Just three weeks into 2026, the Hindi film industry has already begun gauging where theatrical momentum might head in the months to come. With the Republic Day window traditionally serving as the first real test for big-ticket releases, Border 2 has emerged as the earliest release to put commanding numbers on the board—and, crucially, to show signs of genuine audience acceptance across regions. Rather than leaning entirely on a heavy opening day, the film’s box office trajectory over its first two days has given trade analysts reason to believe this is a run driven by demand, not just occasion.
The film opened well on Friday, powered by its patriotic theme, sequel familiarity, and the long holiday weekend. Mass pockets responded strongly from the outset, ensuring a solid base. However, the real conversation around Border 2 began on Saturday. While the overall jump in collections stood at a little over 20 percent, trade trackers point out that the topline figure masks a far more encouraging circuit-wise story.
The most telling gains came from areas that were either average or slightly underwhelming on opening day. The Mumbai circuit posted a sharp jump of around 50 percent, a clear sign that urban audiences and multiplexes joined the party after initial word of mouth kicked in. Mysore went even further, registering a massive 70 percent growth, one of the strongest Saturday surges seen for a Hindi film in recent times. These numbers are particularly significant because Border 2 is not a small, metro-centric release where big Saturday spikes are expected; it is a mass-driven war drama that had already opened strongly in key belts.
Gujarat and Saurashtra were the only real areas of concern on Friday. Given the film’s genre and appeal, this belt should ideally have delivered a very strong opening, but collections came in around average. That narrative shifted decisively on Saturday, with the circuit jumping over 50 percent and delivering very good numbers. Trade analysts view this turnaround as critical, especially because Gujarat and Saurashtra play an outsized role in the long-term prospects of large-scale patriotic films.
Eastern India presented a mixed but largely explainable picture. Bihar saw a slight dip, which was not unexpected after a solid opening. West Bengal, meanwhile, recorded a drop because Friday had been a holiday in the state, artificially inflating Day 1 collections and making Saturday’s numbers appear softer. According to trade estimates, if the Eastern circuits are excluded, Border 2’s overall Saturday growth comes close to 40 percent—an exceptional trend for a film of this scale.
By the end of its second day, Border 2 had collected approximately ₹66 crore net in India. With Sunday and the extended holiday period still ahead, the film is now firmly on course to cross the ₹100 crore net mark over the weekend. If that milestone is achieved, it will be the first Hindi film to post a ₹100 crore-plus opening weekend since Chhaava last year, with a strong chance of becoming the biggest Hindi opening weekend since Pushpa 2 in December 2024.
North India has clearly emerged as the film’s backbone. East Punjab, in particular, continues to deliver extraordinary collections and is being closely watched by the trade for potentially challenging some of the biggest circuit figures recorded in recent years by films such as KGF 2, Animal, and Pushpa 2. This sustained strength in the North is being seen as the key factor that could carry the film beyond the holiday phase.
Starring Sunny Deol alongside Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh, Border 2 is reportedly mounted on a massive budget of around ₹275 crore. At that scale, a ₹100 crore opening weekend is an important first step rather than the final measure of success. From here, the focus will shift squarely to weekday holds and how well the film sustains once the holiday advantage fades.
For the trade, though, the early signs are encouraging. Border 2 has delivered strong opening numbers, followed by meaningful growth in key circuits that matter for longevity. In a year that is still finding its theatrical rhythm, the film has quickly established itself as a release worth watching—not just for how it opened, but for how convincingly it has begun to run.
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