Karan Johar hails Bollywood comeback

Filmmaker Karan Johar on Sunday declared that Bollywood has made a strong comeback, citing the back-to-back box office success of Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar and the war drama Border 2.

Sharing his reaction on Instagram, Johar said the recent commercial performance of the two films had reaffirmed the long-term strength of the Hindi film industry, dismissing critics who had questioned its future.

Referring to the strong audience response, Johar said emotionally driven films were once again connecting with cinema-goers, adding that such successes proved Bollywood’s resilience and relevance.

His remarks came as Border 2 recorded one of the biggest openings in recent years and moved steadily towards the Rs 100 crore mark at the domestic box office. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said the film earned Rs 32.10 crore net in India on its opening day, performing strongly in mass belts and single-screen theatres, while urban centres saw improved turnout later in the day.

Although heavy rainfall affected collections in parts of north India, industry observers expect strong word of mouth and the Republic Day holiday to further boost earnings.

Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 was released on January 23 and features Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty in lead roles.

Meanwhile, Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, recently completed 50 days in theatres. Despite stiff competition from new releases, the Aditya Dhar-directed film emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time, surpassing Pushpa 2: The Rule. The film is planned as a two-part franchise, with its sequel scheduled for release on March 19, 2026.