Shashank Khaitan’s Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (SSKTK) arrived in cinemas on October 2 coinciding with the Dussehra holiday. The romantic comedy headlined by Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor kicked off on a promising note earning Rs 9.25 crore on its first day. The holiday factor along with strong promotions and youthful pairing helped the film start on a positive footing. What happened on day 2? However the film’s performance slowed down on Friday. As per early estimates SSKTK collected Rs 5.25 crore on Day 2. This dip although expected on a non-holiday weekday has brought the film’s total to Rs 14.50 crore in just two days. Here’s the day-wise box office breakdown so far: Day 1 (Thursday Dussehra): Rs 9.25 crore Day 2 (Friday): Rs 5.25 crore (early estimates) Total: Rs 14.50 crore While the film has managed to cross the Rs 10 crore mark quickly sustaining momentum over the weekend will be crucial for its long-term box office journey. What’s working for the film? Audiences have appreciated the light-hearted tone of the rom-com along with Varun Dhawan’s comic timing and Janhvi Kapoor’s refreshing presence. Rohit Saraf and Sanya Malhotra’s supporting roles have also added to the youthful appeal. Family-friendly humour and colourful music have made it a decent festive watch. The challenge of Kantara: Chapter 1 The biggest challenge for SSKTK however is the box office dominance of Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: Chapter 1. The mythological action-drama stormed past Rs 90 crore in just two days emerging as the clear favourite for mass audiences. With Kantara drawing huge crowds Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari will have to depend heavily on urban centres and multiplex audiences to maintain steady numbers. Can weekend growth save the film? Trade analysts believe that the weekend will be decisive for the Varun-Janhvi film. Positive word-of-mouth could help push collections upward though competition remains tough. If the film manages to hold well on Saturday and Sunday it could still emerge as a respectable hit for Dharma Productions. Otherwise it risks losing steam early much like several recent rom-coms. The road ahead With a reported budget of around Rs 70 crore Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari needs a strong theatrical run to recover costs before relying on digital and satellite rights. The coming week will reveal whether the film becomes a steady runner or fades under the shadow of Kantara: Chapter 1. Highlights: Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari earns Rs 14.50 crore in two days. Varun-Janhvi rom-com drops from Rs 9.25 crore on Day 1 to Rs 5.25 crore on Day 2. Clash with Kantara: Chapter 1 makes the weekend crucial for box office survival.