Tu Meri Main Tera struggles at the box office on Christmas Day, overshadowed by Dhurandhar

Summary: Kartik Aaryan–Ananya Panday film struggles on Christmas Day debut as Dhurandhar dominates collections.

The much-awaited Christmas Day release Tu Meri Main Tera, starring Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday, begins with a modest start at the box office on Thursday, as audiences are still crazy for Dhurandhar (some watching it twice or thrice) — the Ranveer Singh-led blockbuster still drawing big crowds after weeks in theatres.

Despite festive cheer and holiday footfalls usually boosting ticket sales, Tu Meri Main Tera struggled to make a significant impact on its opening day. Industry trackers say the film’s Day 1 collections were overshadowed by Dhurandhar’s continued strong performance, which has now become the dominant draw in cinemas nationwide.

Early estimates show that while Tu Meri Main Tera did see decent occupancy in some urban centres — particularly among young audiences and multiplex viewers — its overall numbers were muted compared with expectations. The combination of Dhurandhar’s lingering box office pull and mixed pre-release buzz around the new film’s content appears to have limited its momentum.

For Dhurandhar, the Christmas weekend acted like yet another runway, with families and regular moviegoers opting for the action drama that has been consistently selling seats since its release. Trade analysts point out that blockbusters with strong word-of-mouth and wider demographic appeal often enjoy extended legs over multiple weeks — and Dhurandhar is a textbook example.

For Tu Meri Main Tera, the challenge now will be to build traction in its second and third days, especially with the weekend ahead. Christmas always brings audiences to theatres, but when a mega-hit is still running at full throttle, new releases can find it hard to compete — at least initially.

Many believe the film could pick up later with targeted promotions and more powerful word-of-mouth. If Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri manages to connect with audiences beyond the multiplex circuit or finds a niche among younger viewers, it might yet carve out a respectable run.

For now, though, Christmas Day belonged to Dhurandhar — once again proving that holiday timing alone doesn’t guarantee success if another film is already dominating the box office.