Dhurandhar Fails to Impress in Japan Despite Massive Success in India, Weak Box Office Opening Raises Questions

The film was released in Japanese theatres on July 10. However, by July 15, five days after its release, it had failed to register any significant box office momentum. The weak theatrical response has led to speculation that releasing the film in Japan may have been a strategic miscalculation, as its underwhelming performance is now affecting the film's overall perception in the market.

On its opening day, Dhurandhar sold approximately 900 tickets. As a result, it failed to secure a place among the top 25 Indian films with the highest opening-day ticket sales in Japan. The development has come as a major surprise considering the franchise's enormous commercial success in India.

The audience response indicates that the film has struggled to connect with Japanese viewers. Although this setback is unlikely to have any meaningful impact on the franchise's historic worldwide box office earnings, its performance in Japan has remained significantly below expectations. The film has been unable to draw audiences to theatres, resulting in an unusually cold opening in the country.

Several Indian films have previously enjoyed remarkable success in Japan, including RRR, Saaho, and Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots, all of which generated strong box office collections and attracted substantial local audiences. In contrast, Dhurandhar has failed to replicate that success, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the Japanese box office for Indian releases.

The contrast between the film's domestic and international performance is striking. Dhurandhar Part 1, released in India in December 2025, followed by Dhurandhar Part 2 in March 2026, collectively earned nearly ₹3,000 crore at the box office. The thriller franchise achieved this milestone within a remarkably short period, making its disappointing reception in Japan one of the most unexpected developments in its global theatrical journey.