Hindi Box Office Falters as New Releases Collect Just ₹2.5 Crore on Opening Day
Hindi films Do Deewane Seher Mein, Assi, and Shatak collect just ₹2.5 crore on Feb 20, 2026, while O Romeo outperforms on second Friday.
The new releases of Bollywood did not perform well at the box office on February 20, 2026, and made a total of 2.5 crore on their first opening day. Do Deewane Seher Mein, which starred Siddhant Chaturvedi and Mrunal Thakur, was the highest grossing movie with ₹1.25 crore and 9.29 occupancy. Assi is a courtroom drama by Taapsee Pannu who earned 1 crore even on such a wide release. Even the political movie AI-generated Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh earned only 30-35 lakh. In the meantime, O Romeo by Vishal Bhardwaj was able to perform better than newcomers, as it earned 2.25 crore on its second Friday and approached 50 crore in total. Observers of the industry are now looking forward to signs of growth on the weekends.
Romantic Drama Takes the Lead, But Numbers Keep Down
Do Deewane Seher Mein was the best performer in the three, with 9.29% occupancy and a total collection of 125 crore. Whereas, Chennai posted a comparatively better turnout of 24.67%, Mumbai had only 13%. In a romantic film with Siddhant Chaturvedi and Mrunal Thakur, the seded opening begs the question of the extent of marketing as well as viewer exhaustion. Releases around Valentine are generally based on emotional attachments, and re-watch, but the first wave of the film seems small. The greater problem is one of scale versus recall. In the competitive world of theatres, the niche romantic dramas would have to either ride on the intensive word of mouth or unique music in order to keep the footfalls. Recovery requires the weekend growth and urban multiplex response without immediate traction.
Genre Risk and Audience Caution Assi and Shatak Reflect
Assi, directed by Anubhav Sinha, is a 1 crore film in which Taapsee Pannu as the protagonist debuted with the highest number of release theatres among the three. The courtroom drama was not so successful as previous Sinha-Pannu joints such as Thappad since its occupancy was just 7.38%.
The ratings are indicative of a reserved viewership towards issue-oriented storeys unless they are supported by a robust buzz. In the meantime, Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh, an AI-generated political movie, did not perform well at all, as it gained about 30-35 lakh gross with 5.80 percent occupancy.
The AI-driven filmmaking experiment was not followed by curiosity-based ticket purchases. The subject matter of technologies and politics might have provided a discourse, yet no theatrical appeal. The figures indicate that concept innovation will not neutralise poor emotional or star appeal.
Oroldo Strength Reveals Frailty in New Publications
The new movies were conclusively beaten by O Romeo by Vishal Bhardwaj which earned ₹2.25 crore in its second Friday (Day 8) which pushed its total to the brink of ₹50 crores. This comparison indicates the significance of long-term word-of-mouth and brand trust.
The performance of holdover titles over new releases is an indication of changing preference to known content by the audience. The viewers in an inflation sensitive market are seen to be selective insofar they favour movies that have a high critical or social approval.
The course of the weekend will make or break the new releases in their attempts to get back on their feet by positive reviews or be victims of bad openings. Finally, the 2.5 crore aggregate Day 1 amount points to the structural issues of Hindi films in the middle-budget tier of the new theatrical landscape in 2026.
