Box Office: ‘Border 2’ Opens Strong, Beats ‘Dhurandhar’ but Falls Short of ‘Gadar 2’

Releasing on Republic Day, the war drama Border 2 made a spectacular impact at the box office on its opening day, leaving several films in its wake. However, the film could not surpass the record set by Gadar 2. Here’s a look at the first-day earnings.

Starring Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty, Border 2 hit theaters on January 23, immersing audiences in a wave of patriotism. The sequel, arriving 29 years after the original, outperformed several big films in terms of first-day collections, including Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar. Yet, it could not match the openings of Anil Sharma’s Gadar 2, Vicky Kaushal’s Chhava, or Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan.

Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 was made on a budget of approximately ₹275 crore, with Sunny Deol reportedly taking the highest fee of ₹50 crore. The film, based on the 1971 India-Pakistan war, generated a gross of ₹12.50 crore from advance bookings alone and went on to create a stir on its opening day.

Opening Day Collections:

• Border 2: ₹30.00 crore
• Pathaan: ₹55.00 crore
• Fighter: ₹22.50 crore
• Padmavat: ₹19.00 crore
• Agnipath: ₹22.80 crore
• Raees: ₹20.40 crore

While Border 2 has become the second-biggest Republic Day opener in Hindi cinema, it surpassed Dhurandhar’s opening day earnings of ₹28 crore by ₹2 crore. However, it fell short of the 2025 blockbuster Chhava, which had collected ₹31 crore on its first day. The long Republic Day weekend—including Saturday, Sunday, and Monday—promises a further boost for the war drama, potentially helping it set new records.

Despite its strong start, Border 2 could not match the opening-day record of Gadar 2. While Anil Sharma’s film had garnered ₹17.50 crore from advance bookings, Border 2’s advance bookings totaled ₹12.50 crore. On opening day, Gadar 2 collected ₹40.10 crore, outperforming Border 2’s ₹30 crore.