Mumbai, August 17: Emraan Hashmi-starrer 'Awarapan 2' has delivered a blockbuster opening weekend at the Indian box office, collecting Rs 84.31 crore nett and becoming the third-highest opening weekend grosser of 2026 among Hindi films, according to film trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

The sequel, which released worldwide in theatres on August 14, recorded a strong performance across Tier 2 and Tier 3 centres. Its run has also brought back "House Full" boards at single screens and non-national cinema chains, signalling a significant boost for exhibitors.

As per trade analyst Taran Adarsh, 'Awarapan 2' opened with Rs 23.40 crore on Friday before registering a substantial jump on Saturday, which coincided with Independence Day, with collections of Rs 34.09 crore.

The film followed that with Rs 26.82 crore on Sunday, taking its opening weekend total to Rs 84.31 crore in official nett box-office collections in India.

The opening day itself marked a notable milestone for the franchise, with Friday's collection surpassing the entire lifetime business of the 2007 original 'Awarapan'.

The film's performance also comes as a relief for sections of the exhibition industry following moderate runs from earlier releases including 'Bhooth Bangla', 'Welcome to the Jungle' (WTTJ) and 'Dhamaal 4'. The strong response to 'Awarapan 2' has particularly benefited single-screen exhibitors.

The film now has an open run ahead of the August 26 release of Yash's highly anticipated 'Toxic'.

Directed by Nitin Kakkar, 'Awarapan 2' is produced by Vishesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt under Vishesh Films.

Emraan Hashmi reprises his role as Shivam Pandit, with Disha Patani, Shabana Azmi, Suvinder Vicky and Salil Acharya also part of the cast.

Set 19 years after the original, the action-romantic drama follows a grief-stricken Shivam as he returns to the criminal underworld while confronting redemption, sacrifice and rage.

The soundtrack, released under the Sony Music India label, combines reimagined versions of songs from the original with new compositions.

Among them are 'Tera Mera Rishta Continues', recreated by Mithoon and written by Sayeed Quadri, Amaal Mallik's 'Yeh Awarapan', sung by Arijit Singh, and 'Ve Junoon', composed by Mithoon and sung by Subodhh Sharma. 'Toh Phir Aao (Dobara)' is presented as a modern version of the 2007 hit. (ANI)