Sunny Deol's Box Office Dominance Continues with Border 2's Explosive Start
Sunny Deol remains one of Hindi cinema's most reliable action stars, with patriotic dramas and mass entertainers consistently driving his box office success. His latest release, Border 2, has demonstrated remarkable momentum by entering the list of his highest-grossing movies in just two days.
The Gadar 2 Phenomenon and Sunny Deol's ₹100-Crore Club
Interestingly, except for the monumental Gadar 2, none of Sunny Deol's films have entered the prestigious ₹100-crore club in India net collections so far. Gadar 2 stands far ahead of all his other cinematic ventures, achieving a massive Hindi net collection of ₹525.7 crore. The film became a historic blockbuster that re-established Sunny Deol as a dominant force at the box office, minting ₹686 crore worldwide according to industry tracker Sacnilk.
Sunny Deol's Top-Grossing Films: A Detailed Breakdown
Examining his career box office performance reveals fascinating patterns:
- Gadar 2 - ₹525.7 crore (Hindi net collection)
- Jaat - ₹88.72 crore (with worldwide collection of ₹118.36 crore)
- Gadar: Ek Prem Katha - ₹76.65 crore net (the iconic India-Pakistan romance drama with worldwide collection of ₹132.60 crore)
- Border 2 - ₹65.5 crore in just 48 hours according to Sacnilk
- Yamla Pagla Deewana - ₹55.12 crore (first part)
The comedy franchise Yamla Pagla Deewana appears twice on the list, with the sequel collecting ₹33.97 crore. Other notable films include:
- Original Border - ₹39.3 crore
- Singh Saab The Great - ₹26.44 crore
- The Hero: Love Story of a Spy - ₹26.05 crore
- Indian - ₹24.09 crore
Border 2's Spectacular Box Office Performance
The multi-starrer war film has taken the fourth spot in Sunny Deol's career with ₹65.5 crore in just 48 hours. However, according to Bollywood Hungama, the numbers are even more impressive. The publication reports that in two days, the movie has collected ₹72.69 crore, with ₹32.10 crore on Day 1 and ₹40.59 crore on Day 2.
With ₹86.54 crore gross in India and ₹13.74 crore in the international market, the movie has already touched ₹100.28 crore globally according to Bollywood Hungama. If this trend continues, Border 2 is expected to become Sunny Deol's second highest-grossing movie on Day 3 itself, though it still has a considerable distance to cover before challenging Gadar 2's top position.
Google search interest data confirms the massive public attention, with "Border 2" searches peaking dramatically during its release period of January 23-24.
Comparative Analysis: Varun Dhawan's Box Office Track Record
In contrast to Sunny Deol's filmography, Varun Dhawan has delivered much bigger commercial successes in his relatively younger Bollywood career. His top performers include:
- Dilwale (co-starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Kriti Sanon) - ₹148.42 crore in Hindi net collection
- Judwaa 2 - ₹138.55 crore net in India
- Badrinath Ki Dulhania - ₹117.89 crore
- ABCD 2 - ₹106.12 crore
Mid-range hits in his career include JugJugg Jeeyo (₹85.41 crore), period drama Kalank (₹84.6 crore), Sui Dhaaga - Made in India (₹79.07 crore), and the popular Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (₹76.81 crore). Other notable films are Street Dancer 3D (₹73.97 crore) and his debut film Student of the Year (₹70 crore). In net collections in India, Border 2 is not among the Top 10 films in Varun Dhawan's career yet.
Diljit Dosanjh's Bollywood Journey and Border 2 Controversy
For co-star Diljit Dosanjh, Border 2 represents his third-highest-grossing Bollywood film. His top-performing movies include:
- Good Newwz - ₹205.09 crore
- Crew - ₹81.95 crore
- Border 2 - Currently performing strongly
Diljit Dosanjh faced significant controversy surrounding his role in the war film. The issue erupted after the trailer of his Punjabi film, Sardaar Ji 3, featured Pakistani actress Hania Aamir. This occurred soon after the Pahalgam terror attack, and when India retaliated with Operation Sindoor, Hania called it "cowardly" and labeled it "Hindutva extremism" by the Indian military.
The backlash intensified because Border 2 celebrates the Indian Army. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) demanded Diljit's removal and issued a non-cooperation notice. However, the ban was lifted specifically for Border 2 since most of the film had already been shot. Diljit retained his role, which is inspired by Param Vir Chakra awardee Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, though he did not participate extensively in the film's major promotional activities.
As Border 2 continues its box office journey, industry observers are watching closely to see if it can sustain its initial momentum and potentially challenge the records set by Sunny Deol's previous blockbusters.
