De De Pyaar De 2 Falls Short of Box Office Expectations — Here’s What Went Wrong

Mumbai, December 04, 2025 — As we step into the final month of 2025, the box office verdict for Ajay Devgn’s romantic comedy sequel, De De Pyaar De 2, is finally out. Released on November 14, the film has now completed its third week in theatres. While the movie was expected to be a massive money-spinner like its 2019 predecessor, the reality is a bit more complicated.

Let’s dive deep into the numbers, the forecasting errors, and what this result means for the big names involved.

De De Pyaar De 2 Box Office Reality vs. Pre-release Hype

When De De Pyaar De 2 was announced, the trade buzz was hot. The first part was a “Super Hit,” and audiences loved the fresh pairing of Ajay Devgn and Rakul Preet Singh. Naturally, the industry expected the sequel to open big and easily cross the ₹100 Crore mark at the domestic box office.

The Expectations:

• Predicted Opening Day: ₹12 Crore – ₹15 Crore
• Target Lifetime Collection: ₹110 Crore+ (Domestic Net)
• Verdict Goal: Super Hit / Blockbuster

The Reality (As of Dec 4, 2025):

• Actual Opening Day: ₹8.75 Crore
• Current Total (Approx): ₹72.50 Crore
• Projected Lifetime: ₹78 – ₹80 Crore
• Verdict: Average / Plus

The movie did not flop, but it definitely “underperformed” compared to the high expectations set by the trade pundits. It made money, but it did not set the cash registers ringing as loudly as hoped.

Why De De Pyaar De 2 Forecast Failed? (The Errors)

So, why did the predictions go wrong? Here is a breakdown of the forecasting errors:

1. Overestimating Franchise Fatigue: Forecasters assumed that because Part 1 was a hit, Part 2 would automatically be bigger. This is the “Sequel Trap.” The gap of six years (2019 to 2025) was perhaps too long for a rom-com. The audience moved on, and the “novelty factor” of the age-gap romance had worn off.

2. The “Madhavan” Factor vs. The “Tabu” Factor: In the first film, the dynamic between Ajay Devgn and Tabu was the emotional anchor. In the sequel, the makers replaced that dynamic with R. Madhavan as the father figure. While Madhavan is a fantastic actor, the chemistry shift changed the film’s tone. The forecast models did not account for how much families missed the original trio’s specific banter.

3. Misreading the Competition: The release window looked safe on paper. However, the holdover release of smaller films and the sudden buzz around the upcoming release of Dhurandhar (releasing tomorrow) cut the movie’s legs shorter than expected. The audience decided to save their wallet for the big December action releases rather than spending it on a rom-com in November.

Corrective Actions: What Should Be Done?

To avoid such “Average” verdicts in the future, producers and studios need to take specific corrective actions.

• Budget Control is Key: De De Pyaar De 2 reportedly had a budget of around ₹135 Crore (including production and marketing). For a rom-com to be a “Hit” at this cost, it needs to do ₹150 Crore net. The budget was too high for the genre. Corrective action? Cap rom-com budgets under ₹80 Crore. If the cost was lower, this current collection of ₹72 Crore would have been a “Super Hit.”
• Marketing the “New” Hook: The marketing focused too much on “It’s a sequel!” instead of telling us “Why is this story new?” Future sequels need to sell the story, not just the brand.
• Release Timing: Releasing a rom-com just weeks before massive December action movies is risky. A Valentine’s Day or mid-year release might have given the film more breathing room to grow.

What This Means for the Actors and Director

The box office result is a report card. Here is how it impacts the team:

Ajay Devgn: He is safe. Ajay has had a mixed 2025, but his star power is intact. This film proves he can still pull in a decent opening (nearly ₹9 Crore) even with a genre that is not his main fortress (Action). However, he needs his next release to be a clean “Hit” to maintain his dominance over the younger generation.

Rakul Preet Singh: This is a bit tricky for her. She needed a solid ₹100 Crore grosser to cement her position as a top commercial heroine. An “Average” verdict means she is bankable, but producers might hesitate to headline a film solely on her face value without a big male star.

The Director (Anshul Sharma): Delivering a sequel that earns ₹70 Crore+ is no small feat for a director. He has proven he can handle big stars and a big scale. He will likely get another big project, but he might be asked to work with tighter budgets next time.

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Verdict

De De Pyaar De 2 is the classic case of “Good, but not Good Enough.” It survived at the box office because of non-theatrical rights (OTT and Satellite sold for high prices), making it a profitable venture for the producers. But for the theatre owners? It was just a lukewarm month.

The lesson for 2026 is simple: Budget is the new King. If you spend like a Blockbuster on a Rom-Com script, you’d better deliver a Blockbuster product. If you don’t, you end up in the “Average” zone, no matter how big the stars are.