The box office clash between Dhurandhar and Tere Ishk Mein drew major attention, as both films initially connected well with the audience. Tere Ishk Mein released on 28 November, while Dhurandhar arrived on 5 December.
Because it released earlier, Tere Ishk Mein had already earned more than 60 crore and carried strong buzz. But once Dhurandhar hit theatres, the hype shifted towards it and the collections of Tere Ishk Mein started slowing down.
Despite this, the makers and fans of Tere Ishk Mein have continued to push the film. Rumours surfaced that Dhurandhar engaged in block bookings to create hype and influence its box office numbers.
Recently, Tere Ishk Mein director Aanand L. Rai posted a story saying the film has become an “organic superhit,” highlighting the word organic. The film has earned 100.52 crore so far. Fans quickly circulated the post, believing it to be a subtle dig at Dhurandhar and its alleged manipulated numbers.
Some fans claim that Aanand L. Rai can proudly make such a statement, while Aditya Dhar cannot say the same about Dhurandhar even if it becomes a superhit. Others argue that although Tere Ishk Mein may have benefited from paid reviews, there was no block booking to inflate its numbers.
What concerns many in the industry is the silence around such practices. Insiders know block bookings exist and understand how harmful they are, yet few openly speak against them. Instead, filmmakers often rely on passive aggressive hints to call each other out.
