Sunny Deol in Border 2.
Credit: T Series Films
Mumbai: Sunny Deol-starrer "Border 2" opened to a thunderous start at the domestic box office, collecting Rs 32.10 crore net on its first day, the makers said on Saturday.
The film, which was released in theatres across the country on Friday, is a sequel to Deol's 1997 blockbuster "Border", which was directed by J P Dutta.
"Border 2" is helmed by Anurag Singh and backed by T-Series and J P Films. It also stars Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty.
In a press note, the makers said the film witnessed strong footfalls from early morning shows, emerging as one of the biggest openings in recent times.
"'Border 2' made a colossal entry at the box office with a massive Day 1, opening to impressive numbers and standing tall at Rs 32.10 CR NBOC (net box office collection), emerging as one of the biggest openings in recent times.
"From early morning shows onwards, cinemas witnessed massive footfalls, as audiences turned up in huge numbers to mark a monumental Republic Day opening," read the note.
While the 1997 film was based on the events of the Battle of Longewala during the 1971 India–Pakistan war, "Border 2" is also set against the backdrop of the same conflict.
The movie reportedly didn't find a release in six Gulf nations -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- due its alleged anti-Pakistan narrative. A response from the makers is awaited.
It is the second Indian film in recent times to be denied clearance for theatrical release in the Gulf countries after director Aditya Dhar’s spy action movie "Dhurandhar".
Meanwhile, exhibitors and distributors expressed optimism about the film’s weekend performance, citing positive word-of-mouth. They expect the movie to collect around Rs 150 crore over the extended Republic Day weekend.
Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR INOX Pictures, the country's largest multiplex chain with 1,743 screens across 111 cities, said the film is showing strong growth post opening day.
"It is showing a big jump today in terms of the box office collection than the opening day. The film has opened quite big and the word-of-mouth is positive. We are hoping the film will do impressive and strong numbers over the weekend,” he told PTI.
Devang Sampat, managing director, Cinepolis India, said “Border 2” has recorded healthy footfalls across the chain’s properties. The cinema chain has over 440 screens across multiple cities.
“We’re seeing particularly good response from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Mumbai. The film is resonating well with audiences in these markets... Over the extended weekend, we expect the film to continue this momentum and gross over Rs 150 crore till Monday,” he told PTI.
Sampat also noted that while the Gulf region typically contributes 20–30 per cent of overseas collections for Indian films, the impact could be offset by performance in other territories.
“This could be balanced by the long run ‘Border 2’ enjoys at other important centres globally, including North America, the UK and Australia, where patriotic action films tend to perform well with diaspora audiences,” he added.
Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director, Miraj Entertainment Ltd, which operates over 230 screens across 60 cities and 16 states, also downplayed concerns over the film’s absence from key Gulf markets.
"The absence of a release in key Gulf markets like the UAE, Saudi Arabia and others will have some impact on overseas collections. However, I don’t see it as a major setback. The estimated impact would be in the range of Rs 50 to 60 crore, which translates to roughly a 10 per cent or even slightly lower dip in overseas business. The film’s strong domestic performance should more than compensate for this gap," he told PTI.
Raj Bansal, a film distributor and director of Entertainment Paradise in Jaipur, said the absence of “Dhurandhar” and “Border 2” from Gulf markets has not dampened strong local demand.
“The Gulf countries believe these films show anti-Muslim sentiments which is why the movies didn't release there. But I’ve heard from common friends that ‘Dhurandhar’ has been watched in Gulf countries and even loved by people. Some are waiting for these films to drop on OTT so that they can watch it,” Bansal told PTI.
"Border 2” is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, J P Dutta and Nidhi Dutta. The film also features Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Anya Singh and Medha Rana in pivotal roles.