Patriotism Falls Flat: Akshay Kumar’s Kesari 2 Struggles at the Box Office

Kesari 2, a film based on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and starring Akshay Kumar, could not make as much impact at the box office as it had raised expectations. While the script and courtroom scenes of the film were praised on the first day of its release.

Edited By: Nishchay

Last Updated : 22 April 2025, 07:17 PM IST

kesari box offfice report

Entertainment: Kesari 2, a film based on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and starring Akshay Kumar, could not make as much impact at the box office as it had raised expectations. While the script and courtroom scenes of the film were praised on the first day of its release, within the first four days its performance was considered below average. Made on a budget of around Rs 150 crore, this film has so far earned only Rs 34 crore. On Monday particularly when the movie's real hold is measured ,the box office collection fell to just Rs 4.50 crore

The second installment proved to be weaker than the first 'Kesari'

While Kesari, which came in 2019, created a stir by earning 155 crores in India and more than 200 crores globally, Kesari 2 failed to repeat that impact. This time neither the story aroused the same passion, nor was there any new shine in the direction.

A look at the collections so far

Box office report (Source: SACNILC):
Day 1 (Friday): 7.75 crore
Day 2 (Saturday): 9.75 crore
Day 3 (Sunday): 12 crore
Day 4 (Monday): 4.50 crore
Total 4 days: 34 crore

While it has become common for today's hit films to cross the 100 crore mark in the first three days, Kesari 2 fell far short of that mark.

Reasons behind the flop

Limited theatre release: The film was released on only 1700 screens. Perhaps thinking that patriotic subjects have a limited audience. But this decision limited the reach of the film.

Lack of emotional connection

Technically the film looked strong, but it failed to create that emotional connection with the audience which is the soul of any patriotic film.

Competitive release

alman Khan's Sikandar was released on a large scale along with Kesari 2. Both the films had hype, but they failed to satisfy the audience on the content level.

Will 'Kesari 2' be able to recover the losses?

The figures so far show that the film is struggling to recover its cost. Its success going forward will now depend on weekend collections and OTT release. For Akshay Kumar, this is a sign that the audience's preferences are no longer limited to patriotism or period backdrops—today the audience wants something new, relevant and deeply relatable content.