Bollywood Is Getting Back to the Big League

Article by Kumar Published on: 8:28 pm, 26 January 2026

After the blockbuster success of Dhurandhar, Bollywood witnessed a short long dry spell. A few releases in between, failed to meet expectations and left distributors disappointed. As a result, all hopes were pinned on Border 2, and the film has delivered big time.

Released with a lengthy runtime of three hours and twenty minutes, this war drama made a powerful impact right from its opening weekend. Within just three days from Friday to Sunday, the film reportedly collected nearly around ₹130 crore net.

One of the biggest reasons behind Border 2 working so strongly is the legacy of the original Border released in 1997. The first part left a deep emotional impact on audiences and brought massive recognition, awards, and success to director JP Dutta. It also inspired several war films that followed over the years.

With such a strong emotional and nostalgic background, the sequel naturally attracted huge crowds. Northern theatres are running to packed houses, with many locations even adding midnight shows due to demand. The positive response during the opening weekend has brought much needed relief to Bollywood buyers and exhibitors.

While it is still early to predict the final box office outcome, Border 2 does have the potential to challenge Dhurandhar. However, the journey may not be completely smooth.

The response has not been equally strong across all regions. Some audiences in Telugu and Tamil states felt the film lacked freshness and had pacing issues, which could affect its long term run if the trend continues.

Set against the backdrop of the 1971 India Pakistan war, the film’s strongest pillar is Sunny Deol’s powerful performance. Varun Dhawan, who faced trolling before release, has also surprised many with his acting and earned praise.

Overall, after Dhurandhar, Border 2 has brought back momentum to Bollywood, marking a rare phase of back-to-back blockbusters and restoring confidence in the theatrical market. With this momentum, trade experts believe that Bollywood is getting back to the big league after a dry period.

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