Bobby Deol's 'Bandar' struggles, yet to cross ₹2cr mark
What's the story
Anurag Kashyap's latest crime drama, Bandar, is struggling to make a mark at the domestic box office. The film, starring Bobby Deol in a lead role, earned only ₹95L on its second day of release, per Sacnilk. Despite critical acclaim and positive reviews for Deol's performance, the film has yet to cross the ₹1 crore mark in daily earnings.
Box office battle
'Bandar' facing tough competition from other films
The film's lackluster performance can be attributed to stiff competition from other new releases this week. Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur, and Pooja Hegde's Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, the Hollywood horror film Obsession, and Ram Charan's Telugu release Peddi have all posed a challenge for Bandar at the box office. The total India gross collections of Bandar currently stand at ₹1.74 crore with a net collection of ₹1.45 crore so far.
Film synopsis
This is what happens in 'Bandar'
Bandar tells the story of Samar (Deol), a fading singer-actor whose life is turned upside down when he is arrested on a sexual assault complaint by a woman named Gayatri (Sapna Pabbi). The film explores his fight against what seems to be an extremely corrupt system. It also stars Sanya Malhotra, Saba Azad, Raj B Shetty, Jitendra Joshi, Riddhi Sen, Indrajith Sukumaran, and Nagesh Bhonsle in pivotal roles.
Critical reception
Critical acclaim may help 'Bandar' in the long run
Despite its box office struggles, Bandar has been critically acclaimed. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in the Special Presentations section and received significant attention. The screenplay has been written by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee (not to be confused with the actor), who have previously worked on projects like Paatal Lok, Kohrra and Udta Punjab. It is produced by Nikhil Dwivedi's Saffron Magicworks and backed by Zee Studios.