The month of April hasn’t quite delivered the box office fireworks many had hoped for. It began with Sikandar, which opened strong but quickly fizzled out, ending up a disaster despite initial buzz. Sunny Deol’s Jaat managed to do above-par business thanks to single-screen support and strong word of mouth, while Kesari Chapter 2 had all the potential but underdelivered on expectations.
But the month isn’t over yet, and the eyes of trade pundits are now turning to Ajay Devgn’s Raid 2, which is slated to release soon and could provide the industry with much-needed momentum.
Raid 2 is the official sequel to the 2018 hit Raid, which was both critically acclaimed and a box-office success. Naturally, expectations are high, especially with Ajay Devgn reprising his role. However, this time around, the film appears to be suffering from low-key marketing and almost no buzz on ground level, despite a modest interest surge on BookMyShow and IMDb charts: lack of impactful marketing. Fans are frustrated, and some feel that Raid2 needs a second trailer to cover up for that okayish trailer which didn’t make any impact over neutrals.
Kesari Chapter 2 Day 1 Collection: A Respectable Start with Positive Word of Mouth – FilmyFUN
Also, there’s growing concern among fans and trade analysts that Ajay Devgn’s recent films haven’t received the promotional push they deserve. Films like Auron Mein Kaha Dum Tha and Azaad had minimum potential but were let down by poor PR strategies. Now, the same mistake seems to be repeating with Raid 2.
The lack of aggressive marketing is a disservice to the film’s potential. In today’s competitive box office landscape, even a good film needs a strong pre-release campaign to drive awareness and early bookings. With two dubbed films releasing alongside but offering minimal competition, Raid 2 has a clear path—but only if the buzz picks up in time.
The question is: Will Ajay Devgn’s raw star power be enough to save Raid 2, or will marketing negligence hurt its box office fate?