Jun 06, 2026 12:30pm IST
‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’ Gets a Decent Opening, ‘Peddi’ Sees a 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 much better than recent Hindi releases such as “Chand Mera Dil” and “Pati Patni Aur Woh Do,” which makes it special for a genre (romantic comedy) that’s not been performing great in recent times. The film started on a low note on Friday, but momentum increased throughout the day, with the evening and night shows doing exceedingly well, bringing in a decent number for the first day.
Varun Dhawan’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 and the weekend collections are expected to be better, the future of the film depends entirely on how it performs Monday onwards. If the Monday collections remain stable, the film should manage to sustain in the long run.
The film has received widely mixed reviews from critics, but that should not be a worrying factor, as films in this genre are generally reviews-proof.
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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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