Ranveer Singh’s new film Dhurandhar began its box office journey on Friday with a steady but impressive opening. The film, directed by Aditya Dhar, crossed the ₹21 crore mark on its first day, making it one of Ranveer’s strongest openings in recent years. Even though the opening booking numbers were lower than expected, the film managed to pick up pace through the day as audience response improved.
Dhurandhar was released across 5,000 screens in India. The advance booking had collected a little more than ₹9 crore, which was considered modest for a major release. The morning shows also saw weak footfall, with occupancy below 16%. But the situation changed quickly after early viewers shared positive reactions on social media platforms. Afternoon shows recorded an occupancy of more than 28%, and the numbers continued to rise.
According to early estimates from trade trackers, the film collected ₹21.77 crore in India by 8 pm. This is higher than the earlier predictions of ₹15–18 crore. With this, Dhurandhar has now gone past the opening figures of Ranveer’s earlier pandemic-era releases like 83 (₹12.64 crore) and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (₹11.10 crore). The film has also overtaken the recent hit Saiyaara, which had opened at ₹21.50 crore. However, it still trails behind Chhaava, which holds the year’s best opening at ₹31 crore. 
The journey of Dhurandhar has been interesting right from the beginning. The teaser created strong buzz, and the trailer attracted even more attention, breaking online view records. The pre-release phase saw fluctuations in audience interest, but the film ultimately managed to secure a strong start, mainly due to strong word of mouth.
Set in Pakistan during the early 2000s, Dhurandhar is a spy thriller based on real events. Ranveer Singh plays an Indian intelligence officer who works undercover to break down the Lyari gang networks. The film also features a strong ensemble cast, including Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R. Madhavan.
With a good opening day and positive public response, the film is now expected to show further growth over the weekend.
