Tere Ishq Mein has delivered one of the most surprising box office stories of 2025, rising in a year where even big-budget films struggled to find strong openings. While titles like Chhaava touched the upper tier of the year’s charts with close to ₹30 crore nett and tentpoles such as War 2 and Sikandar were expected to lead the pack, the reality of 2025 has been a string of underperforming openings and flat audience turnout. In this landscape, Tere Ishq Mein not only registered the eighth-highest opening day of the year but did so as a sub-₹100 crore budget film with minimal promotional push and a lead actor who does not carry traditional star power. The film’s ₹15.25 crore nett start on Friday stands out even more because the only other film under this budget bracket in the Top 10 opening days is Saiyaara. Most other titles—whether it was Sikandar, Thamma, Housefull 5, Raid 2, Skyforce or Jolly LLB 3—either met expectations or underperformed relative to their scale.
Friday’s momentum carried into Saturday, as reported by trade website Sacnilk,Tere Ishq Mein collected ₹16.25 crore. The growth may appear modest, but considering the film had already opened strongly in mass circuits on day one, such regions are not prone to large Saturday jumps. What mattered more were the holding levels across CPCI, Rajasthan, and Bihar, where the film maintained nearly the same occupancy as Friday. Multiplexes and metros stayed soft and showed limited upward movement, but the mass-heavy footprint ensured the two-day total reached ₹31.50 crore nett. Despite the metro stagnation, the foundation was strong enough to project a robust weekend. Early Sunday noon trends placed the film at roughly ₹3 crore by 1 PM, with the final national figure estimated around ₹20 crore for the day. Combining all languages, Tere Ishq Mein expected to close its weekend at approximately ₹52 crore nett.
The Hindi version naturally dominated the numbers, but the presence of a Tamil-format release also added incremental value. The Tamil version collected ₹0.75 crore on Friday and ₹0.75 crore on Saturday, bringing its two-day figure to ₹1.5 crore. For a film not built as a pan-India launch, these additional revenues help strengthen its all-India footprint without altering the core business model.
One of the most interesting aspects of Tere Ishq Mein’s performance is the unconventional marketing approach. With no extensive promotional campaign and barely any involvement from its lead cast in pre-release activities, the film relied entirely on its units—music, teasers, and narrative intrigue. This strategy, unusual for a mainstream Hindi release, ultimately worked in the film’s favor. Curiosity built organically, especially among mass audiences who connected with its tone, soundscape, and dramatic appeal. In a marketplace where overexposure often dampens impact, the minimalistic publicity helped it arrive as a fresh and unfiltered offering.
Whether the film becomes a HIT will depend on Monday, but the opening weekend has already done most of the heavy lifting. For a mid-budget film to score this high in a year of subdued starts says something about the shifts in audience behaviour. The reliance on event-scale cinema has not always paid off in 2025, and Tere Ishq Mein stands out as a reminder that strong storytelling beats star reliance when positioned correctly.
The story follows Mukti, played by Kriti Senon, whose life collides with the intense, unpredictable Shankar (Dhanush). Their connection is raw, consuming, and destined for fracture, with circumstances pulling them apart before their love solidifies. Heartbreak drives Shankar to the edge, leading to a vow of destruction he attributes to his shattered emotions, and this turbulent love becomes the centre of the narrative. The film is backed by Gulshan Kumar’s T-Series and Colour Yellow Productions, with Aanand L Rai, Himanshu Sharma, Bhushan Kumar, and Krishan Kumar coming together as producers. A.R. Rahman’s music and Irshad Kamil’s lyrics give the film its emotional pulse, adding another layer to its appeal.
In a year where volatility has been the norm, Tere Ishq Mein has emerged as one of the rare successes of 2025—powered not by scale, but by conviction, grassroots connect, and a theatrical experience that spoke directly to the audience it sought.