The weekend box office race is beginning to take shape, and not every new cinematic venture is seeing the explosive growth exhibitors typically anticipate over the weekend. Veteran filmmaker David Dhawan’s latest directorial offering, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, has wrapped up its first two days in theatres. However, the highly publicized romantic comedy has shown a surprising lack of upward momentum, remaining largely flat despite the natural footfall advantage of a Saturday.
Starring Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, and Mrunal Thakur, the film failed to register the typical weekend jump that commercial Bollywood entertainers heavily rely on. According to tracking data from trade portal Sacnilk, the film brought in ₹7.25 crore on Day 2 (Saturday), tracking slightly lower than its opening-day haul of ₹7.50 crore. This pushes the movie’s total two-day India net collection to ₹14.75 crore, while its domestic gross collection stands at ₹16.38 crore.
Box Office Breakdown & Stiff Clashes
The flatline performance comes down to a mixture of polarizing audience reviews and an incredibly crowded box office ecosystem. Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is currently fending off fierce competition from regional and global giants alike:
- The Peddi Juggernaut: Ram Charan’s massive Telugu sports drama Peddi continues to dominate national single screens, raking in over ₹2 crore from its Hindi-dubbed versions alone on Saturday.
- Hollywood Hold: The psychological thriller Obsession has retained premium multiplex screens, holding firm with a solid Saturday collection of ₹4.71 crore.
The Box Office Scoreboard
| Day Tracker | India Net Collection | India Gross Collection | Status |
| Day 1 (Friday) | ₹7.50 Crore | ₹8.30 Crore | Modest Opening |
| Day 2 (Saturday) | ₹7.25 Crore | ₹8.08 Crore | Flat / Marginal Drop |
| Total (Cumulative) | ₹14.75 Crore | ₹16.38 Crore | Underperforming Expectations |
Chaos On and Off the Screen
Reported as David Dhawan’s final directorial project, the story follows a chaotic plotline centering on Jass (Varun Dhawan). His marriage to Bani (Mrunal Thakur) completely unravels when she files for divorce, citing an inability to match his extreme physical appetite. Desperate to start a family, Jass moves on with Preet (Pooja Hegde), only for complete madness to ensue when both women unexpectedly become pregnant simultaneously.
However, the drama off-screen is proving to be even more intense than the movie’s script. Leading up to the theatrical release, Vashu Bhagnani’s Puja Entertainment moved the Bombay High Court with a massive ₹400 crore copyright infringement lawsuit against Tips Industries Limited, Ramesh Taurani, Kumar S. Taurani, and David Dhawan.
The lawsuit claims that the filmmakers illegally integrated two iconic, chart-topping tracks from the 1999 blockbuster Biwi No. 1 without securing formal musical rights. Puja Entertainment has also argued that the movie’s title itself is a direct spin-off of their original track ‘Ishq Sona Hai’, demanding a total title change alongside an additional ₹100 crore in damages if their conditions are not satisfied.
With legal battles mounting and multiplex occupancy remaining static, all eyes are pinned on the critical Sunday numbers to see if the film can rally or if it will continue a modest theatrical run.