Aditya Dhar’s all-time blockbuster Dhurandhar: The Revenge has scaled another peak at the box office. The spy thriller recently crossed the $50 million mark at the global box office, becoming only the seventh Indian film to do so. What is even more impressive is that, unlike all others on this elite list, Dhurandhar 2 did so without receiving a release in either China or the Middle East.
Ranveer Singh in a still from Dhurandhar: The Revenge.Dhurandhar 2 enters the $50-million club
The Ranveer Singh-starrer is the third-highest-grossing Indian film of all time, having earned over ₹1760 crore worldwide. According to trade insiders, over ₹450 crore of it has come from the overseas markets. As of April 22, the film has earned $50.5 million overseas, ranking it seventh among Indian films. The only films ahead of it are largely those that broke the bank in one particular market. For instance, Dangal ($238 million), Secret Superstar ($138 million), and Bajrangi Bhaijaan ($82 million) all earned big in China, while Disco Dancer ($76 million) was a blockbuster in the Soviet Union. Dhurandhar 2’s earnings are spread across the globe. Only Baahubali 2 and RRR had no China push, yet both earned over $15 million from the Middle East, where Dhurandhar 2 found no release.
Like the first part, Dhurandhar 2 did not release in the six Gulf countries. This unofficial ban stemmed from the film’s perceived anti-Pakistan stance. For the film to cross $50 million overseas without releasing in one of the biggest markets for Indian films is no mean feat.
Dhurandhar 2 beats Jawan, Animal, Pushpa 2
On its way to the $50 million mark, Dhurandhar 2 surpassed the overseas collections of several past blockbusters, including all-time hits like Sholay ($28 million), Bobby ($29 million), and Caravan ($39 million), as well as recent big-earners such as Pushpa 2 ($31 million), PK ($46 million), Jawan ($47 million), and Pathaan ($49 million). The film is now earning less than $100K a day internationally, so climbing higher in the charts and overtaking RRR ($53 million) may be difficult.
About Dhurandhar
Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar is a spy thriller that released in December and was a massive blockbuster. The sequel arrived in March and was an even bigger hit. Led by Ranveer Singh, the cast for the two films also includes Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, and Sara Arjun.