Ranveer Singh's latest film, "Dhurandhar," a spy thriller set in Pakistan in the early 2000s, has witnessed an unprecedented surge in demand, prompting theaters across Mumbai to add midnight and early-morning shows. The Aditya Dhar directorial, which stars Ranveer Singh as an Indian spy dismantling gangs in Lyari, Karachi, has taken the box office by storm, exceeding initial predictions.
Industry experts had anticipated an opening in the range of ₹18-20 crore, but "Dhurandhar" surprised everyone with a ₹27 crore start, marking the best opening day in Ranveer Singh's career. This impressive performance is second only to "Chhaava," which opened at ₹31 crore earlier in 2025. The film's success is attributed to positive word-of-mouth, which propelled collections after a somewhat slow start with advance bookings of ₹14 crore.
Following the blockbuster opening, many theaters in Mumbai have decided to screen "Dhurandhar" around the clock. Several cinemas added late-night and early-morning screenings by Friday evening to meet the soaring demand. PVR Sangam in Chakala is running a 1:50 AM show, while Eros has introduced a 6 AM IMAX show. Similarly, PVR Citi Mall and MovieMax Sion have added early-morning shows, and Metro INOX is screening the film at 1:30 AM. Maxus Cinema Bhayandar is taking it a step further by screening the film almost non-stop, with eight late-night and early-morning shows spread across its screens. Maxus Borivali has also introduced six shows during the same period.
This move places "Dhurandhar" alongside other recent blockbusters like "Pathaan," "Animal," "Stree 2," and "Oppenheimer," all of which saw similar late-night showings due to high demand. The trend of post-midnight shows has gained traction in the post-COVID era for high-demand titles.
"Dhurandhar" has also recorded the 7th highest morning occupancy of 2025, surpassing films like "Tere Ishk Mein," "Dhadak 2," and "The Bengal Files". According to Sacnilk, the film registered a morning occupancy of 15.49% on its opening day.
The film's release was not without its challenges. There were reports of a delay in the delivery of content to theaters, causing some early morning shows to be affected. Additionally, the press show was pushed and ultimately canceled due to a technical glitch. There was also a deadlock between the G7 multiplex and the Jio team regarding showtimes, which was resolved on release day.
"Dhurandhar" boasts an ensemble cast including Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun. The film delves into the strategic and daring operations led by India's Intelligence Bureau Chief, Ajay Sanyal, set against the backdrop of events like the hijacking of IC-814 in 1999 and the Parliament attack in 2001.
"Dhurandhar" is the first installment of a two-part saga, with the sequel scheduled for release on March 19, 2026.
