Despite a star-studded cast and Dharma Productions’ glossy packaging, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is failing to light up the ticket windows as it wraps up a lacklustre first week at the box office.
It looks like the charm of Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is wearing off quicker than expected. The romantic comedy, starring Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Rohit Saraf, and Sanya Malhotra, opened with decent buzz but couldn’t sustain its momentum through the week. As the film nears the end of its first week in theatres, it’s now struggling to reach the ₹50 crore mark—a figure that seemed easily achievable when it first hit cinemas on October 2.
According to the latest data from Sacnilk, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari collected just ₹2.08 crore on Day 7, marking its lowest single-day collection yet. With this, the film’s total domestic box office stands at ₹38.58 crore—a disappointing number for a Dharma Productions romantic entertainer led by popular Gen-Z stars.
A Rocky First Week for the Rom-Com
The film started its theatrical journey with ₹9.25 crore on Day 1, a promising opening for a mid-scale rom-com. However, the excitement fizzled out almost immediately. On Day 2, the collections dipped to ₹5.5 crore, and while the weekend offered a slight bump—₹7.5 crore on Day 3 and ₹7.75 crore on Day 4—the film’s weekday performance crashed sharply after Monday.
Here’s the breakdown of Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari’s first-week collections (as per early estimates):
- Day 1 (Tuesday): ₹9.25 crore
- Day 2 (Wednesday): ₹5.5 crore
- Day 3 (Thursday): ₹7.5 crore
- Day 4 (Friday): ₹7.75 crore
- Day 5 (Saturday): ₹3.85 crore
- Day 6 (Sunday): ₹2.65 crore
- Day 7 (Monday): ₹2.08 crore
Total: ₹38.58 crore (nett)
With such a dip in weekday collections, trade experts believe that the film might not even touch ₹45 crore by the end of its second weekend unless a miracle turnaround happens.
Clash with Kantara: Chapter 1 Hurts Collections
What’s adding to Tulsi Kumari’s troubles is the massive performance of Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: Chapter 1, which released around the same time. The Kannada action-drama has become a box office monster, dominating single screens and multiplexes alike. The film’s spectacular response, especially in South India, has eaten into the screen share of Varun-Janhvi’s romantic comedy, making it even harder for the latter to pull audiences in.
While Kantara 2 continues to rake in crores daily, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is struggling to hold on to evening and night shows in major metros.
What Went Wrong?
Despite being backed by Dharma Productions, known for its feel-good romantic films, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari hasn’t quite connected with the audience. Directed by Shashank Khaitan, the film aimed to recreate the charm of lighthearted rom-coms like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Badrinath Ki Dulhania, but critics and viewers feel that the spark is missing this time.
The film’s mixed reviews further dampened its buzz. While some praised Varun and Janhvi’s chemistry and the film’s glossy visuals, others criticized it for its predictable plot and inconsistent humor.
A leading trade analyst told Ulta Palta Khabar, “The audience’s taste is changing fast. While Varun and Janhvi are loved individually, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari felt outdated in its treatment. The dialogues and emotional beats felt repetitive, and there wasn’t anything new for viewers to take home.”
About the Film
Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari follows the story of Sunny (Varun Dhawan) and Tulsi (Janhvi Kapoor), two individuals who plot to rekindle old flames with their respective exes, Ananya (Sanya Malhotra) and Vikram (Rohit Saraf). But as they fake being a couple, things spiral into chaos filled with confusion, comedy, and emotional drama.
The supporting cast includes Akshay Oberoi, Maneish Paul, and Abhinav Sharma, all of whom bring their own charm to the ensemble.
The film boasts chartbuster songs, a lavish production design, and all the signature elements of a Karan Johar-backed entertainer—but even that couldn’t save it from slipping at the box office.
Audience Reaction: Social Media Divided
Social media reactions to Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari have been divided. While Varun’s fans appreciated his comic timing and emotional range, others felt Janhvi’s performance was underwhelming.
One Twitter user wrote, “Varun Dhawan is back in his comfort zone but the script doesn’t support him. Janhvi tries hard but the film is too predictable.”
Another fan, however, praised the chemistry, saying, “Varun and Janhvi look so good together! Wish the story had more sparkle. Songs are the saving grace.”
The film’s music album, especially tracks like “Dil Sanskari Hai” and “Pyar Ka Reboot”, continues to trend on Instagram reels, even as the film’s box office performance falters.
Can It Recover in Week 2?
With Kantara: Chapter 1 ruling the box office and multiple new releases lined up for next week, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is staring at a steep challenge ahead. Trade experts predict a second-weekend total of around ₹6–8 crore, which would push its lifetime collection to just about ₹45–47 crore—far below expectations for a Dharma romantic comedy.
Unless strong word-of-mouth suddenly picks up (which seems unlikely now), the film’s theatrical run might end sooner than expected, shifting its focus to OTT platforms for recovery.
Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor’s Next Moves
Despite the lukewarm response to Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, both Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor have interesting projects lined up.
Varun will next be seen in Atlee’s action thriller “Baby John”, which promises to showcase him in a completely new avatar. Meanwhile, Janhvi will soon appear opposite Ram Charan in the much-awaited Telugu film RC16, directed by Buchi Babu Sana.
Both stars continue to remain audience favorites, but as this box office performance shows, even fan love can’t guarantee success without a solid script.
Final Verdict: A Glamorous Miss
Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari had all the right ingredients for a hit—star power, music, glamour, and a Dharma Productions label. But weak writing, predictable storytelling, and tough competition from Kantara: Chapter 1 have dimmed its box office glow.
Unless the second weekend miraculously turns things around, this one will likely be remembered as a “missed opportunity” for both Varun and Janhvi.
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Note: Box office figures are estimates from various sources and have not been independently verified by Ulta Palta Khabar.
