Toxic Vs Dhurandhar 2 box office clash is becoming one of the biggest cinematic face-offs of 2026. Yash’s Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups and Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge (Dhurandhar 2) are both locked for a theatrical release on March 19. While early discussion focused on screen sharing in North India, the real contest appears to have started in the South.
Ahead of the March 19 release, Toxic has gained an advantage in the Telugu market. The film’s producers (KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations) have secured a major distribution deal in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This move has given Yash’s film an early lead in the Toxic Vs Dhurandhar 2 battle, especially in the key South Indian belt.
Toxic Vs Dhurandhar 2: Rs 120 Crore Telugu Deal Gives Yash’s Films The Edge
Producer Dil Raju’s Sri Venkateswara Creations has acquired the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana distribution rights of Toxic for a massive Rs 120 crore, structured as an advance on a commission basis. This deal is being seen as SVC’s biggest acquisition so far for a non-Telugu film. Several big players, including PVR Inox, were reportedly in the race, but Dil Raju ultimately sealed the deal.
Speaking about the acquisition, Dil Raju highlighted Yash’s growing market and the excitement around his return after KGF 2. He said, “Yash stands as a formidable titan of Indian cinema, and post KGF 2, his market has only grown stronger across the world. The audience’s anticipation for his next film after KGF 2 has been building for a while now. With a four-year wait, the buzz and expectations around this film are massive. We at SVC are stoked to present this prestigious project and hope to continue collaborating with Yash on many more films.”
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The deal is important not just because of its value, but also because of Dil Raju’s influence in the Telugu film industry. According to a 2024 Deccan Chronicle report, Dil Raju and Allu Aravind control around 400 theatres each in AP and Telangana, while Suresh Babu controls nearly 600. With SVC backing Toxic, the film is expected to get a strong screen presence across the Telugu states.
Who Will Win The March 19 Showdown?
Trade experts believe this development could affect Dhurandhar 2’s performance in the Telugu market unless its makers secure a similarly strong distributor. Past box office numbers support this view. Yash’s KGF 2 earned Rs 137.39 crore in AP and Telangana out of its Rs 1,000 crore domestic total, compared to Rs 182.96 crore in Karnataka. This shows Yash’s solid pull in the Telugu-speaking states.
Toxic was shot simultaneously in Kannada and English and will release in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi, strengthening its pan-India reach. In comparison, the first Dhurandhar film collected around Rs 65 crore in the Telugu states despite releasing only in Hindi. With Dhurandhar 2 now planned as a multi-language release, its makers are aiming to improve those numbers.
The two films also differ in style and appeal. Directed by Geetu Mohandas, Toxic is a dark, stylised, A-rated period gangster drama and marks Yash’s return after the KGF franchise. Helmed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar 2 is a high-octane spy thriller featuring Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Akshaye Khanna. It has already shown strong early interest on BookMyShow.
Despite rumours of a possible date shift to avoid an Eid-season clash, both teams have so far confirmed their March 19 release.
