‘War 2’, the much-anticipated chapter in the YRF Spy Universe, starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Kiara Advani, entered cinemas with high expectations amids hype and fan-frenzy. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the action-packed sequel kicked off its box office run with an early start on Thursday and managed to score a strong debut. However, with the long Independence Day weekend still ahead, it remains to be seen if the film, has what it takes to score another Rs 50 crore collection and cross the Rs 100 crore mark on Day 2. However, the journey to the Rs 100 crore mark is not without some competition, most notably from the Rajinikanth-starrer ‘Coolie’, which has been commanding significant attention at the box office.Below is a detailed breakdown of the film’s box office performance so far:
Modest Day 1 Collection
‘War 2’ opened to an estimated Rs 52.50 crore on Day 1, surpassing expectations and predictions from trade analysts. While the Hindi version delivered an estimated Rs 29 crore, the Telugu dubbed version played a pivotal role in pushing the total over the Rs 50 crore threshold, thanks to Jr NTR’s formidable fan following.
Lowest Hindi Opening in the Spy Universe
Despite the overall strong debut, the Hindi market numbers were underwhelming when compared to other YRF Spy Universe films. With Rs 29 crore, ‘War 2’ now has among the lowest Hindi openings in the franchise, even behind Salman Khan‘s ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ which earned Rs 32.93 crore. Trade reports suggest that this underperformance could be due to the simultaneous release of Coolie, which drew in a sizeable colection from the Hindi audience, while also scoring huge in both Tamil and dubbed Telugu releases.
Slow Start in Morning Collections on Day 2
The second day began on a quieter note, with the film recording an estimated Rs 1.17 crore net from all languages during the morning shows. Around the same time, ‘War 2’ scored a Rs 5 crore haul on Day 1.
Ticket Sales Recovery by Afternoon
Momentum picked up by midday as holiday footfalls began to climb. By early afternoon, the film had added Rs 8.33 crore to its tally, taking the cumulative total to Rs 60.83 crore. As the day progressed, the film’s second-day earnings across all languages reached approximately Rs 11.79 crore, pushing the two-day total to an estimated Rs 64.29 crore.
Fierce Competition from Rajinikanth ’s ‘Coolie’
‘Coolie’ has proven to be a formidable rival. The Rajinikanth starrer opened with an impressive Rs 65 crore on Day 1. On Day 2, the film maintained a strong pace, earning around Rs 11.78 crore by mid-afternoon, raising its total to Rs 76.78 crore. The neck-and-neck second-day figures make this a nail-biting box office race to watch today.
Independence Day Holiday to Drive Growth
The national holiday is expected to draw large crowds to theatres. Industry analysts predict a notable spike in collections by the end of Day 2, however, much of this will rest on the footfalls of the evening and night shows. If the film can pick up its momentum, it could just close in on or even surpass the Rs 100 crore mark, by the end of Day 2.
