The Indian box office, long a battleground of star power, storytelling prowess, marketing wizardry, and audience sentiment, has been witnessing one of its most gripping contrasts in recent weeks. On one end is Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller Dhurandhar, a record-breaking blockbuster that continues to steamroll markets both domestically and globally; on the other is ‘Ikkis’, the war drama that had been positioned as one of the year’s most significant releases, promising gravitas, emotional weight, and the final screen appearance of Bollywood legend Dharmendra.
After seven days in theatres, however, Ikkis finds itself struggling to translate anticipation into box office success and, in doing so, has become a case study in how industry expectations can contrast sharply with audience turnout.
The Numbers: A Week in Review
According to industry tracking data, Ikkis, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sriram Raghavan and starring Agastya Nanda alongside Dharmendra, has managed a total box office collection of approximately ₹24.25 crore in its first seven days.
Here’s the day-wise breakdown (domestic net figures):
| Day | Collection (₹ crore) |
| Day 1 (Thu) | 7.00 |
| Day 2 (Fri) | 3.50 |
| Day 3 (Sat) | 4.65 |
| Day 4 (Sun) | 5.00 |
| Day 5 (Mon) | 1.35 |
| Day 6 (Tue) | 1.60 |
| Day 7 (Wed) | 1.15 |
| Total | 24.25 |
Several trends are evident from this rundown:
- Opening Day Strength: A ₹7 cr Day 1 total is respectable, indicating initial interest and strong bookings.
- Weekend Stability: Days 3 and 4 show a familiar post-holiday bump, hovering around ₹5 cr.
- Weekday Decline: From Day 5 onward, daily numbers fell sharply, a sign that Ikkis failed to sustain momentum.
Industry sources confirm that Ikkis has not yet crossed the ₹25 crore mark as of Day 7, a threshold that many trade analysts had predicted would be comfortably surpassed given the film’s pedigree and the emotional resonance of Dharmendra’s last performance.
Context: Competing Films and Market Dynamics
The film’s underwhelming run cannot be viewed in isolation. To fully understand Ikkis’ performance, we must consider the larger box office climate it entered:
1. ‘Dhurandhar’ Phenomenon
Meanwhile, Dhurandhar, an espionage thriller starring Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, continues to soar.
- The film has crossed ₹1,200 crore worldwide and approximately ₹780 crore in India alone, even as it enters its fifth week.
- On Day 33 of its theatrical run, it still managed ₹4.25 crore domestically, far more than Ikkis’ seven-day total.
Beyond its financial success, Dhurandhar has shattered several box office records, becoming one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of all time, a remarkable feat for a non-franchise, original thriller.
For Ikkis, sharing exhibition screens and audience attention with such a dominant title was always going to be a structural challenge.
2. Crowded Release Calendar
Ikkis entered a crowded theatrical window, with competitors like Dhurandhar, Hollywood tentpoles such as Avatar: Fire and Ash, and local releases adding pressure.
Industry observers note that further fragmentation, especially during post-holiday cinema traffic, tends to penalize films that don’t generate strong word-of-mouth early on.
Why ‘Ikkis’ Didn’t Click: Key Factors
So, what exactly went wrong? Here’s a layered look at the key dynamics likely behind Ikkis’ subdued box office run:
1. Audience Disconnect
Though the film received some positive critical notices, it didn’t fully convert reviews into viewership, a gap that matters especially for films without major star appeal. Critics lauded the narrative intent, but everyday moviegoers seemed unenthusiastic.
In contrast to mass entertainers, war dramas demand subscription to their theme and emotional vocabulary. Without effective early engagement, such movies often struggle to grow beyond core cinephile audiences.
2. Marketing and Positioning Challenges
Another issue appears to be messaging around the film’s identity. Despite being positioned as Dharmendra’s final performance and a tribute to a real war hero, Ikkis may not have sufficiently translated its emotional stakes to a broader audience.
Some social media chatter suggested studios leaned into promotional tactics, including paid posts and repeated messaging that didn’t necessarily resonate authentically with audiences.
3. Show Allocation and Exhibitor Strategy
Theatre owners initially reworked schedules to accommodate Ikkis, even reducing Dhurandhar’s shows to create screens for the new release.
But numbers rule: as occupancy failed to meet expectations, exhibitors inevitably shifted screens back to higher-performing titles, a common commercial instinct in multiplex economics.
Voices From Industry & Fan Bases
The Ikkis story has also generated varied reactions among fans and industry insiders:
- Some moviegoers celebrated Dharmendra’s final screen role as a must-see moment, citing nostalgia and emotional value as reasons to watch.
- Others criticized the narrative pacing and lack of blockbuster appeal, suggesting Ikkis never quite found a compelling identity beyond its “tribute film” angle.
- Bollywood circles on social platforms noted that despite the film’s pedigree, what worked for audiences historically in war films (patriotism, spectacle) may not have been fully realized here: it felt too introspective and less “cinematic spectacle.”
Overall, the reception split between appreciation of craft and indifference toward box office viability is a tension not uncommon in Indian cinema.
Editorial Observation: The Larger Implication
As an entertainment editor with experience covering Bollywood’s many peaks and troughs, here’s my perspective:
Star Power Isn’t Everything
Ikkis proves that even established names and heartfelt legacies don’t guarantee commercial success. Today’s audiences want engagement, a hook that goes beyond sentiment.
Genre Matters
War dramas and serious biographical films often perform better on streaming platforms than in theatres unless they deliver high spectacle, mass hooks, or cultural zeitgeist moments. Ikkis offered depth but lacked the visceral draw that childhood memories or franchise universes provide.
Competition Is Brutal
Entering theatres alongside an unstoppable juggernaut like Dhurandhar itself, rewriting several box office records meant Ikkis was always fighting an uphill battle. Even strong films can be overshadowed when nearby releases are cultural events themselves.
Globally Changing Viewership Habits
Post-pandemic, Indian audiences are immensely selective. Streaming has diluted the theatrical imperative for films that don’t promise instant must-see value. Ikkis may perform better on OTT later, where emotional themes and slower pacing are often more appreciated.
Looking Ahead: What Next for Ikkis?
While the first week’s collection is underwhelming, industry analysts believe Ikkis could still approach the ₹30–35 crore mark with extended run and secondary windows (multiplex retention, tier-2/3 markets). Holiday weekends or tie-ups with streaming platforms could help sustain visibility.
But in theatrical terms, Ikkis will likely settle as a modest performer, especially when compared with the juggernaut next door.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s this: Ikkis is the kind of film that may earn critical re-evaluation as it reaches wider audiences beyond box office stats, especially those who value narrative subtlety over mass spectacle.