New Delhi: Two patriotic heroes battling terrorists faced off at the box office this Ugadi — and so far, Ranveer Singh starrer Dhurandhar 2 is making short work of Ustaad Bhagat Singh, featuring actor and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, on his home turf.
The spy thriller sequel, released in five languages, has found its biggest southern audience in the Telugu states, while Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been relatively lukewarm. It has made a major dent in the film collections of Ustaad Bhagat Singh—an action entertainer about a cop who quotes the Gita as he goes about vanquishing a selection of villains.
Both films released on 19 March, and at first Ustaad seemed to have the headstart in the Telugu states over the weekend. It managed a decent opening, riding his star power and initial curiosity, though it was slightly underwhelming compared to his last release, They Call Him OG (2025), which earned Rs 63.75 crore. Dhurandhar 2, meanwhile, had a slower start with several paid previews being cancelled after delays in dubbing and censor clearance. But it quickly picked up pace.
By day three, the Ranveer Singh starrer had taken a clear lead in the Telugu states, eating into Ustaad Bhagat Singh’s core market. On the first working day, Monday, Dhurandhar 2 grossed over Rs 3.5 crore in the Telugu states, while Ustaad Bhagat Singh earned just Rs 1.96 crore— its lowest single-day collection so far.
On day five, Ustaad Bhagat Singh had occupancy of 22.8 per cent in Hyderabad and 24 per cent in Vizag. Dhurandhar 2, on the same day, registered 74.3 per cent and 82.8 per cent in the two cities respectively. Its Telugu collections alone have reached Rs 17.17 crore as of Monday.
Ustaad Bhagat Singh director Harish Shankar has acknowledged the hit the film has taken, but voiced optimism.
“There is always space for two to three big films. It’s not like theatres will only show Dhurandhar across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,” he said.
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Ustaad Bhagat Singh has so far earned Rs 85.05 crore worldwide, with Rs 66.20 crore coming from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
By contrast, Dhurandhar 2 has racked up Rs 844.76 crore in gross collections and Rs 519.12 crore net across 115,553 shows. On its release day, it became the first Hindi film to score Rs 100 crore net in a single day, then repeated the feat on Saturday (Rs 113 crore) and Sunday (Rs 114.85 crore).
The first instalment, released in 2025 only in Hindi, earned Rs 1,007.85 crore worldwide, leading the makers to release the sequel in five languages.
The combined worldwide gross of both films has now surpassed Rs 2,000 crore, placing the Dhurandhar franchise in the company of Baahubali as one of Indian cinema’s biggest money-spinners. Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) earned Rs 650 crore and Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017) earned Rs 1,788 crore.