Borderlands 2 progress has been live for three days now, and they’re looking to get up to speed. At the time of writing, the film has sold around 60K tickets across two national chains (PVR Inox and Cinepolis). Overall, Border 2 earned around Rs. Earning ₹5 crore on the first day, with solid contributions from non-national chains. Sales remained quite good over the extended weekend till Monday, with national chains selling around 150K tickets and Rs. Overall Rs 10 crore nett.
Region-wise, pre-sales are strongest in Rajasthan and Delhi-UP, followed by East Punjab. Punjab, traditionally the Deol family stronghold, did not do well for Gadar 2, but with the presence of Diljit Dosanjh, it is doing relatively better here. West Bengal is also doing well, almost matching the last advance sales of Gadar 2 with still a day to go. Friday being a holiday in the state is helping sales there, while some other states are also benefiting from partial holidays. Gujarat, on the other hand, which was exceptional for Gadar 2, is somewhat okay here.
Although these sales are good, expectations were high. So, the film is hoping for a boost in sales on the last day of sales, and as it turns out, Border 2 is the kind of film that could get that momentum. The film will aim to achieve around 150K sales in the national chains, taking the total first day sales to around Rs. 12-13 crores. Of course, this won’t be easy, and a more realistic number would be around 130-140K. The progress of the national series will be less compared to a film like War 2, which ended with 153K. However, Borderlands 2 is faring better elsewhere, which will keep overall progress forward despite falling short in the national chains.
In terms of ticket sales, this film is far behind Gadar 2, i.e. almost half the tickets. However, in terms of money, it will be closer due to blockbuster ticket pricing whereas Gadar 2 was released with normal prices. Gadar 2’s capabilities were also limited due to conflicts with OMG 2; Border 2 is also in profit there due to solo release. So, despite having less absolute power in advance, it may come close in terms of collections. Gadar opened at Rs 2. Earning Rs 39 crore on day one, Border 2 could reach there, though a more reasonable target would be around Rs. Will have to reach. 35 crores nett.
Apart from all this, the focus is on getting the right reception and taking this launch forward, because ultimately, audience reception and word of mouth is the key. Pre-sales for Sunday and Monday are already encouraging, and Border 2 is a film that can make a splash on a national holiday like Republic Day. If the reception is successful, fireworks are very much on the cards.
