Tuesday at the box office usually brings a quiet chill, and 24 February 2026 was no different in the bustling cinema hubs of Mumbai and Delhi.

O Romeo continues its solo victory lap by crossing the 90 crore mark globally, while the highly anticipated Border 2 is finally seeing its massive wave hit the shore after a legendary month-long run.

Smaller films like Do Deewane Seher Mein and Assi are struggling to find oxygen, but Bambukat 2 is proving that regional power is a real threat to mid-budget Hindi cinema.

The total collection for the day across major releases hovered around the 5 crore mark, proving that the weekday blues are hitting hard, yet the industry is buzzing because the survival of these mid-budget films will decide the fate of many upcoming summer releases. If you think this is just another slow Tuesday, you are missing the massive shift happening in the “Fan Wars” between the legacy superstars of Border 2 and the rising youth icon of O Romeo.

The Mid-Week Survival Game

This news matters because we are witnessing a “theatre vs. OTT” mindset play out in real-time. Producers are sweating.

When a film like Do Deewane Seher Mein, made on a 35 crore budget, fails to hit even 1 crore on its fifth day, it sends a signal that the audience is becoming extremely picky.

The fan war between the “old guard” supporting Border 2 and the “new gen” backing O Romeo is peaking because O Romeo is now eating into the screens that were once held by the war epic. Will the youth-centric drama eventually outshine the nationalistic pride of the sequel? That is the question keeping trade analysts awake at 3 am.

A Reality Check for Big Budgets

Here is the truth: we are over-inflating expectations while under-delivering on soul. Why is a 10 crore film like With Love trending better on its 19th day than a 25 crore film like Assi on its 5th day? It is simple. The audience smells desperation. We see big posters but empty scripts, and frankly, the “masala” is running out of spice. Is the era of the mid-budget “social thriller” officially dead, or are we just bad at marketing them?

O Romeo: The Unstoppable Force

O Romeo is the undisputed king of the current chart. On Day 12, it managed to rake in 1.78 crore in India net collection. This brings its total India Net to 59.91 crore. What is truly impressive is the worldwide performance, sitting at 94.81 crore.

• Fact: The film is just a few lakhs away from the 100 Crore Club.
• Analysis: For a film with a 150 crore budget, the recovery is still uphill, but the consistency is commendable.
• Data: It maintained a steady 15% occupancy even on a working Tuesday.

The youth are flocking to this one, and the music is doing the heavy lifting. If it holds this pace, it will be the biggest hit of the quarter for the younger demographic.

Border 2: The Sunset of a Legend

Border 2 is now on Day 33. It earned 0.35 crore yesterday. While that sounds low, look at the bigger picture: 328.65 crore in India Net and a massive 445.05 crore Worldwide.

“A film’s legacy is not measured by its last Tuesday but by the records it broke on its first Friday.”

The movie has already recovered its 275 crore budget and moved into massive profit territory. It is officially a “Blockbuster” for the history books.

The Struggle of the Newcomers

Do Deewane Seher Mein and Assi are both on Day 05, and the numbers are worrying?

• Do Deewane Seher Mein: 0.7 crore (Day 5), 6.11 crore total India Net.
• Assi: 0.6 crore (Day 5), 5.76 crore total India Net.

Both films are struggling against their 35 crore and 25 crore budgets, respectively. On the other hand, Bambukat 2 is a surprise. On its 5th day, it earned 0.59 crore, nearly matching the big Hindi releases despite being a regional sequel with an 8 crore budget. This is a masterclass in ROI (Return on Investment).

The Small Film That Could: With Love

With Love is the silent killer. On Day 19, it still managed 0.62 crore. With a tiny 10 crore budget, it has already netted 27.36 crore in India. This is what we call a “Super Hit.” It has tripled its budget and is still outperforming films that were released just last week.

What Happens Next?

The focus now shifts to the upcoming weekend.

Can O Romeo hit that 100 crore global mark by Friday? All eyes are on the screen count. If the new releases this Friday are weak, expect With Love and O Romeo to continue their dream run. The industry is moving toward a “content over star-power” phase, and the 24 February reports are the loudest proof of that. The drought for big numbers might continue until the next big holiday release, but for now, the small players are the ones smiling at the bank.

This is a wake-up call for the industry. While I am happy for the success of Border 2 and the “ROI” king With Love, the failure of mid-budget films like Assi and Hey Bhagawan is a red flag. It shows that the Indian audience is no longer coming to theaters just for a “time-pass” watch.

They want an experience or an emotion they haven’t felt before. Good news for the box office in terms of total numbers, but bad news for lazy producers.

Which movie do you think will be the first to exit the theaters next week—Assi or Hey Bhagawan?