BY CHRISTA LINCY
When we analyse box office numbers closely, the real story is not just about the total India net collection, but about how much each region contributes to that total. The extended week performance of Dhurandhar 2, Jawan and Animal clearly shows that regional markets are now playing a crucial role in defining the true pan-India success of a film.
Dhurandhar 2 had a historic extended week, collecting ₹674.17 Cr India net, and even crossed the ₹500 Cr mark in just 5 days, which shows its massive dominance in the Hindi belt. However, when we shift the focus to regional contribution, the story changes significantly.
One of the biggest reasons for this was the confusion during the film's release in regional languages. The censor certificates for Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada versions were not acquired on time, which led to premiere show cancellations across multiple regions. In many places, audiences were either asked to watch the Hindi version or take refunds. Although the film released on Thursday, the proper regional rollout effectively began only from Saturday. This delay cost the film crucial opening momentum in South Indian markets.
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Because of this, the regional contribution to Dhurandhar 2's total remained limited during the extended week, even though the film was performing at record levels overall. Dhurandhar 2 vs Jawan vs Animal: Extended Week Regional Box Office Collection (India Net)
Movie Telugu Tamil Kannada Malayalam Regional Total Total India Net Regional % Share Jawan ₹ 18.04 Cr ₹ 23.86 Cr - - ₹ 41.90 Cr ₹ 389.88 Cr 10.75% Dhurandhar 2 ₹ 25.27 Cr ₹ 11.20 Cr ₹ 0.88 Cr ₹ 0.78 Cr ₹ 38.13 Cr ₹ 674.17 Cr 5.65% Animal ₹ 33.45 Cr ₹ 2.73 Cr ₹ 0.52 Cr ₹ 0.07 Cr ₹ 36.77 Cr ₹ 337.58 Cr 10.89%
Note: Dhurandhar 2 and Jawan collections are for 8-day extended week, while Animal collections are for 7-day opening week.
If we look at the table, Jawan clearly leads in terms of absolute regional contribution, followed by Dhurandhar 2 and Animal. However, when we look at percentage share, both Jawan and Animal are significantly ahead of Dhurandhar 2, which highlights the difference in market penetration.
Jawan, powered by Shah Rukh Khan and directed by Atlee, delivered one of the most balanced regional performances among Hindi films in recent years. A major reason behind the strong Tamil numbers was Atlee's massive connection with the Tamil Nadu market. Since Atlee is one of the biggest commercial directors in Tamil cinema, the Tamil version of Jawan was not treated like a dubbed film but almost like a straight Tamil commercial film. This strong director–market connection helped Jawan perform extremely well in Tamil Nadu and across South Indian markets, significantly boosting its regional contribution.
Similarly, Animal performed exceptionally well in the Telugu market primarily because of director Sandeep Reddy Vanga. He already had a massive fan base in Telugu states due to his previous work, and because of this strong recall value, the Telugu dubbed version of Animal opened strongly and sustained well during the first week. This clearly shows that the regional performance of Animal was driven by the director's market pull rather than just dubbing.
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In contrast, Dhurandhar 2 did not have a strong regional market face like Atlee in Tamil or Sandeep Reddy Vanga in Telugu. Additionally, the delayed release in regional languages further impacted its performance. The film lost crucial early days in South Indian markets, which are extremely important for building momentum. Because of these factors, the regional contribution percentage of Dhurandhar 2 remained lower despite its record-breaking overall numbers.
The milestone timeline also highlights how differently these films connected with audiences. Dhurandhar 2 raced past the ₹500 Cr mark in just 5 days, showcasing the sheer strength of its opening and immediate audience pull. Jawan reached the milestone on Day 13, while Animal crossed it on Day 17, both reflecting strong and steady growth supported by multiple markets.
What this comparison ultimately underlines is how evolving audience dynamics and market positioning are shaping box office trends today. Factors like director familiarity in certain regions, dubbing acceptance, release planning, and early momentum all play a crucial role in determining how widely a film performs across languages.
At the same time, the bigger takeaway is that strong content and audience connection can go beyond regional boundaries. When a film truly resonates, it has the potential to perform across markets irrespective of language, as audiences today are more open than ever to exploring cinema beyond their primary language.
In the end, while each film followed a different path in its extended week journey, all three highlight an important shift in Indian cinema — success is no longer confined to one region, and the true scale of a film is defined by how well it connects with audiences across the country.
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