Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR’s War 2 opened with roughly Rs. 29 crore net in Hindi on its first day. This is Rs. 20 crore less than the original War (2019), which had set a high benchmark with Rs. 50 crore net.
The Telugu version, supported by Jr. NTR’s fanbase, added around Rs. 22 crore net. This brings the all-India total to Rs. 51 crore net on day one, far below expectations for a pan-India blockbuster backed by the SPY Universe brand.
Compared to earlier SPY Universe films, the flop is glaring. Tiger 3seen as the franchise’s weakest, opened with Rs. 40 crore net and suffered from a poor script. War 2 has performed worse despite massive hype and star power.
The Hindi day one collection of Rs. 29 crore and worldwide gross below Rs. 80 crore show a catastrophic failure. Expectations to surpass Pathaan’s 1000 crore worldwide gross now seem unrealistic for the SPY Universe project.
Projections suggest War 2 might struggle to match Tiger 3’s final figures of Rs. 260 crore net in India and roughly Rs. 400 crore worldwide. With a reported budget of Rs. 400 crore, recovering theatrically will be extremely challenging.
Even with modest growth over the extended Independence Day weekend, analysts see an all-India total around Rs. 150 crore net as realistic. Crossing Rs. 200 crore in Hindi seems nearly impossible, highlighting hype and marketing failing spectacularly in execution.
War 2 serves as a lesson for audiences, makers, and the SPY Universe. Massive expectations, star power, and aggressive marketing cannot replace solid execution, quality storytelling, and audience engagement.
