The year 2026 started with a powerful clash at the Indian box office. Two big Bollywood stars returned with their popular franchises. came back with patriotic action in , while returned as a fearless cop in .
Both films released close to each other, creating huge excitement among fans and trade experts.
Border 2 Box Office: Sunny Deol’s Mass Power
Sunny Deol once again proved his box office strength with Border 2. After the historic success of Gadar 2, expectations were very high, and the film delivered strongly.
Border 2 opened with a massive ₹32.10 crore on Day 1. The Republic Day holiday and emotional connection with the original Border film helped it attract large crowds, especially at single screens.
By Day 28, the film collected around ₹356.59 crore net in India. The worldwide box office collection crossed ₹478 crore, making it one of the biggest earners of 2026 so far.
The film was made on a huge budget of nearly ₹275 crore. Despite the high cost, Border 2 entered the profit zone comfortably due to its strong theatrical run.
At the box office, Border 2 earned a Super Hit verdict. It also became the highest-grossing film for Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh, and the second-highest grosser of Sunny Deol’s career.
Mardaani 3 Box Office: Rani Mukerji’s Controlled Performance
Mardaani 3 followed a very different box office journey. Unlike Border 2, it did not rely on loud openings or mass celebrations. Instead, the film grew slowly with strong word-of-mouth.
On its 21st day, Mardaani 3 earned around ₹40 lakh, taking its total India net collection to ₹47.55 crore. With this, it became the highest-grossing film in the Mardaani franchise, beating the lifetime collections of the first two parts.
The film was produced on a budget of about ₹60 crore. So far, it has recovered nearly 79 percent of its total cost. While the film received praise for its gripping story and Rani Mukerji’s performance, box office numbers remained limited.
In box office terms, Mardaani 3 stands as an Average or Below-Hit performer. From a franchise point of view, however, it is a success and shows steady audience interest in female-led action thrillers.
Border 2 vs Mardaani 3: Box Office Face-Off
Border 2 clearly dominated in terms of opening, total collection, and mass appeal. It crossed the ₹350 crore mark with ease and ruled both multiplexes and single screens.
Mardaani 3, on the other hand, attracted urban audiences and crime-thriller lovers. Despite facing competition from Border 2 and other new releases, it still managed to set a new record for its own franchise.
Sunny Deol won the box office battle with massive numbers and crowd-pulling power, while Rani Mukerji proved that strong content-driven films can survive and grow even without huge openings.