Why Dhurandhar and Border 2 are outperforming Bollywood’s patriot playbook
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India has seen a surge of war and patriotic films in recent years that resonated deeply with audiences, but the latest releases have dramatically raised the bar, translating into explosive box-office collections.
Bollywood continues to stick to a nationalist narrative that has found reasonable commercial success, while gradually upping the ante with higher production values, slicker storytelling and stronger music - boosting theatrical footfalls and setting cash registers ringing. Trade experts and theatre owners say that while recent nationalist hits like Dhurandhar ( ₹894.45 crore) and Border 2 ( ₹323.89 crore) lean on a similar template, there is a reason their box-office figures are significantly higher than other war and propaganda movies such as The Kashmir Files ( ₹252.90 crore) and Uri: The Surgical Strike ( ₹245.36 crore), which were considered breakout hits in their time but, along with several similar titles, ultimately led to a degree of genre saturation.
The new films combine larger-than-life, more visually-appealing storytelling with strong emotional plots, while their hit soundtracks enable a better draw across tier-2 and tier-3 towns. “The factors driving theatrical success today go beyond theme or genre.
It’s the combination of strong storytelling, cinematic scale that rewards the big screen, and positive word-of-mouth. Audiences are more discerning about what justifies a theatre visit versus waiting for streaming.
Films that deliver a genuinely differentiated theatrical experience are earning that footfall," said Devang Sampat, managing director, Cinépolis India. Patriotic themes have always resonated with Indian audiences, and timing plays a role, Sampat added.
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