Sunny Deol in Gadar 2. (courtesy: zeestudiosofficial)
Sunny Deol's Gadar 2 released on August 11, Friday. The film, which is a sequel to the 2001 blockbuster cross-border romance Gadar - Ek Prem Katha, also features Ameesha Patel and Utkarsh Sharma. To make the release day special, Salman Khan shared a post on Instagram. The actor said that “Sunny [Deol] paaji is killing it.” Along with a poster featuring Sunny Deol's Tara Singh lifting a wheel, Salman wrote, “Dhai kilo ka haath equals chalis [40] crore ki opening. Sunny paaji is killing it. Congrats to the entire team of Gadar 2.” We hope you didn't miss Salman's wordplay here. Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh, in a tweet, has also mentioned that Gadar 2 is the “second highest opener of 2023.” The film collected ₹ 40.10 crore on Day 1.
Taran Adarsh said that Sunny Deol has “unleashed his power” at the box office. “Sunny Deol unleashes his power…All pre-release calculations/estimations go for a toss… Gadar 2 runs riot at the box office, is sensational on Day 1… flying start all over… second highest opener of 2023… Fri ₹ 40.10 cr. India biz.” He added, “Mass sectors and single screens are on a record-smashing spree… Unlike most films - which have major contributions from the national chains [PVR, INOX, Cinepolis] and barely 20% to 30% from mass sectors – Gadar 2 is simply historic in mass pockets.” Adarsh concluded by hinting at the upcoming national holiday and wrote, “Now imagine its potential on Independence Day, a big holiday [on Tuesday].”
Meanwhile, Esha Deol shared a post on Instagram Stories to celebrate Sunny Deol's Gadar 2 release. Along with a poster of the film, the actress wrote, “Today let's hear the lion roar and reach soaring heights.” Sunny Deol's son Karan Deol has also shared a happy picture with his father on Instagram and said that he is “filled with excitement and pride”. “As the world eagerly awaits Gadar 2, I'm filled with excitement and pride for you. Your hard work and dedication are unmatched. Here's to a remarkable release Papa.” Replying to the post, Sunny Deol said, “Love you, my son.”
Sunny Deol's brother, actor Bobby Deol, also wished him all the luck for the film by dropping an adorable picture. The note read, “Love you, Bhaiya. All the best for Gadar 2.”
Film critic Saibal Chatterjee, in his review for NDTV, wrote, “The film serves up dollops of nostalgia that are bolstered by harking back to two of the original film's most popular songs, Ghar aaja pardesi and Main nikla gaddi leke.”