As March arrived, the biggest box office clash in recent times drew closer. This month, on the 19th, two mega films – Dhurandhar: The Revenge and Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups – are releasing in theatres alongside each other. There is a lot of buzz about the huge box-office clash and which film is likely to prevail. While advance bookings are yet to open in India, limited pre-sales for both films began in the US as February ended. And so far, Dhurandhar 2 has taken an early lead.
Dhurandhar 2 vs Toxic
Dhurandhar 2, directed by Aditya Dhar, brings back Ranveer Singh as Hamza, aka Jaskirat Singh Rangi, in the highly anticipated sequel to the 2025 blockbuster. The first part earned over ₹1300 crore globally, and the sequel is expected to emulate it, if not do better. According to Sacnilk, by March 1, thanks to an early wide opening in the US, Dhurandhar 2 has collected $33,723 in advance sales, selling 1953 tickets across 209 scheduled shows in 151 theatres. The number of locations and shows will increase in the coming days. Part 1 earned $21 million in the US and Canada.
Toxic, Kannada superstar Yash’s comeback film, is also releasing worldwide on the same day. The Geetu Mohandas directorial has not seen a wide start to pre-sales in the US so far. As of Sunday, the film has opened in 122 shows in 81 theatres. The film has collected $3,665 in advance ticket sales for its premiere, selling 189 tickets.
Early comparisons show that Dhurandhar 2 has taken a big lead, but the gap can narrow quickly as more shows open for Toxic, which is bound to happen in the coming two weeks. Yash’s previous release, KGF Chapter 2, had earned just under $7 million in North America, but the actor’s stardom has increased a lot since its release in 2022.
All about the two films
Dhurandhar: The Revenge was shot alongside the first part. Originally meant as one film, the project was split into two films months before last year’s release. Apart from Ranveer, Dhurandhar 2 also stars Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Sara Arjun in key roles, with Akshaye Khanna expected to reprise his role from part 1 in a cameo. The film is a spy thriller based on true incidents and is set in Pakistan’s Lyari.
Toxic, on the other hand, sees Yash in three roles, as the early promos indicate. The film, a violent actioner, stars Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Huma Qureshi, and Rukmini Vasanth alongside Yash.
