Raid 2 (2025): Will It Surpass the Original’s Box Office Magic?
Raid (2018) was a box office triumph, driven by content, word of mouth, and an intense performance by Ajay Devgn. However, in 2025, Raid 2 — directed by Rajkumar Gupta and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Kumar Mangat Pathak, and Abhishek Pathak — may have more than just a legacy to contend with. Raid and its May 1st release date enjoy a rational release window with a national holiday as a cushion — but numbers alone will not be enough to be a success.
Can Raid 2 Beat the Original’s Box Office?
Let’s rewind. The first Raid, released on March 16, 2018, posted the following box office numbers:
- Opening Day: ₹10.04 crore
- Opening Weekend: ₹41.01 crore
- Lifetime Collection: ₹103.07 crore
At the time, those numbers were good for content-driven crime drama.
But, this time, the expectations of Raid 2 have risen — particularly with Ajay Devgn‘s other releases achieving notably stronger opening figures lately.
Ajay Devgn’s Top 5 Biggest Openers
- Singham Again – ₹43.70 crore
- Singham Returns – ₹32 crore
- Golmaal Again – ₹30.14 crore
- Total Dhamaal – ₹16.50 crore
- Drishyam 2 – ₹15.38 crore
Raid’s opening of ₹10.04 crore once looks minor, as it is uncertain if Raid 2 will cross the ₹15 crore mark, let alone try to keep pace with any of the heavyweights.
What Is Working Against Raid 2?
Raid 2 doesn’t really have the benefit of a strong ensemble cast, unlike Devgn’s other massive hits (Golmaal Again, Total Dhamaal), where the key selling points were the ensemble energy and the sheer entertainment value of their type of films. Raid 2 is a more serious drama with a narrow scope of appeal.
Why Raid 2 Might Struggle, Even With a Holiday Release:
Theatrical footfalls are hard in a post-pandemic world. With the volume of content on OTT platforms and a rise in regional competition, national holiday releases do not necessarily guarantee a massive opening anymore.
Limited by Genre
Raid was a success in part due to its novelty and gripping courtroom sequences. But with the number of dramas and thrillers coming out in the past couple of years, Raid 2 is going to need to offer either a super strong human element or something socially relevant to break out — and these are elements that we’ve yet to see in the promotional marketing.
What Raid 2 Needs to Overcome These Limitations
So what can Raid 2 do? To get the ball rolling in their favour to overcome these obstacles, Raid 2 will need the following factors going:
- Good reviews and word-of-mouth (ideally on Day 1)
- Its narrative to be compelling enough to activate the inertia of a lowercase marketing buzz
- A calculated marketing strategy, with a focus on the first two weeks after release
Raid was not a hit because of hype — it was a hit because of content. So if Raid 2 is able to generate the same quality of word-of-mouth and see it build to a fever pitch, it would be good enough to see Raid 2 realise its potential as a sleeper hit on BRM — let’s see its record-breaking potential on the level of the original.
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