Mahesh Babu and S. S. Rajamouli‘s Varanasi has produced a huge amount of hype and expectations around it with the announcement itself. The Varanasi expectations are enormous, and box office-wise, the film has to cross many milestones mentioned below to become the No.1 and surpass Dhurandhar 2.
Varanasi is arguably one of the most ambitious and expensive films ever made in Indian cinema. With the combination of SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu, along with its enormous scale, expectations are already sky-high. The trade is expecting the film to rewrite several existing box-office records and potentially challenge for the No.1 position at the Indian box office.
Huge Targets for Varanasi
However, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film is not going to be easy, because the benchmark set by Dhurandhar 2 is enormous. The film has currently recorded impressive numbers across India:
| Metric | Tracked Numbers | Estimated Actual |
|---|---|---|
| India Gross | ₹1,219.96 Cr | ₹1,400 Cr |
| Tickets Sold | 3.66 Cr | 4.2 Cr |
Based on the gap between tracked and actual collections, Varanasi would need to cross approximately ₹1,400 Cr in India gross and 4.2 Cr footfalls/tickets to take the No.1 position. These are not just big numbers; they represent an extraordinary level of theatrical reach across the country.
Can Varanasi Cross Dhurandhar 2 in India?
The bigger challenge for Varanasi is that achieving such numbers requires massive contributions from multiple languages and territories. For a film to cross the ₹1,400 Cr mark, it cannot depend on just one dominant market. It needs exceptional performance across Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and other markets, with strong collections sustained throughout the theatrical run.
Interestingly, the biggest all-India grossers in recent years—Dhurandhar 2, Pushpa 2, Baahubali 2 and KGF Chapter 2—are all sequel or franchise films. These movies entered theatres with already-established characters, worlds and audiences, giving them a significant advantage in generating nationwide theatrical interest. Varanasi, on the other hand, is attempting to reach that level with a new standalone property.
That makes the challenge even bigger. The Rajamouli brand, Mahesh Babu‘s nationwide popularity and the film’s scale can undoubtedly provide Varanasi with a huge opening. But an opening alone will not be enough to cross Dhurandhar 2. The film will need exceptionally strong word of mouth to sustain those numbers and turn the initial curiosity into a genuine nationwide theatrical phenomenon.
For Varanasi to become the No.1 Indian grosser and surpass all expectations, it needs more than just a blockbuster result. It needs massive pan-Indian acceptance, with extraordinary footfalls across languages and territories and a long, sustained run at the box office.
The target is clear: around 4.2 Cr tickets and ₹1,400 Cr+ India gross. Dhurandhar 2 has set a gigantic benchmark, and Varanasi will need a truly extraordinary word-of-mouth wave to surpass it.
