War 2 box office collection day 5: Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR film crashes on first Monday with 76% dip, earns just ₹7 crore

The buzz around War 2 was massive before release. With Hrithik Roshan reprising his role from the first film, Jr NTR making his grand Hindi film debut, and Ayan Mukerji at the helm, expectations couldn’t have been higher. The film opened strong over the extended weekend, but the cracks were already beginning to show by Saturday. Now, with its first Monday numbers in, the picture is much clearer—and not in a good way.

Monday Crash Hits Hard

On its first Monday, War 2 earned just ₹7.52 crore net across India, according to Sacnilk. That’s a 76% fall compared to Sunday’s ₹32.15 crore. For a big-budget tentpole film that needs to maintain strong weekday numbers, such a sharp drop is a red flag.

The film’s five-day total in India now stands at ₹182.27 crore net. While that number might look healthy at first glance, the reality is that most of the momentum came from the opening day and early weekend rush. Sustaining beyond that has proven difficult, and the crash on Monday suggests word of mouth isn’t strong enough to carry it forward.

Weekend Trends Were Already Concerning

War 2 had collected ₹174.75 crore net over its four-day weekend. But even in those first few days, warning signs were evident. The Saturday dip of 42% after a huge opening day was unexpected, especially for a franchise film. By Sunday, there was no recovery—collections stayed flat instead of showing growth, which is typically a requirement for a healthy box office run.

This made Monday’s performance crucial. Unfortunately, the film failed to stabilize, making its long-term prospects shaky.

Chasing the ₹200 Crore Mark

The immediate goal now is to cross ₹200 crore net in India before the end of week one. That milestone should be achievable, but beyond that, things look uncertain. Big weekday drops make it difficult for films to have long legs, and if the pattern continues, War 2 could end up struggling to match even moderate expectations.

The bigger issue is the budget. With a reported landing cost of around ₹400 crore, breaking even requires both strong domestic numbers and significant international success. At the current pace, the film will need extraordinary overseas performance to make up the gap.

Overseas Collections: Good, But Not Great

On the international front, War 2 crossed ₹200 crore gross worldwide by Saturday. That’s an impressive milestone on paper, but again, perspective is key. For a film carrying such a massive budget and brand recognition, expectations were far higher.

Hrithik Roshan has delivered international successes before, and Jr NTR has a huge fanbase after RRR, but the film hasn’t yet tapped into its full overseas potential. Without consistently strong holds in markets like North America, the Middle East, and Australia, recovery will remain a challenge.

Inside the YRF Spy Universe

War 2 isn’t just another action entertainer—it’s part of the YRF Spy Universe, which has become Bollywood’s most ambitious interconnected franchise. The universe began with Ek Tha Tiger and includes Tiger Zinda Hai, War (2019), and Pathaan. With Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and now Jr NTR, the lineup is stacked with star power.

This makes the underperformance of War 2 even more concerning for YRF. The studio had banked heavily on the film to keep momentum going before its next release.

Kiara Advani and Bobby Deol’s Additions

Apart from Hrithik and Jr NTR, the film stars Kiara Advani in the female lead role. While her presence adds glamour and star value, early reviews suggest her role wasn’t as impactful as expected.

What did excite audiences, however, was the post-credits scene. Bobby Deol appears to set up Alpha, the next big film in the Spy Universe. Starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, Alpha is slated for a December release and could provide the franchise with a much-needed reset if War 2 fails to deliver on its promises.

Final Outlook

The verdict on War 2 is becoming clearer by the day. The massive Monday drop has dented its chances of being a blockbuster, and now the focus will be on whether it can salvage a respectable lifetime total. For a film of this scale, anything less than ₹350–₹400 crore net in India will be seen as underperformance.

For Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Ayan Mukerji, the road ahead depends heavily on overseas numbers and week-two stability. But as things stand, War 2 may already be running out of fuel.