The Bhootnii, Sanjay Dutt and Mouni Roy’s horror comedy, hit the screens on May 1, 2025. Though it marked Dutt’s long-awaited return to the cinema after three years, the movie opened modestly at the box office, garnering only ₹60 lakh on Day 1.
Clash with ‘Raid 2’ Impacts Opening
Directed by Sidhaant Sachdev and produced under Soham Rockstar Entertainment, The Bhootnii had a tough fight against Ajay Devgn’s action-packed thriller Raid 2, which took the box office by storm with a double-digit opening. The holiday advantage of Maharashtra Day/Labour Day was cornered to a great extent by Raid 2, leaving The Bhootnii with little space to capitalize.
The movie’s limited advance bookings also were a factor. According to reports, just 3,500 tickets were sold in advance on major multiplex chains such as PVR, Inox, and Cinepolis.
.@Roymouni shares some BTS stills from the sets of ‘#TheBhootnii‘
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.#MouniRoy #MouniRoyNambiar #TheBhootni pic.twitter.com/ldrXsrKo2H— Bollywood Buzz (@BollyTellyBuzz) May 1, 2025
Room for Growth Over the Weekend
Even with its sluggish opening, the horror-comedy continues to have room for expansion over the weekend, subject to word-of-mouth and audience response. Its mix of comedy and the supernatural could attract family audiences seeking lighter fare in the midst of the intense thrillers that are currently taking over screens.
#TheBhootnii is proof that even ghosts deserve better scripts
The horror isn’t scary, the comedy feels like 2010 YouTube, and the plot vanishes more often than the ghost.
By the end, I wasn’t scared just spiritually exhausted.
Stree walked so this film could trip, fall, and… pic.twitter.com/eHwvSQX1rl
— Yash Tiwari (@DrYashTiwari) May 1, 2025
Comeback Films for Sanjay Dutt and Mouni Roy
The Bhootnii is Sanjay Dutt’s comeback to cinemas after his last outing in Shamshera (2022). He also has Housefull 5, shared with Akshay Kumar, for release in June 2025. Similarly, Mouni Roy returns to cinema halls after a three-year gap following Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva.
The movie also stars Sunny Singh and Palak Tiwari in significant roles and had previously delayed its release to avoid conflict with Kesari: Chapter 2, only to find a box office giant in the form of Raid 2 awaiting them.
