Weekly Box Office Review: Shah Rukh Khan’s “Dunki” Faces Tough Competition from Salaar, Witnesses Decline in Box Office Collections

By Aditya Bhagchandani On Dec 28, 2023

Despite its initial success during the first weekend and the Christmas holiday, Shah Rukh Khan’s film “Dunki” is grappling with a consistent dip in revenue, especially after facing strong competition from Prabhas-starrer “Salaar.” Industry tracker Sacnilk estimates that “Dunki” is anticipated to earn Rs 9.75 crore on Wednesday, marking the film’s lowest single-day earnings and bringing its total domestic collection to Rs 151.26 crore.

With an overall Hindi occupancy of 19.89 percent on Wednesday, “Dunki” has faced challenges in maintaining its momentum. After an impressive opening on Thursday, collecting Rs 29.2 crore, the film experienced fluctuations in its box office performance. It witnessed a 31 percent dip on Friday but rebounded over the weekend with increases on Saturday and Sunday. However, Monday and Tuesday saw significant declines, with collections falling by 20.78 percent and 52 percent, respectively.

The film’s global gross box office stands at Rs 305 crore after seven days, as shared by Red Chillies Entertainment on X (formerly Twitter). Despite its commercial success, “Dunki” has been regarded as Shah Rukh Khan’s weakest film of the year, both critically and commercially. In comparison, his earlier releases in 2023, “Jawan” and “Pathaan,” grossed a combined total of over Rs 2200 crore, reaching a cumulative worldwide gross of around Rs 2500 crore when factoring in “Dunki.”

During an AskSRK session on X, Shah Rukh Khan acknowledged “Dunki” as his most challenging film of the year. Responding to a fan’s question about choosing between “Pathaan,” “Jawan,” and “Dunki,” he mentioned that dealing with varied emotions in “Dunki” made it the toughest film for him.

“Dunki,” released just before “Salaar,” has crossed the Rs 150 crore mark in seven days, while “Salaar” has achieved a commendable Rs 297.40 crore in India, posing a significant challenge to Shah Rukh Khan’s latest cinematic venture.