Toxic Postponed, Dhurandhar 2 Gets Solo Release as Exhibitors Call Situation a ‘Blessing in Disguise’

Maharashtra | 6 March 2026 Film exhibitors across India have welcomed the decision to postpone the release of Yash’s upcoming film Toxic, which was earlier scheduled to release on March 19 alongside Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2. The film’s release has now been pushed to June 4 due to concerns that the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict could affect business in the Middle East market. With this change, the anticipated box office clash between the two big-budget films has been avoided. Industry experts say that when two major films release on the same day, it often divides the audience and creates challenges for theatre owners. Cinema chains have to split their show timings between both films, which can reduce earnings for each. Trade expert Girish Wankhede explained the situation, saying, “When two films are released, it's a stressful time for the exhibition sector as the audience gets divided. For instance, if a cinema chain can have five shows, they've to give one movie three shows and another film, the remaining two shows. The Iran-Israel war is a blessing in disguise; the conflict has done good for the Indian cinema as Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic will have solo releases.” Cinema industry leaders also supported the decision, saying it benefits both films in the long run. Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR INOX Pictures, said the clash could have been managed but the situation was beyond the control of producers and exhibitors. He stated, “For us, showcasing both the films on the same day was not a problem. It was beyond our and the producers' control because of the ongoing war. The Middle East business is getting impacted, and that's a big number for Toxic. We respect the decision of the producers of Toxic. Looking at the current situation, it is a good decision for both films.” Trade analysts now believe that both films may perform better with separate release windows. The first Dhurandhar film, released earlier, earned around ₹1300 crore worldwide, including ₹1000 crore from the Indian market. With no major competition on its release date, the sequel is expected to see even stronger collections. Experts say the absence of Toxic could increase Dhurandhar 2’s opening weekend by nearly ₹100 crore globally, while both films may benefit from at least 20 percent higher business as they will now enjoy wider screen availability. Toxic Postponed, Dhurandhar 2 Gets Solo Release as Exhibitors Call Situation a ‘Blessing in Disguise’ Film exhibitors across India have welcomed the decision to postpone Yash’s film Toxic, which was earlier scheduled to release on March 19 alongside Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2. The makers pushed the release to June 4 due to concerns that the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict could affect business in the Middle East market. With this change, the much-talked-about clash between the two big films has been avoided. Trade experts say that when two big films release on the same day, it divides the audience and creates scheduling problems for theatre owners. Trade analyst Girish Wankhede said, “When two films are released, it's a stressful time for the exhibition sector as the audience gets divided. For instance, if a cinema chain can have five shows, they've to give one movie three shows and another film, the remaining two shows. The Iran-Israel war is a blessing in disguise; the conflict has done good for the Indian cinema as Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic will have solo releases.” Cinema industry leaders also supported the move. Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR INOX Pictures, said the situation was beyond the control of the producers and exhibitors because of the ongoing conflict. He added, “For us, showcasing both the films on the same day was not a problem. It was beyond our and the producers' control because of the ongoing war. The Middle East business is getting impacted, and that's a big number for Toxic. We respect the decision of the producers of Toxic. Looking at the current situation, it is a good decision for both films.” With the clash avoided, trade analysts believe both films will benefit from wider screen availability and stronger collections. Dhurandhar 2 will now get a solo release on March 19, while Toxic will arrive in theatres on June 4, giving both big-budget films a better chance to perform well at the box office.