At first, it might seem like comparing Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar 2 is not necessary. The sequel has already made a lot of money and has numbers that very few Hindi films can match. But looking at box office performance isn't only about who is making more money overall. It's also about how a film is doing week by week, where its popularity is coming from, and what that shows about how long it will stay popular. That's why comparing the two films during their third weekend is so important.
The main point from the current numbers is clear: Dhurandhar 2 is definitely bigger, but Dhurandhar was more consistent.
Let's look at the numbers. Dhurandhar made:
Friday: Rs. 23.70 crore
Saturday: Rs. 35.70 crore
Sunday: Rs. 40.30 crore
That totals to Rs. 99.70 crore for the third weekend.
Dhurandhar 2's numbers are:
Friday: Rs. 21 crore
Saturday: Rs. 25 crore
Sunday: Rs. 28 crore
That totals Rs. 74 crore for the third weekend.
The difference is big.
Even though Dhurandhar 2 started with a much bigger opening, it made Rs. 29.70 crore less than Dhurandhar in its third weekend. That means it is running about 25 percent behind the original at this point. That's not a small difference. It shows a real trend.
This is even more interesting when you consider the context.
A sequel that starts very strong is usually expected to do better than the original for a longer time, especially through the weekends. That's because sequels have more recognition, more people know about them, and they start with more buzz. But when a sequel falls behind the original by the third weekend, it signals that the film’s popularity dropped quickly, which is not the same as the original.
This is also clear in how the numbers change each weekend.
Dhurandhar made Rs. 146.60 crore in its second weekend and then dropped to Rs. 99.70 crore in the third. That's a 32 percent drop, which is normal for a film of that size and shows that the audience kept coming back. Dhurandhar 2, on the other hand, made Rs. 164 crore in the second weekend and dropped to Rs. 74 crore in the third. That's a bigger drop of about 54 percent.
This is where the real story is.
Dhurandhar 2 is still doing very well and is one of the top-grossing Hindi films right now. But the way it's doing is different from the first film. Dhurandhar built trust and kept growing in popularity each week. Dhurandhar 2, on the other hand, exploded quickly at the start, made a lot of money early, and is now dropping faster.
That’s not a bad thing.
In today’s movie market, a lot of big films are made to do exactly that. They start with a lot of buzz, make big money quickly, and then drop faster. In fact, you could say that Dhurandhar 2 has adapted better to the current market. Big openings usually mean faster drops.
The film is still going to make a huge total, but compared to Dhurandhar, the final total might not be as high as people expected.
So, even though Dhurandhar 2 has bigger numbers, Dhurandhar still has more staying power.
That’s why this comparison is so interesting.
It’s not about which film is more successful. The sequel has already set a record. The real point is about how each film is performing at the box office. Dhurandhar had a longer, more steady run. Dhurandhar 2 was more like a powerful blast that quickly starts to slow down.
In the end, that's how the franchise is today.
Dhurandhar built a strong base of trust. Dhurandhar 2 used that trust on a much bigger scale. By the third weekend, the original film still looks like the more lasting one.
For the trade, that's not a bad thing about the sequel. It's just the most accurate way to look at the numbers. And as usual with box office numbers, being right is more important than being exciting.
Experienced trade analyst Taran Adarsh doesn't think the third weekend numbers for Dhurandhar 2 are a problem.
He explained, "I don't think the fact that the third weekend numbers of Dhurandhar 2 are lower than Dhurandhar Part 1 should be a worry. If you look at the trend of Dhurandhar 1, in the first few days, it didn't really take off the way it should. Yes, Saturday was good, Sunday was better. But from Monday and Tuesday onwards, it really started to gain speed and strength."
He went on, "But with Dhurandhar 2, the groundwork was already done.
It started with the paid previews, which gave it a huge beginning. What you saw was a storm, a big wave, whatever you call it, which wasn't the case with Dhurandhar 1. That film kept getting stronger each week."
Adarsh also mentioned that the third weekend number for Dhurandhar 2, which is 74 crores, is still really big. "
Yes, it's less than the first film, but again, Dhurandhar wasn't as big as Dhurandhar 2. Now, what's happened is the second week was bigger. But if you look at the daily performance of the first week, it was different."
He also pointed out that we can't ignore the milestones Dhurandhar 2 has achieved. "
It's a film that's about to hit 1000 crores, which is something never seen before in Hindi films, even in the domestic market," he said. "What's best is, it's all part of the same family. Dhurandhar 1 and Dhurandhar 2 are connected. And at the same time, I feel both of them set new standards. If you look at the international numbers for Dhurandhar 2, they're also historic."
Adarsh also mentioned the top list of the highest-grossing Hindi films ever. "
Number one is Dhurandhar 2, number two is Dhurandhar. So, the first two spots are taken by Dhurandhar. Number three is Pushpa 2 Hindi."
The trade expert also said that the success of the Dhurandhar franchise has silenced those who said Bollywood was dying a few years ago. "
Those who said, 'Oh, Bollywood is gone, and oh, Bollywood isn't as talented anymore,' Dhurandhar has proven them wrong. It's shown that good content is back. It's good to see Bollywood making those numbers. That also shows the power of real theater. Dhurandhar truly has strong content. It's a heroic run. It's a superstar film. Films come and go. People will always compare other films with Dhurandhar in the future," he concluded.