Dhurandhar’s advance booking stalls; Ranveer Singh’s spy thriller risks losing steam
Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar enters its final 48-hour countdown, yet the film struggles to build the momentum expected from a big-ticket release. The buzz started strong on Monday, but the energy faded quickly. As a result, the Aditya Dhar–directed spy thriller now faces a real threat of opening below industry expectations.
Slow Start After a Strong Monday
The advance booking window opened with promise. Dhurandhar crossed the ₹1 crore mark within hours, and theatres anticipated a rapid surge. However, sales slowed sharply by Tuesday. By Wednesday afternoon, the film had moved only 50,000 tickets across nearly 3000 screens nationwide. Day 1 gross stands at ₹2.30 crore—a number far below what a film of this scale usually commands.
Sales Lag Behind Expectations
Meanwhile, the pace of hourly sales highlights the growing concern. By 1 pm on Wednesday, Dhurandhar sold about 1500 tickets per hour on BookMyShow. This is a modest figure for a major film two days before release. For context, Tere Ishq Mein, a running title with weeks behind it, continues to sell tickets at nearly triple that rate.
Moreover, past big releases of similar scale have achieved 15,000 to 20,000 hourly sales in the pre-release window. The contrast shows how much ground Dhurandhar still needs to cover.
Hopes Rest on a Late Surge
Even so, the team expects numbers to lift as more screens open their bookings through Wednesday evening and Thursday. Large-format screens and premium multiplex chains often unlock slots late. If these new additions boost demand, Dhurandhar may still salvage its opening day figure.
However, the slipping momentum could affect the film’s box-office trajectory unless a strong word of mouth rescues it post-release.
What Drives the Hype
Despite the booking slump, the film carries heavy expectations. Aditya Dhar, known for his sharp action storytelling, sets Dhurandhar in the crime-ridden lanes of Lyari in Pakistan. Ranveer Singh plays the lead in a gritty spy narrative backed by a loaded ensemble: Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi.
The film releases on December 5 across 5000 screens in India, making it one of the widest releases of the season.
The Road Ahead
As release day edges closer, the pressure builds. The market has shown mixed signals in recent months. Some films exploded after a slow start, while others collapsed despite early hype. Because of this pattern, trade watchers insist that Thursday’s booking curve will decide Dhurandhar’s fate.
For now, the numbers stay muted, but the next 24 hours will determine whether Ranveer Singh’s latest outing turns into a crowd-puller or slips into a lukewarm debut.
