Bollywood’s 2026 opener was a mixed bag at the turnstiles. While ‘Border-2’ raked in the moolah, ‘Assi’ and ‘O Romeo’ bombed spectacularly. Veteran tracker Girish Vankhede lays bare the misfires, blaming botched buzz and lackluster leads for their rapid fade-out.
The slate featured ‘Ikkees’, ‘Raja Saheb’, ‘Mardani-3’, and the triumphant ‘Border-2’. Its edge? A lethal combo of A-list stars, rich storytelling, and legacy emotions that packed houses nationwide.
Vankhede doesn’t mince words on ‘Tu Ya Main’ and ‘O Romeo’: promotion was abysmal. ‘Most audiences had no clue these films dropped,’ he says. Shahid Kapoor’s venture showed promise but got tripped by average reviews and audience indecision.
Taapsee’s ‘Assi’, a hard-hitting social drama, similarly sputtered. ‘She lacks the pull to solo-carry a release,’ Vankhede observes. Without megastar heft, even meaningful messages drown in the noise.
The silver lining? Flops are forgettable footnotes. One chartbuster wipes the slate clean. Filmmakers must heed: in India’s cutthroat market, stars and sizzle campaigns are non-negotiable for survival and success.