Jun 06, 2026 12:30pm IST
‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’ becomes One Of Varun Dhawan’s lowest openers, ‘Peddi’ Sees Big Drop, ‘Bandar’ Faces Release Hurdles
David Dhawan's “Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai” (HJTIHH) starring Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde has opened largely on the expected lines at the box office. The romantic comedy collected ₹7.40 crore net on the first day, registering a decent start for what's believed to be the swansong of the veteran filmmaker.
“HJTIHH” has opened better than recent Hindi releases such as “Chand Mera Dil” and “Pati Patni Aur Woh Do” but still ranks among the lowest openers for Varun Dhawan. The first-day biz of this film is more than half of David and Varun's last theatrical collaboration, “Judwa 2” (₹16.10 cr). Comparatively, Varun's last two films “Border 2” and “Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari” debuted with ₹30 crore and ₹9.25 crore, respectively.
Although the opening figure is respectable considering its poor pre-release buzz, the film's long-term box office prospects look uncertain. The film has received widely mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike making things tough for this film at the box office. The content has resonated primarily with fans of David Dhawan's trademark brand of comedy, while a large section of viewers has criticized its weak narrative, outdated humor, and lack of entertainment value. Such mixed audience reception may pose a serious challenge to its sustainability in the coming days.
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Meanwhile, Anurag Kashyap's “Bandar” starring Bobby Deol collected only ₹58 lakhs on the first day despite positive reviews. The film's release was adversely affected by a screen-sharing dispute with the national chains, restricting shows and thereby keeping the opening below the ₹1 crore mark. The issue is expected to be resolved today, allowing the film to secure a stronger presence in theatres. This could particularly benefit “Bandar” given the underwhelming audience response to fellow new releases “HJTIHH” and “Peddi”. The overall commercial outlook of this film, however, remains modest, with it likely ending up becoming box office disappointment.
On the Southern front, Ram Charan's Telugu sports action drama “Peddi” witnessed a sharp decline on Friday after a massive ₹43.70 crore net opening on Thursday. The Buchi Babu Sana directorial collected ₹23.17 crore net on its second day, reflecting a -47% drop from its first day. Add ₹16.53 crore net from its Wednesday premieres, and the extended two-day total stands at ₹83.40 crore net and ₹98.41 crore gross.
Despite its strong theatrical run, “Peddi” has miserably failed to generate excitement beyond its core Telugu-speaking audience. Despite its heavy promotional events in North India, the film has heavily underperformed in the Hindi belts. It collected ₹2.15 crore on Friday, taking its two-day Hindi total to ₹5.15 crore net. The Tamil-dubbed version has contributed around ₹70 lakh, while the Kannada version has generated ₹38 lakh. The Malayalam version, meanwhile, has failed to cross the ₹10 lakh mark, highlighting the film's limited appeal outside its home market.
From Hollywood, “Masters of the Universe” opened at ₹1.35 crore net at the Indian box office. Although the opening is quite encouraging, it's unlikely to go big considering its limited buzz among audiences.
Box office courtesy — RecoBee.
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