pathaan & Dangal
Just how staggering a feat it is can be explained when you realise that Pathaan – Shah Rukh Khan ’s record-breaking blockbuster – earned just over half that amount three years ago. Similarly, Aamir Khan’s Dangal, which held the Indian box-office record for over six years, earned a little over one-third of that amount. Dhurandhar 2 has out-earned two all-time blockbusters by a factor of 2 and 3, respectively.
Pathan actually sold more tickets during its run, ending it with 3.3 crore tickets sold. But a lower ticket price kept its collections low. However, Dhurandhar 2 is almost certain to surpass this figure in the coming days. Inflation helped it beat Dangal. The Aamir Khan film sold 3.7 crore tickets in India, but an average ticket price of ₹ 150-160 kept its collections relatively low.
Factors Behind Dhurandhar 2’s Staggering Success
Inflation and high ticket prices notwithstanding, Dhurandhar 2’s achievement is staggering, given that its success has come in an era when Hindi films are competing with OTT and pan-India blockbusters for eyeballs. The footfalls in theatres have decreased, and screen penetration in tier-3 Indian cities has also decreased. For a film to reach this milestone despite all deserves a standing ovation. On top of that, Dhurandhar 2 achieved all this without the family audience’s support. As an A-rated film, its reach was much lower than Pathaan, Jawan, or a pan-India hit like Baahubali.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar 2 is produced by Jio Studios and B62 Studios. Apart from Ranveer, the film also stars R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, and Sara Arjun.
Dhurandhar 2’s record-breaking box office performance signals a significant shift in Bollywood’s landscape. It showcases the potential for Hindi films to dominate, even amidst growing competition from various entertainment avenues and changing viewership patterns.
