Worldwide debut day box office take for War 2 featuring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR fails to surpass 100 crores, underperforming compared to opening day earnings; Coolie outperforms instead.
War 2, the latest instalment in YRF Spy Universe, hit theatres on August 14. The film, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, clashed with Rajinikanth's Coolie and features Ashutosh Rana and Kiara Advani in pivotal roles.
The film opened at ₹52.50 crore net in India, a decent start but not as impressive as some of the other YRF Spy Universe films. The worldwide box office collection on its opening day is estimated to be around ₹90-95 crore. However, it is worth noting that neither War 2 nor its previous bullet points mention the collection or box office figures for the film.
The overseas collection of War 2 is estimated to be just over $3 million (around ₹25 crore), underperforming compared to industry expectations and other big Indian action films. In North America, War 2 earned around $3.66 million in the first 7 days, significantly behind Rajinikanth’s Coolie which made $6.43 million in the same period.
Despite crossing big numbers, War 2 has struggled to break even so far given its huge budget, especially compared to the stronger box office performances of Pathaan, Tiger 3, and War (2019). As of late August 2025, War 2 has grossed about ₹320 crore worldwide, with ₹248.65 crore domestic and ₹71.35 crore overseas. It crossed the Rs 300 crore mark within 7 days, but this is still the lowest for any YRF Spy Universe film at that stage.
War 2’s Hindi version led domestically with Rs 159.1 crore, followed by Telugu (Rs 53.55 crore) and Tamil (Rs 1.8 crore) markets, showing uneven regional reception. The film has not yet reached the ₹100-crore mark on its opening day, and its gross collection for India is estimated to be around ₹60 crore.
In comparison to other films in the YRF Spy Universe, War 2 underperformed. Pathaan (2023) is the highest grosser by far, earning around Rs 668 crore in 8 days and going on to cross Rs 1000 crore lifetime worldwide. Tiger 3 (2023) and War (2019) had also achieved faster and higher box office growth within the first week compared to War 2.
In summary, while War 2 remains a significant release with a massive budget, it underperformed compared to other films in the YRF Spy Universe and major Indian mega-budget action films, both domestically and globally. Its slower box office growth and uneven regional reception mark it as the lower grosser of the franchise so far. War 2 is currently running in theatres.
- Despite War 2's impressive domestic earnings, it failed to match the global box office success of other Indian action movies, such as the movies in the YRF Spy Universe and the film Pathaan (2023), which quickly surpassed the ₹1000 crore mark.
- It is interesting to note that while War 2 did well in the Hindi market, it underperformed in other regions, like the Telugu and Tamil markets, indicating a lack of universal appeal for this Bollywood entertainment product in India.
- As cricket and movies-and-tv entertainment are two major sources of enjoyment in India, it would be wise for the entertainment industry to investigate the factors contributing to War 2's lower box office performance in comparison to its fellow action films, particularly in regards to audience preferences and engagement.
