There have been major box-office clashes in India before. Just over two years ago, Dunki and Salaar clashed. Lagaan and Gadar famously locked horns in 2001, and many Diwalis and Christmases have seen two mega films scramble for audience attention. But none of them has had the scale of what is to come on March 19, 2026. Two huge films – Dhurandhar: The Revenge and Toxic: A Fairytale for Adults – are releasing in theatres on the day, and a mouth-watering clash is in store.
Dhurandhar 2 vs Toxic
Dhurandhar: The Revenge is the sequel to the 2025 blockbuster Dhurandhar. Starring Ranveer Singh, the film ended up as the second-highest-grossing Hindi film ever, grossing ₹1300 crore worldwide. The sequel is a highly anticipated film that many predict will surpass even the first. Toxic, on the other hand, stars Yash in his first role since the KGF franchise, which earned ₹1500 crore at the box office. The pan-India film features five female stars apart from Yash, further adding to its pan-India charm. Neither film is keen on moving its release date, paving the way for a clash of epic proportions. It is arguably the first time that two potential ₹1000-crore earners are releasing on the same day.
Trade estimates and the PROCAT cinema measurement tool are projecting 10 crore footfalls in theatres for the two films combined if they both succeed at the box office. This is not a far-fetched estimate as both Dhurandhar and KGF Chapter 2 – the two lead stars’ previous releases – registered 4 crore footfalls each in India. If this number comes to pass, the Dhurandhar-Toxic combine will surpass even Baahubali 2 in footfalls as the single biggest Indian cine event in the 21st century.
The industry braces for ‘earth-shattering’ opening
The two films’ clash has made the film industry both cautious and optimistic. The caution comes from fears that they will ‘eat into each other’, as filmmaker Sanjay Gupta recently said. “We have to take into account that we are not a super-rich country, and our people don’t have money flowing that they can just go and watch two films back-to-back. Many people can’t watch two films in one month. It’s unnecessary, but again, the makers probably have their reasons,” he told Variety India. This fear stems from the limited number of screens in India. The country has an estimated 10,000 screens, which means neither film will be able to secure more than 4500-5000 screens, whereas each film could have secured 6000 screens or more, given the hype.
Trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai agrees. “Any solo opening without a competing film is the best possible scenario,” he says. However, Pillai argues that both films are big enough to do good business despite the clash and fewer screens. “Both films will have earth-shattering openings. Then after that, whichever has the better content will do better in the long run. But it will be a manic day at the box office,” predicts Pillai.
Trade insiders are bullish about the films’ box-office prospects, even if they are non-committal about the 10-crore footfall estimate. “That only happens if both films are blockbusters. That is the ideal scenario, but I don’t know how practical it is,” says an exhibitor.
Advertising predicts ‘India’s biggest cinema moment’
But one thing is for certain. Millions will flock to the theatres as the two films are released. The trade side is already making preparations for that. UFO Cine Media Network has unveiled ‘India’s Biggest Cinema Moment Ever’, a campaign anchored around the release of the two films, aimed at advertisers. Siddharth Bhardwaj, CEO – Enterprise Business, UFO Cine Media Network, says, “When two mass entertainers with pan-India appeal release simultaneously, the result is not just footfalls but concentrated national attention. With nearly 100 million expected footfalls, this window represents scale rarely seen in cinema. For brands, it offers a powerful combination of reach, immersion and accountability, a high-impact environment where messaging lands with clarity and recall deepens significantly.”
UFO’s advertising network covers 4100 theatres across 1500 towns in India, including 2500+ multiplex screens. This allows them to reach almost half the Indian theatrical market. As trade insiders predict ‘exceptional’ occupancies across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities, advertisers are bullish about stronger brand recall and measurable ROI.