Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor's romantic comedy Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari encountered a steep Monday decline, collecting an estimated Rs 2 crore nett in India, pushing its five-day total to around Rs 32 crore. Released on October 2, 2025, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra, the Shashank Khaitan-directed film from Dharma Productions opened to a respectable Rs 9.25 crore but has struggled to maintain momentum amid mixed reviews and fierce competition from Rishab Shetty's pan-India blockbuster Kantara Chapter 1. Trade experts warn that the underwhelming extended weekend, coupled with the weekday slump, could jeopardize its path to profitability on an Rs 80 crore budget, inclusive of prints and promotions.
The film's box office trajectory reflects a familiar post-festive fade for Bollywood entertainers. Day 1 (Thursday) hauled Rs 9.25 crore with 32.45% occupancy, driven by evening shows in metros like Bengaluru (51.33%) and Chennai (58%). However, Friday's collections dipped to Rs 5.25 crore (18.01% occupancy), followed by a modest rebound to Rs 7 crore on Saturday and Rs 7.75 crore on Sunday, per Sacnilk estimates, culminating in a Rs 29 crore four-day nett.
Monday's 12.38% Hindi occupancy and Rs 2 crore earnings signal a 74% drop from Sunday, typical for non-event films but amplified by Kantara's dominance— the mythological epic amassed over Rs 223 crore in the same period, capturing family audiences with its cultural resonance. Worldwide, Sunny Sanskari has grossed Rs 42 crore so far, with overseas markets contributing Rs 10 crore, but analysts predict a lifetime India nett of Rs 60-70 crore if word-of-mouth improves. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh noted on X, "#SunnySanskariKiTulsiKumari / #SSKTK is underwhelming in its extended opening weekend... The much-needed jump on Saturday and Sunday was missing. All eyes are now on the make-or-break Monday."
A spiritual successor to Khaitan's Dulhania franchise—echoing Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) and Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), which grossed over Rs 300 crore combined—the film follows the culture-clash romance between a free-spirited Delhi boy (Dhawan) and a traditional Benaras girl (Kapoor), featuring supporting turns by Rohit Saraf and Sanya Malhotra. Backed by Karan Johar's Dharma and Hiroo Yash Johar's Mentor Disciple Entertainment, it banks on nostalgic Bollywood tropes and a soundtrack with hits like the title track by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Yet, critics have panned its formulaic script and excess runtime.
NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee called it "a winding, perplexing, and eventually comforting love story that would have been a whole lot more enjoyable, and infinitely funnier, had it shed some of its flab," while praising Kapoor's "charmingly clueless" portrayal amid a skimmed family backstory. Sucharita Tyagi's Medium review labeled it a "formless" effort, ideal for phone-distracted viewers, and IMDb users averaged 6.9/10, citing "thin and outdated" storytelling despite Dhawan's solid performance.
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Social media buzz on X reflects divided sentiments: Fans hailed Kapoor's sprightly energy and wedding sequences as "pure Bollywood magic," but others decried overacting and clichés, with one user quipping, "Watch Kantara instead—this is OTT fodder." As the rom-com enters weekdays with 12-15% occupancy forecasts, its fate hinges on positive referrals in Tier-2 cities. In a year where Bollywood recoveries like Saiyaara (Rs 150 crore) succeeded via family appeal, Sunny Sanskari's trajectory underscores the genre's vulnerability to high-concept rivals and audience fatigue with nepo-led narratives.
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