Bold take: Dhurandhar is entering a high-stakes race at the box office, and its future hinges on a strong day-1 advance—yet the momentum isn’t where it should be. This big-budget spy-action film, led by Ranveer Singh with a supporting cast that includes Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal, is slated for release this Friday (December 5). With a blockbuster-sized budget, early performance at the Indian box office is crucial to establish a positive trend right from day one. So far, the pace hasn’t lived up to expectations, leaving a big turnaround over the next 48 hours as the key to turning heads.
For context, the industry anticipated that the opening-day pre-sales would cross the 100 million rupee mark in gross terms, given the scale of the project and the buzz around the promotional campaign. Instead, the numbers suggest a more modest start. Even hitting the halfway point of that optimistic target would still be considered respectable under the current circumstances.
Ticket sales for day 1 have crossed the 50,000 mark
As of 1 pm IST, Dhurandhar has sold approximately 52,000 tickets for day 1 across India, excluding blocked seats. The tally includes IMAX 2D sales, which account for over 4,000 tickets. In monetary terms, the film has grossed around 2.3 crore at the Indian box office. While that total is below early projections, there is a mitigating factor to watch: only about 3,020 showings are currently open for pre-sales.
Show count challenges
Given its stature, Dhurandhar was expected to be shown in more than 12,000 screens. However, the film is contending with a limited number of screenings due to strong performance by another Diwali release, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, which has already posted a robust run and helped shape the current theater lineup. As a result, Dhurandhar is presently operating with just over 3,000 showings. With only two days remaining before release, securing additional show slots could significantly influence opening-day performance and overall visibility.
Comparisons and potential milestones
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, which released around Diwali, surprised many by delivering a solid box-office run. Ahead of its release, the pre-sales national total stood at roughly 2.52 crore gross. With Dhurandhar already reporting 2.3 crore, there’s a possibility that it could overtake Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat within a short window. If momentum continues, it might also surpass De De Pyaar De 2’s opening-day pre-sales of 2.79 crore gross in the same day.
What to watch next
As the release approaches, all eyes will be on how the studio strengthens show availability and how audiences respond to the film’s spy-action premise and star-studded cast. Updates and deeper box-office analysis will follow as more data becomes available.
Thought-provoking note
In a market that often rewards momentum over niche appeal, the real test for Dhurandhar will be whether it can convert initial interest into steady weekend traction. Do you think the current show-slot strategy will be enough to push the opening numbers past expectations, or could the upcoming last-minute adjustments make the difference? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Stay tuned for ongoing box-office updates and expert analyses.
