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    EYE ON BOLLYWOOD                                                   FEBRUARY 06, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 38

                                    Box Office Boom Signals

               Bollywood’s Resurgence as ‘Border 2’

                   and ‘Dhurandhar’ Rewrite Records

              Back-to-back blockbusters led by Sunny Deol and Ranveer Singh have reignited box office momentum,

                         prompting industry voices to declare that Bollywood’s big-screen magic is firmly back.

            OUR BUREAU
            Mumbai
                  ollywood is enjoying a rare and emphat-
                  ic moment of resurgence, powered by the
            Bthunderous box office runs of Border 2 and
            Dhurandhar, two films that have not only shattered
            records but also restored confidence in the theat-
            rical business. Filmmaker Karan Johar summed
            up the industry mood when he declared that the
            success of these films proves “Bollywood is back,”
            dismissing sceptics as recent releases continue to
            strike a chord with audiences across markets.
                Taking to his Instagram stories, Johar celebrat-
            ed the back-to-back mega hits, stressing that emo-
            tional storytelling remains the industry’s strongest
            currency. “The mega success of the  two  recent
            back to back mega Hindi film successes prove one
            thing…  Bollywood  is  back!  Naysayers  can  fly  a
            kite,” he wrote, adding that films that connect with   Within just six days of release, Border 2 crossed the Rs 200 crore mark, with its total India net box office collection standing at
            audiences will always “cross borders of excellence.”
                At  the  heart  of  this  revival  is  Border  2,  the                 Rs 231.83 crore by the end of its first week
            Anurag Singh-directed war drama inspired by the
            1971  India-Pakistan  War.  Featuring  Sunny  Deol,  message reinforced the actor’s enduring connect   theatrical run as “deeply humbling,” crediting
            Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shet-   with fans and nostalgia-driven appeal. For many,  audiences for embracing its story, characters and
            ty, the film opened in theatres on January 23 and   Border 2 marks Sunny Deol’s triumphant return   cinematic scale. He said the Netflix release marks
            has since delivered one of the biggest openings   in uniform, a role that has long been synonymous   a new chapter for the film, allowing viewers world-
            in recent times. According to trade analyst Taran   with his on-screen persona.            wide to discover and revisit it at their own pace.
            Adarsh, the film collected Rs 32.10 crore net on   Running parallel to Border 2’s theatrical dom-  Producer Jyoti Deshpande of Jio Studios echoed
            its opening day and quickly built unstoppable mo-  inance is the phenomenal success story of Dhu-  similar sentiments, calling Dhurandhar a mile-
            mentum despite weather-related disruptions in   randhar, starring Ranveer Singh and Akshaye   stone that showcased India’s command over cin-
            parts of North India.                         Khanna.  Directed  by  Aditya  Dhar,  the  film  re-  ematic craft and bold storytelling that transcends
                Within just six days of release, Border 2 crossed   cently completed 50 days in theatres, a milestone   language and geography.
            the Rs 200 crore mark, with its total India net box   increasingly rare in today’s fast-churn release en-  Featuring an ensemble cast including Sanjay
            office  collection  standing  at  Rs  231.83  crore  by   vironment. In a historic achievement, Dhurandhar   Dutt, Arjun Rampal and R. Madhavan alongside
            the end of its first week. The film has performed   surpassed Pushpa 2: The Rule to become the high-  Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, Dhurandhar
            exceptionally well in mass circuits and heartland   est-grossing Hindi film of all time, firmly rewriting   has also been conceived  as  a  two-part  franchise,
            markets, while urban centres have shown steady   box office benchmarks.                    with the sequel scheduled for release on March 19,
            growth driven by strong word of mouth. Even the   The  film’s  journey  has  now  entered  a  new   2026. Industry insiders see the franchise potential
            post-holiday working-day slowdown failed to dent   phase with its digital premiere on Netflix, where   as further evidence of audience appetite for large-
            its overall run, with industry observers expecting   it began streaming globally at midnight on Friday.  scale, ambitious narratives.
            further  gains  over  subsequent  weekends  despite   Available not only in Hindi but also in Tamil and   Together, the twin successes of Border 2 and
            competition from new releases.               Telugu, Dhurandhar is poised to reach audiences   Dhurandhar signal more than just strong box of-
                Sunny  Deol,  basking  in  the  film’s  success,  across linguistic and geographic boundaries. Net-  fice  numbers.  They  underline  a  broader  shift  in
            reached  out  to  fans  through  a  heartfelt  video   flix  India’s  VP  of  Content,  Monika  Shergill,  de-  audience sentiment, reaffirming faith in theatrical
            shared on social media. Echoing his legendary fa-  scribed the film as a “true pop-culture moment,”  experiences driven by scale, emotion and star pow-
            ther Dharmendra’s signature sign-off, Deol ended   noting that its scale, ambition and ensemble per-  er. For an industry that has weathered prolonged
            the clip with “Love you all,” striking an emotional   formances have made it one of the most anticipat-  uncertainty,  these  films  offer  a  timely  reminder
            chord with audiences. Shot against the backdrop   ed streaming releases.                   that when storytelling resonates, Bollywood’s big-
            of scenic mountains, reportedly in Manali, the   Director Aditya Dhar reflected on the film’s   screen pull remains as powerful as ever.

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