Interval over: Dhurandhar 2 to light up a quiet quarter for PVR INOX, powers box office

Dhurandhar 2

• Dhurandhar 2's advance bookings cross Rs 200 crore at PVR INOX
• Film expected to revive box office and boost cinema revenues
• Over 14.81 lakh tickets sold in advance, breaking Jawan's record

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In a tepid March quarter for the box office so far, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is emerging as a much-needed boost for cinema chains like PVR INOX, with trade experts betting on the film to revive footfalls and revenues in the final stretch of FY26.

The fourth quarter has so far remained subdued, with industry-wide net box office collections estimated at Rs 1,511.4 crore versus Rs 2,190.8 crore during the same period last year. Apart from Border 2, most Hindi releases—including O’Romeo, Mardani 3, and The Kerala Story 2—have failed to generate strong audience traction.

A much-needed blockbuster push

Analysts say Dhurandhar 2 could help salvage the quarter.

“If the film collects around Rs 1,000 crore and a majority of that comes within the first two weeks, industry collections for the quarter could match last year’s levels,” said Jinesh Joshi, Research Analyst at PL Capital. “That would directly benefit exhibitors like PVR INOX.”

The film has already smashed records at PVR INOX with 10.75 lakh advance ticket sales. The film's overall advance booking sale has crossed Rs 200 crore, as per Sacnilk, making the film the fifth Indian movie ever to do so, joining the likes of blockbusters like Pushpa 2, RRR, Bahubali 2.

Shares of PVR INOX were trading 1.58% Rs 1,019.20 at 15:30 on March 18.

PVR INOX had reported box office revenues of Rs 644.7 crore in Q4 FY25, and the current quarter’s performance has so far lagged expectations.

Strong opening expected

Expectations from the film remain high. According to Karan Taurani of Elara Securities, Dhurandhar 2 could open at Rs 100 crore on day one, with a potential lifetime collection of Rs 1,100–1,300 crore, making it one of the highest-grossing Hindi films ever.

The film has already become all-time number one on BookMyShow as the Ranveer Singh-starrer has shattered the record of Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan with 14.81 lakh tickets sold in advance booking. Released in September 2023, Jawan's advance ticket sales stood at 11.02 lakh.

The strong performance is expected to lift occupancy levels to around 28% in Q4, in line with earlier quarters, and could also drive higher average ticket prices, especially in premium formats. In some cases, preview tickets have been priced as high as Rs 2,000, reflecting strong demand.

Analysts believe the film could challenge records for all-time highest Hindi advance bookings, potentially surpassing blockbuster benchmarks like KGF 2.

Multiple tailwinds for the film

Several factors are working in favour of Dhurandhar 2, said Joshi.

First the strong franchise recall from the first film, which earned Rs 840 crore in India.

If projections hold, the Dhurandhar franchise could emerge as one of India’s biggest, with combined collections of Rs 20 billion, surpassing major franchises like Baahubali (Rs 1,400 crore) and Pushpa (Rs 1,500 crore), Taurani noted.

He added that sequels historically have outperformed originals by 40-50%, led by better initial traction on higher awareness. "We expect a similar trend to play out with the film that is releasing just 3.5 months away from the first instalment that delivered robust box office performance."

Joshi also emphasized on the strong goodwill Dhurandhar's prequel has built. He added that the second instalment also enjoys a solo run as the release of Toxic has been postponed.

Also, unlike Dhurandhar, which was released only in Hindi, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is releasing in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.

“The release coincides with festivals like Eid and Gudi Padwa. Blockbuster pricing Dhurandhar was a sleeper hit, but the sequel is a highly anticipated movie and will command better pricing,” Joshi said.

Exhibitors are even exploring extended screening hours, including late-night and early morning shows, to accommodate demand.

Theatres in Mumbai including MovieMax Sion and MovieMax Wonder Mall in Thane have shows scheduled between 2:15 am and 5:30 am. A similar trend is visible in Pune and Ahmedabad, where several multiplexes have added round-the-clock screenings.

A win for advertisers too

The film’s scale is also attracting strong brand interest. Over 70 national brands and nearly 400 advertisers have secured ad slots around the film’s release through UFO Cine Media Network.

Several leading brands advertising include L'Oréal, UltraTech Cement, JSW, Raymond, Mahindra, among others.

“With large-scale releases like this, theatres become a powerful platform for brands to connect with audiences in a premium environment,” said Sachinn Guptaa, Country Head – Enterprise Business at UFO Cine Media Network.

A crucial inflection point for cinemas

The timing of Dhurandhar 2 is critical. With limited big-ticket releases in the quarter, the film is expected to drive footfalls of over 60 million nationwide, offering a much-needed revival for exhibitors.

It could also create positive spillover into Q1 FY27, provided the film sustains momentum over a 3–4 week theatrical run.

For now, as theatres look to recover from a quiet quarter, Dhurandhar 2 is shaping up to be more than just a blockbuster especially with director Aditya Dhar amping up anticipation and keeping audiences on the edge of their seats by teasing a film packed with surprises.

In a social media post, Dhar said, "Don’t leave your seats until the credits have stopped rolling.”