Every person who grew up watching movies as a child must have had this dream: “I wish an Indian film would come along that could directly compete with Hollywood.” It took some time, but that dream has finally come true. Not only did it compete with Hollywood, but it also surpassed it completely.
So, boss, Avatar’s name in the cinema is like earth, water, and sky.
James Cameron won’t stop until he brings aliens to Earth through his films.
Despite earning Rs 40,000 crore from just two films, James Cameron is not one to rest on his laurels. That’s why Avatar 3 was released, shaking the entire film industry.
A 1,000-crore opening in just 24 hours. Do you understand? This isn’t just a film; it’s the big daddy of movies.
And in India, the fear of Avatar was so great that other films scheduled for release around the same time cleared the way. However, there was one movie that had something entirely different in mind.
You must have heard the name “Dhurandhar,” but no one could have imagined that it would be one of the big names in the history of Hindi cinema, and even surpass Avatar.
Yes, you heard those last five words absolutely right.
A Hindi film, in its third week, not only beat Avatar’s opening day numbers but completely humiliated it.
Hollywood had already made full plans to enter India, push Indian films off the screens, and make a lot of money. They had also taken over all the IMAX shows.
But then Dhurandhar, last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, earned almost Rs 150 crore just from India. This clearly showed the theater owners the public’s preference: Made in India.
Therefore, Avatar didn’t get the screens it should have, and how significant this difference was became clear when the box office figures for December 19th were released.
As everyone expected, Avatar stormed into India and created a sensation. The film’s first-day collection surpassed even the biggest Indian movies of 2025.
Avatar: Fire and Ash’s opening in India is reportedly around Rs 20 crore, which is not a small number, but it’s still only half of what Avatar: The Way of Water earned, which started with Rs 40 crore.
So where did the rest 50% go? It’s not like Avatar is a bad film or that people don’t want to see it; everyone has this movie on their mind. But somehow, someone else stole the heart. “Dhurandhar.”
I don’t know where this film finally stops. Will it even stop?
What if it reaches a point where, when Dhurandhar 2 is released, it ends up clashing with Dhurandhar 1 itself in theatres? I’m saying this because after what Dhurandhar did on its opening Friday, it’s confirmed that this film won’t be leaving theaters for a month or two.
To surpass Avatar’s opening day collection and put up some over Rs 23 crore on the board, and that too against Avatar! It’s not some random English movie; it’s a top-tier global giant.
When Aditya Dhar’s film was released in theatres on 5 December, even the makers themselves probably didn’t expect that two weeks later, they’d still be able to hold their ground with shows running against Avatar.
This is public, boss, and when they connect with a film, its fate is sealed. It has already crossed the Rs 500 crore club in India alone, and the worldwide number has surpassed Rs 700 crore.
It could have easily added another 50-50, that is, Rs 100 crore, on Saturday and Sunday, but that won’t happen now because Avatar has taken away the screens, and even the IMAX screens.
Even so, Dhurandhar won’t stop. The expected business for Saturday is Rs 33 crore, which could increase further if Avatar’s shows are reduced and added to Dhurandhar’s on Sunday.
But there are some people in the same public who are acting oversmart and saying that Dhurandhar can only do this in India. It won’t even be able to touch Avatar’s 24-hour worldwide numbers.
My dear friend, you’ve missed the point. Avatar’s budget is over Rs 3,000 crore, which is enough to make ten Dhurandhar-like films. And if ten films like Dhurandhar were released, they would compete with Avatar worldwide. Plus, Avatar is a global franchise that the whole world knows. Think about how many screens it’s released on and where. Dhurandhar probably didn’t even get one percent of that release. Yet, it’s still being compared to Avatar.
So, this arrogance we have, that Hollywood cinema is cool and desi films are inferior, needs to be thrown out. Only then will Indian cinema stand tall, not just pan-India, but pan-world.
For those who need more proof, wait for the Saturday and Sunday numbers. You’ll see for yourselves. Whoever clashes with Dhurandhar will either fall flat on their face or reach the moon.
By the way, which film are you going to watch? Tell me honestly in the comments.
Take care. Bye-bye.
