3 min readMumbaiMar 24, 2026 01:27 PM ISTProject Hail Mary makers weigh in on the aversion of clash with Dhurandhar 2 in India.Aditya Dhar’s blockbuster spy thriller Dhurandhar The Revenge had such tremendous pre-release buzz that it averted competition from not only Indian tentpoles but also Hollywood ones. Geethu Mohandas’ Kannada-English action thriller Toxic: A Fairytale for Grownups was scheduled to release on the same day as Dhurandhar 2 on March 19 on the occasion of Eid, Gudi Padwa, and Ugadi. But the makers postponed the release of the Yash-starrer owing to the ongoing Gulf conflict since the KGF superstar enjoys a major stronghold in the region.Phil Lord and Christopher Miller sci-fi adventure film Project Hail Mary released in cinemas worldwide this past week, but its India release was pushed by a week, thanks to Dhurandhar 2 taking away majority of the screens. Harish Shankar’s Telugu action thriller Ustaad Bhagat Singh, starring Pawan Kalyan, also took up a considerable number of screens in the Telugu market.Phil and Christopher, best known for their blockbuster animated superhero franchise Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, opened up on the aversion of a clash of their film with Dhurandhar 2 in India. “How dare you have your own successful film industry?,” Phil said in jest, in an interview with Hindustan Times. He also pointed out the growing popularity of Indian movies in the US.“I don’t need to tell you that often, when you look at the top 10 films in the United States, there would be a Bollywood film. Those movies play in American theatres. Most Americans go ‘what’s that’, but there is a big audience for it,” said the filmmaker. Christopher offered his two cents too, attributing this explosion of Indian cinema in the US to SS Rajamouli’s 2022 Telugu blockbuster action fantasy epic RRR, starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR.“And it’s growing every year. Indian films in America have begun to gain broad cultural relevance, starting with RRR,” Chris said, adding, “That really spread out beyond just those seeking it out.”RRR earned over $15 million in the US, but garnered much more popularity after its worldwide release on Netflix. Its popular dance track “Naatu Naatu” even went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 2023 Oscars.Also Read — Dhurandhar 2 Worldwide Box Office Collection Day 5 LIVE Updates: Ranveer Singh-starrer has already earned over Rs 5 cr today, film crosses Rs 850 cr worldwideStory continues below this adProject Hail Mary is all set to release in Indian cinemas on March 27. Meanwhile, Dhurandhar 2 has already crossed the Rs 530 crore mark at the domestic box office and the Rs 800 crore mark worldwide within just five days of release. Co-produced by Aditya Dhar and Lokesh Dhar’s B62 Studios and Jyoti Deshpande-led Jio Studios, it’s the sequel to Dhurandhar, which released in cinemas last December and became the highest grossing Indian film ever domestically, earning over Rs 890 crore. It also became the fourth highest grossing Indian film ever worldwide after earning over Rs 1300 crore.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd