The Indian film industry loves a blockbuster challenge, and the recent success of the Ranveer Singh-starrer, Dhurandhar, has inevitably drawn comparisons to the reigning box office champion of 2025, Hombale Films’ Kantara: Chapter 1.
Rishab Shetty’s spiritual action-epic, Kantara: Chapter 1, concluded its historic run with a worldwide gross collection of over ₹850 crore (Source 2.1, 2.4), a figure that cemented its place as one of Indian cinema's biggest successes ever, second only to K.G.F: Chapter 2 in the Kannada industry.
Now, as the action thriller Dhurandhar records a robust performance, the question arises: can Ranveer Singh's film, built on a mega-budget and star power, possibly threaten this monumental record?
The Current Box Office Reality
While Dhurandhar has performed strongly and successfully broken post-pandemic opening records for Ranveer Singh (Source 1.6), the gap to Kantara: Chapter 1 remains immense.
- Dhurandhar's Current Stand: The film is reported to have collected approximately ₹329.69 crore in its opening week worldwide gross (Source 1.5).
- The Target: To match Kantara: Chapter 1's achievement, Dhurandhar needs to earn an additional ₹520 crore (approx.)—a figure that is often considered a lifetime collection for a major Bollywood blockbuster, let alone a remaining target.
The Unprecedented Challenge
Achieving the remaining target is compounded by several factors that differentiate the two films' journeys:
- Audience Trajectory: Kantara: Chapter 1 benefited from an unprecedented, organic growth trajectory driven by phenomenal word-of-mouth, spiritual resonance, and cultural phenomena that transcended linguistic barriers and weeks of theatrical run (Source 2.6). Dhurandhar, despite its strong start, must maintain an extraordinary, almost unheard-of level of sustained box office momentum for the next month to even approach the ₹500 crore mark.
- The Two-Part Structure: Dhurandhar is officially the first installment of a two-part series (Source 3.4). While this promises a lucrative future for the franchise, the total earnings are being split across two separate releases. Kantara: Chapter 1 achieved its record entirely on its own merit.
- The Budget Factor: While Dhurandhar is a massive production (with an estimated budget of ₹250–280 crore, shared with Part 2) (Source 3.4), Kantara: Chapter 1's budget was relatively modest, making its massive return a commercial phenomenon.
A Challenge for Part 2
For Dhurandhar Part 1, breaching the ₹850 crore mark is, based on current trade analysis and typical box office trends, highly unlikely. However, its success lays a crucial foundation.
If Dhurandhar can maintain its momentum and establish itself as a successful franchise, it is the potential combined gross of Dhurandhar Part 1 and Part 2 that could ultimately challenge the historic numbers set by Kantara: Chapter 1 and even the mighty K.G.F: Chapter 2.
For now, Kantara: Chapter 1's record remains a towering testament to the power of authentic, regional storytelling.
