Border 2 marches towards ₹300 crore as patriotic fervour fuels box office momentum
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At a time when sustaining box office momentum beyond the opening week has become increasingly challenging, Border 2 has managed to defy the trend. The Sunny Deol-led war drama has clocked an estimated ₹286.75 crore in India net collections by Day 12, putting it within striking distance of the ₹300-crore milestone.
Released on January 23, 2026, around the Republic Day weekend, Border 2 benefitted from a powerful mix of nostalgia, nationalism and scale. The film opened at ₹30 crore on Day 1 and went on to post a formidable ₹224.25 crore in its first week, aided by an extended holiday window. Its biggest single-day haul came on Republic Day, when collections surged to ₹59 crore—one of the highest one-day figures recorded this year.
While the second week has seen an expected tapering in daily numbers, the film has remained resilient. On its second Tuesday (Day 12), Border 2 earned an estimated ₹5.75 crore, taking the cumulative total to ₹286.75 crore. Occupancy levels during the mid-week period remained steady in the Hindi heartland and mass circuits, with metros such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Jaipur continuing to contribute meaningfully through weekday shows.
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On the global front, Border 2 is edging closer to the ₹400-crore milestone. The film has so far collected an estimated ₹392.5 crore worldwide, comprising ₹342.5 crore in India gross and ₹50 crore from overseas markets. While domestic collections remain the primary driver, international markets such as North America and the UAE—backed by the Indian diaspora—have provided a stable cushion to the overall theatrical run.
Exhibitors bullish on sustained theatrical run
The film’s strong theatrical pull has reinforced exhibitors’ confidence in large-scale, event-driven Hindi cinema—particularly when aligned with culturally significant dates. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, executive director, PVR INOX Limited, attributes the film’s success to its emotional resonance and collective viewing appeal.
“Border 2 opened to an overwhelming response, with exceptionally strong advance bookings that reflected the deep emotional connect audiences have with the franchise from day one. Releasing around Republic Day, the film tapped into a powerful sense of patriotism, making it a true collective viewing experience,” says Bijli.
“This enthusiasm has translated into strong footfalls across our cinemas. Crossing ₹300 crore at the India box office is extremely encouraging, and we remain confident about its continued performance.”
Directed by Anurag Singh and produced by T-Series and J.P. Films, Border 2 features an ensemble cast including Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty. The film positions itself as a spiritual successor to the 1997 blockbuster Border, drawing audiences across generations.
How it stacks up against Dhurandhar
The box office conversation around Border 2 has inevitably invited comparisons with Dhurandhar, the Ranveer Singh-starrer that dominated the box office earlier this year. Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar delivered an exceptional theatrical run, closing with an estimated ₹836.95 crore in India net collections, according to trade tracker Sacnilk, and a worldwide total of ₹1,303 crore, including ₹299 crore from overseas markets.
Unlike Border 2, which has seen a more conventional weekday slowdown in its second week, Dhurandhar displayed extraordinary longevity, sustaining strong weekend growth and stable weekday collections for nearly nine weeks. Its performance places it among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time—an outlier in an otherwise volatile theatrical landscape. Border 2, like Dhurandhar, has been banned in the Middle East due to its perceived anti-Pakistan sentiment.
The bigger picture
While Border 2 is unlikely to reach Dhurandhar’s lifetime numbers—or match the record-breaking pace of Sunny Deol’s earlier blockbuster Gadar 2—its near-₹300 crore India net run underscores a crucial insight for the Hindi film industry: well-timed, large-format films with emotional and cultural resonance can still deliver scale at the box office. For exhibitors and studios alike, Border 2 stands as a reminder that theatrical cinema—when positioned as an event—continues to command audience attention and spending power.