After much anticipation, Aditya Dhar’s spy-action thriller Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge (also known as Dhurandhar 2) has finally been released, and it has done the unthinkable. The film, starring a powerhouse performance by Ranveer Singh, has officially entered the Rs 100 Crore club on its opening day, shattering previous records and marking the first time a Hindi film has achieved this monumental feat. Early estimates by trade tracker Sacnilk confirm that the film has beaten every Hindi blockbuster from the last 113 years, surpassing the openings of Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan (Rs 75.40 crore) and Pathaan (Rs 57 crore) .

Historic Day 1: The First Hindi Film to Cross Rs 100 Crore Net

The numbers are staggering. According to Sacnilk data updated late on March 19, Dhurandhar: The Revenge has netted approximately Rs 105-110 crore in India on its first day. This includes a historic performance from paid previews on Wednesday, March 18, where the film raked in a record-breaking Rs 44 crore net, the highest ever for an Indian film from previews alone .

“The best thing about records is that they’re meant to be broken,” noted a report from DNA India. While pan-India spectacles like Baahubali 2, KGF: Chapter 2, and Pushpa: The Rule have previously crossed the Rs 100 crore opening day milestone, this is the first time a Hindi film has achieved the feat. Dhurandhar 2 grossed over Rs 167 crore worldwide on day one, setting a new benchmark for Bollywood .

Advance Bookings and Pre-Sales Frenzy

The film’s record-breaking opening was fueled by unprecedented advance bookings. Trade analysts reported that the film managed to clock an unbelievable 109,000 ticket sales per hour on BookMyShow, surpassing the previous record held by Pushpa 2: The Rule . The opening weekend pre-sales reportedly finished near the Rs 300 crore mark worldwide, with Rs 160 crore gross coming from the domestic market alone .

PVR Inox reported over 2 million bookings across its chain, with the film releasing on over 8,000 screens across India, making it one of the widest releases ever for a Hindi film .

The Cancellation Controversy and Refunds

Despite the euphoria, the release was not without its hiccups. The much-anticipated paid previews on March 18 faced widespread disruption, particularly for the dubbed versions. Several shows in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana were cancelled at the last minute due to “technical difficulties” and the non-availability of print files for regional language versions .

Director Aditya Dhar personally issued an apology to audiences on X (formerly Twitter). “We truly apologise for the inconvenience,” he wrote, clarifying that while most Hindi shows ran as scheduled, Malayalam and Kannada shows would commence the following morning. He assured fans that those who had tickets for cancelled dubbed versions would be given refunds or the option to watch the Hindi version with subtitles .

Mixed Reviews vs. Celebrity Praise: Sholay x 100

While the box office numbers are historic, the critical reception is varied. SCREEN’s reviewer Shubhra Gupta gave the film 2 stars, noting that the nearly 4-hour long film “lacks the ‘mazaa’ (fun) of the original despite blood and bazookas” .

However, the film has received overwhelming praise from the film fraternity. The most explosive compliment came from veteran director Ram Gopal Varma, who declared that the film is “Sholay X 100” level magnificence. He went on to say that it makes classics like Mughal-e-Azam look like “TV serials,” heralding the “birth of a new cinematic order” .

Allu Arjun praised Ranveer Singh, calling him a “brilliant and versatile actor” and lauded Aditya Dhar for hitting the “ball out of the park” .
Preity Zinta called the film an “incredibly immersive experience,” stating that Ranveer Singh has her heart .
Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej hailed the film as a “masterpiece,” noting that despite being longer than the first part, “it felt shorter” .

What’s Next: The Weekend Projection

With a historic opening day in the bag, trade analysts predict that Dhurandhar: The Revenge is on track to post an opening weekend of Rs 300-400 crore nett in India. The film benefits from a long holiday weekend, releasing on the festive occasion of Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, and Eid .

Given the massive hype, the staggering pre-sales, and Ranveer Singh’s “career-best performance” , the Aditya Dhar directorial is poised to become one of the highest-grossing films in Indian cinema history, aiming to surpass the lifetime collections of the first part, which grossed over Rs 1,300 crore worldwide .