Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic Eid Clash Could Hurt Both Films

Two of the most eagerly awaited Bollywood blockbusters of 2026, Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic, are set to collide at the box office over the long Eid weekend — and the industry is worried. Both films are major tentpole productions individually capable of setting significant records, but their simultaneous release has sparked widespread concern. Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, who has lived through a similar clash before, has described the situation as “unfortunate,” warning that neither film will be able to reach its true potential.

Gupta Draws From His Own Kaabil-Raees Experience

Gupta knows firsthand what a head-on box-office clash can cost. His 2017 film Kaabil, starring Hrithik Roshan, went up against Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees on the same release date, and both films suffered for it. Speaking to Variety India, he drew a clear parallel, noting that India is not a country where the average moviegoer can comfortably afford to watch two big releases back-to-back within the same month. The result, he argued, is that both Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic will fall short of their individual earning capacity — not because of any flaw in the films, but purely due to the shared release window.

Ram Gopal Varma Coins the Clash ‘Dhuroxic’

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has taken a more theatrical view of the situation, dubbing it “Dhuroxic” on X — a nod to the globally celebrated Barbenheimer moment of 2023. He framed the clash as a battle of cinematic philosophies, with Dhurandhar 2 representing ultra-realistic storytelling and Toxic embodying pure style and spectacle. While the comparison has generated considerable buzz online, industry insiders remain cautious. Unlike Hollywood’s Barbenheimer, which fed off a high-spending global audience, the Indian box office operates under different economic realities. As Gupta put it, both films will do well — just not as well as they could have on their own.