Ustaad Eyes US Gains Amid Dhurandhar 2 Crisis

New Delhi, March 18, 2026: The high-stakes box office battle of March 2026 has taken an unexpected turn. While the world was bracing for a titanic clash between Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge and Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, a last-minute technical crisis has shifted the momentum.

Reports of content delivery delays for the Dhurandhar sequel are sending ripples through the trade circuit, potentially handing a golden opportunity to the Ustaad team, particularly in the critical US premiere market.

The Technical Glitch: Dhurandhar 2 Hits a Roadblock

Despite record-breaking advance bookings—surpassing $2 million in the US and selling over 600,000 tickets in India—Dhurandhar 2 is currently struggling with eleventh-hour logistical hurdles.

• Content Delivery Delays: Reports indicate that several overseas locations, particularly drive-in theaters and cinemas relying on physical drives, have not received the projection content on time.
• Regional Cancellations: In India, paid previews for the Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions were abruptly cancelled in several hubs, including Coimbatore and parts of Telangana. Theaters like Broadway Cinemas confirmed that they would screen the Hindi version instead, offering refunds to those who specifically sought regional language shows.
• Post-Production Rush: Rumors suggest director Aditya Dhar and his team were working until the final hours to finalize last-minute edits and censor-mandated trims (approximately 34 seconds of violent content), leading to a bottleneck in distributing the final prints.

A “Blessing in Disguise” for Ustaad Bhagat Singh?

For Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, which was already riding high on the festive spirit of Ugadi, this delay couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. The film’s US premieres are scheduled for March 18, and the pre-sales have already surged past the $300,000 mark.

1. Capturing the “Floating” Audience

In the North American market, many moviegoers plan their weekends around major Indian premieres. If Dhurandhar 2 shows are cancelled due to the lack of physical drives, a significant portion of that audience may pivot to Ustaad Bhagat Singh. This “spillover effect” could see the Pawan Kalyan-starrer over-performing in multiplexes where it might have otherwise shared the spotlight.

2. Dominance in the Telugu Heartland

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the cancellation of Dhurandhar 2’s Telugu previews allows Ustaad to breathe more freely. While the Hindi version of Dhurandhar 2 is still playing, the absence of the local language version removes a layer of competition for the casual viewer who prefers their cinema in Telugu.

3. Screen Count Advantage

Exhibitors are notoriously unsentimental. If content for one film is missing, they will quickly replace those slots with the content they do have. This could lead to an impromptu increase in show counts for Ustaad Bhagat Singh in the US and regional Indian markets during the opening 24 hours.