Mrunal Thakur, Pooja Hegde face setback in Bollywood again

Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde’s latest Bollywood release, “Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai”, has failed to generate the expected response at the box office despite an extensive promotional campaign.

Released on June 5, the film has reportedly grossed around Rs 50 crore worldwide in its first five days. Of this, the domestic gross is estimated to be about Rs 36 crore, a figure considered underwhelming for a film headlined by Varun Dhawan and featuring two popular actresses.

Varun Dhawan, who has been searching for a major box-office success in recent years, had pinned hopes on the film reviving his fortunes. However, the movie has struggled to attract audiences in significant numbers.

For Mrunal Thakur, the result is another disappointment in Bollywood. While she has earned acclaim in Telugu cinema with performance-oriented roles, her recent Hindi projects have not yielded similar success. For Mrunal Thakur, it marks another unsuccessful outing in Hindi cinema this year.

Pooja Hegde, meanwhile, once again banked on a glamorous commercial entertainer, but the strategy has not translated into box-office returns. The setback continues a difficult run for Pooja Hegde in Bollywood, with several of her recent Hindi releases failing to make an impact at the box office.

What makes the film’s performance more disappointing for the team is the lack of major competition in the Hindi market during its opening week. Even with a relatively open window, the film failed to capitalize on audience interest.