Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon was released on September 25, 2015 and clicked instantly with audiences, finishing at Rs. 49.38 crore lifetime in India and Rs. 76.21 crore worldwide. The foundation for that run was laid on Day 1 itself: an opening of Rs. 10.15 crore is the kind of start that tells you the film didn’t merely find viewers over time, it arrived with clear initial demand and then sustained it.
A decade later, Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2 began its journey in a very different lane. Released on December 12, 2025, it opened at Rs. 1.58 crore, and its current total stands at Rs. 9.77 crore in India and Rs. 13.26 crore worldwide. Even allowing for changes in audience behaviour and the theatrical landscape, the gap between the two films is too stark to be framed as a normal sequel dip.
Veteran trade analyst Taran Adarsh believes that timing played a decisive role in sealing the sequel’s fate. “It came soon after Dhurandhar,” he said. “When a film is running like this in the third week, it has impacted Avatar (Fire and Ash) also. So, Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2 stands no chance. Avatar is such a big and worldwide brand. But even that film couldn’t have an impact. The Dhurandhar wave was such that everything else got overshadowed. This film has become a movement.”
The sequel’s opening day is a fraction of the original, and when a film starts that low, the business becomes far more dependent on extraordinary word-of-mouth and unusually strong holds to compensate for the lack of initial footfalls.
This is also where the conversation naturally extends to Kapil Sharma’s wider theatrical prospects. Kapil’s connection with audiences on television and digital is unquestionable, but these numbers indicate that his small-screen pull is not automatically translating into a big-screen turnout - at least not at a level that can generate a robust opening weekend on its own.
Adarsh offers an industry-facing explanation for this shift in audience behaviour. “When the first film Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon released, Kapil Sharma wasn’t so much into television, as much as he is today. Now, he has been seen regularly. His shows are extremely popular. The masses love him also. So, that exclusivity has finished,” he said.
In blunt trade terms, the gap between Rs. 10.15 crore and Rs. 1.58 crore in the opening day suggests that familiarity and goodwill aren’t the same as theatre-first urgency. Viewers may enjoy him at home, but that comfort viewing doesn’t necessarily convert into tickets unless the film offers a hook that feels like an event - either through a fresh concept, stronger scale, a more compelling trailer pitch, or a supporting cast and screenplay that create must-watch curiosity.
What does this mean for Kapil Sharma’s movies going forward? It signals that theatrical success cannot be built purely on brand recognition from the small screen. For his films to consistently work in cinemas, the packaging has to do more heavy lifting than it currently appears to be doing because the market is clearly separating “I like him” from “I need to watch this in a theatre this weekend.” If this gap persists across releases, it will push his film choices toward either tighter, better-written comedy concepts that travel on word-of-mouth, or larger ensemble/event-style comedies where his presence is a key ingredient but not the only reason to buy a ticket.
At the same time, Adarsh cautions against drawing long-term conclusions from a single underperformer. “Every actor goes through this,” he said. “The biggest of actors over the decades have gone through hits and flops. It’s a part and parcel of the industry. When you are driving, you sometimes find speed breakers. Sometimes, there is a smooth drive. Nobody can have a completely smooth drive. Everyone has their share of ups and downs. To write off a person with one flop is not right. Maybe, Kapil will bounce back with his next film.”
As things stand, the comparison is unambiguous: Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon remains the stronger theatrical brand by a wide margin, while Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2’s numbers underline a bigger truth about star power in today’s ecosystem - audience love on the small screen is real, but it doesn’t automatically equal box office pull on the 70mm screen unless the film gives people a reason to step out.
