“Dhurandhar 2”, starring Ranveer Singh, is one of the most anticipated films of the year, especially after the huge success of the first part. But it stands in contrast to the Yash-starrer ‘Toxic’, and while one can see which film does better than the other, when it comes to the overall buzz in Hindi cinema, ‘Toxic’ has been dominating the conversation locally.
Interestingly, the scenario in the US market paints a slightly different picture. While the spy thriller sequel is steadily strengthening its stature, director Jeetu Mohandas’ Kannada period gangster drama is gradually gaining momentum. Here’s a closer look at the first pre-sale numbers.The North American market has responded enthusiastically to ‘Dhurandhar 2’, buoyed by the massive success of the first installment.
As per the latest update from Venky Box Office, the film has registered advance bookings of US$ 33.7 lakh. In just the past 24 hours, sales have increased by 159%, with the number of offers increasing to 209.To date, more than 1.9 thousand tickets have been sold at 151 locations in the United States. With 17 days left until the premiere, trade observers expect the film to conclude with significant pre-sales. Featuring an ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and R Madhavan, the film seems to be on a strong trajectory despite a box office clash with Toxic, provided it maintains the momentum.
On the other hand, ‘Toxic’, which features Yash in the lead, recorded pre-sales worth US$3.6 lakh from 81 US sites. With the number of screenings rising to 122, the film has seen modest growth over the past 24 hours. Nearly 189 tickets have been sold so far in the US market.It is worth noting that Kannada films are still in the process of establishing a firm footprint abroad. However, Yash’s return after the huge success of ‘KGF Chapter 2’ could provide a big boost.
With 17 days to go before release, there’s plenty of time to ramp up the pace of collections.Right now, Ranveer Singh and his team are clearly leading the race in North America. The gap in the number of offers between the two films is still huge, but industry watchers are still hopeful that Geetu Mohandas’s directorial venture will gain steam with additional offers coming up.According to a tweet from Venky Box Office, Dhurandhar 2 is maintaining strong momentum 16 days ahead of its release and is eyeing a record-breaking debut in India. The update also revealed that the film earned $67,112 through the sale of 3,932 tickets. As a result, the pre-sales of ‘Dhurandhar 2’ have now crossed the US$100,000 mark.Meanwhile, in terms of domestic box office, Toxic may dominate the domestic box office as it hits more screens in the South. For example, in Kerala, the Yash starrer has twice the number of screens.
