Ayan Mukerji’s long-awaited sequel, War 2, has validated the maxim that a good second half can salvage a poor opening. After a lacklustre beginning, the film has made a spectacular comeback, leveraging the momentum of the Independence Day weekend to reach the ₹100 crore mark within two days.
The opening day collection of ₹51.5 crore for the film was a point of concern for trade analysts. The amount, which comprised ₹29 crore from Hindi and ₹22.25 crore from the Telugu version, was short of the opening day collections of its predecessor and fell below expectations of a much greater opening, with many expecting an amount closer to ₹75 crore. The star power of Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR combined was supposed to generate much higher first day results.
But Day 2 turned the tide. Taking advantage of the national holiday, War 2 also witnessed a huge jump, adding a whopping ₹56.5 crore to its collections. Its overall domestic collection thus stood at more than ₹108 crore. The Hindi version of the film was especially good on Friday, collecting around ₹40 crore and having an overall occupancy rate of 51.52 percent. Regional circuits also registered good numbers, with Chennai seeing a record 94.75 percent occupancy.
This impressive second day has not only saved the movie’s first-day performance but also placed it ahead of its box office competitor, Rajinikanth’s Coolie. While Coolie ruled the first day, War 2 took over on Day 2, since Coolie experienced a sharp decline in its collections.
Produced on an alleged budget of more than ₹300 crore, War 2 must keep going to be counted as a box office success. The two-day box office collection of the film has already gone past that of its franchise film, and the substantial collection on Day 2 indicates it’s well ahead of a hit run.
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