After months of anticipation, ‘Border 2’ finally hit theatres across India on Friday, January 23, 2026, and the response on the ground has been loud and clear. From early morning shows onwards, cinema halls have witnessed strong audience turnout, driven largely by nostalgia, patriotic sentiment, and Sunny Deol’s enduring mass appeal.
Starring Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty, the film has been released on an aggressive scale, with nearly 4,800 screens and over 17,000 shows nationwide. The heavy deployment has significantly reduced the screen share of competing films, including Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar’, which is now left with only limited shows.
Strong Release, But Advance Booking Below ‘Gadar 2’
Despite an impressive release strategy and solid pre-release buzz, ‘Border 2’ has fallen short of Sunny Deol’s own blockbuster ‘Gadar 2’ in terms of advance booking. While ‘Gadar 2’ had registered a record ₹17.60 crore in pre-sales and went on to collect ₹40.10 crore on its opening day, ‘Border 2’ managed ₹12.50 crore gross from advance booking.
Even last year’s Republic Day release ‘Chhaava’, which clocked ₹13.80 crore in advance sales, remains ahead in pre-booking numbers.
Advance Sales Numbers
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, ‘Border 2’ sold over 4.09 lakh tickets in advance across formats including 2D, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and IMAX 2D, resulting in:
- ₹12.50 crore gross from advance booking
- ₹17.50 crore gross including block seats
Trade experts point out that this is not entirely alarming, as the film is heavily skewed towards mass circuits, where spot bookings traditionally outperform advance sales.
Mass Circuits Expected to Drive Collections
The film is expected to perform particularly well in Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra, Nizam, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. While January 23 is not a national holiday, Vasant Panchami has resulted in a partial holiday in several states, giving the film an added boost.
However, industry observers also note that Saraswati Puja celebrations in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal could slightly temper daytime footfalls in these regions.
Opening Day Box Office Prediction
Despite lower pre-sales compared to ‘Gadar 2’, the film’s nostalgia factor, lack of major competition, and extended Republic Day long weekend are working strongly in its favour.
Trade estimates suggest:
- Day 1 collection: ₹25–30 crore
- If evening and night shows continue to build momentum, the figure could touch ₹35 crore
Directed by Anurag Singh, ‘Border 2’ is based on the 1971 India–Pakistan war and has been made on a reported budget of ₹275 crore. The makers have locked in theatres with high show-count commitments for the next two weeks, ensuring near-total dominance until January 26.
Republic Day Release Comparison
Among Republic Day releases, ‘Border 2’ is unlikely to challenge Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Pathaan’, which still holds the record with a ₹55 crore opening day. However, trade analysts believe ‘Border 2’ is poised to emerge as the second-biggest Republic Day release in Hindi cinema.
The Road Ahead
With Republic Day falling on Monday, the film is expected to see a further surge in footfalls, potentially compensating for the slightly slower advance booking. Whether ‘Border 2’ can sustain momentum beyond the long weekend will depend on word of mouth and repeat audience turnout.
For now, the lion has roared—and the box office battle has well and truly begun.
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