‘Border 2’ Breaks Records in Advance Booking: 1 Lakh Tickets Sold in 48 Hours, Poised to Edge Out ‘Dhurandhar’ Shows

The sequel to the 1997 cult classic, Border 2, is creating a frenzy in advance bookings. Within just 48 hours of the pre-sale launch, over 1 lakh tickets have already been sold, with another 48 hours of booking yet to go. Distributors have also issued strict guidelines to theaters and multiplexes, ensuring that the film dominates daily show counts.

Set to release on January 23, 2026, the war drama starring Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty is aiming to capture screens across the country. According to reports, distributors have instructed theaters to screen Border 2 for at least two weeks. Single-screen cinemas are required to dedicate all shows to the film, while multiplexes must schedule 10–11 shows per day for the movie. This aggressive strategy may impact other films, including Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, which is still performing at the box office despite being released over six weeks ago.

Advance Booking Record
Border 2 has already surpassed Sunny Deol’s previous release, Jaat, in pre-sale demand. Pre-sales began on January 19, and within 48 hours, 1,06,855 tickets were sold, grossing ₹3.43 crore. Including block bookings, the total revenue reached ₹6.68 crore. Currently, pre-bookings are underway for 9,273 shows, which are expected to increase further as the film releases across more than 5,000 screens nationwide.

For context, last year’s top Hindi film advance bookings included Vicky Kaushal’s Chhawa at ₹13.80 crore, Hrithik Roshan’s War 2 (Hindi) at ₹11.63 crore, Salman Khan’s Sikandar at ₹10.10 crore, Saiyara at ₹9.40 crore, and Ranveer Singh’s blockbuster Dhurandhar at ₹9.23 crore.

Expected Box Office Impact
With a runtime of 3 hours and 16 minutes, Border 2 requires a four-hour gap between consecutive shows, meaning theaters will dedicate most of their daily slots to this film. Analysts predict a strong opening, estimating a first-day net collection of ₹35–40 crore, benefitting from the Republic Day holiday weekend.

Distributor Directives and Screen Lock
Distributors have also mandated that theaters lock screens for two weeks, ensuring the film’s uninterrupted showcase. Single-screen cinemas must run all shows for Border 2, three-screen properties must schedule 12 shows, four-screen multiplexes 14 shows, five-screen properties 16 shows, six-screen multiplexes 18 shows, and theaters with seven or more screens must run 20 shows daily.

This aggressive release strategy positions Border 2 to become one of the largest-scale Hindi film releases in history, potentially breaking box office records as audiences nationwide flock to theaters.