Milap Zaveri's romantic drama *Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat* has emerged as a surprise box office winner this Diwali, with its worldwide collection reaching ₹44 crore in just five days, surpassing the lifetime earnings of Karan Johar's *Dhadak 2*.
The film, starring Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, opened strongly on Diwali with ₹9 crore net in India. Defying typical post-festival trends, the movie maintained steady momentum throughout the weekdays despite most being working days. On Saturday, the film bounced back with impressive collections of ₹5.75 crore, taking its five-day domestic total to ₹34 crore net, equivalent to ₹42.50 crore gross.
While international performance has been modest, the film has still managed to collect just over $200,000 from overseas markets during its opening five days, pushing the worldwide gross beyond ₹44 crore.
With a production budget of merely ₹25 crore, *Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat* has already achieved box office hit status and appears poised to add several more crores before concluding its theatrical run. The film's success is particularly noteworthy as it overtook the lifetime collection of Dharma Entertainment's recent romantic drama *Dhadak 2*, which had earned ₹33 crore worldwide earlier this year.
Speaking at a screening in Gujarat on Friday, Harshvardhan Rane expressed gratitude to audiences for supporting outsider talent. "This Diwali, you supported the films of two outsiders. Ayushmann Khurrana's film has released along with mine. Watch both the films, please, and enjoy both. This sends a good message out that aap logon ne akele poora ka poora Bollywood se nepotism hi khatm kar diya (you people alone finished nepotism from the entire Bollywood)," the actor stated.
*Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat* released on Diwali alongside Ayushmann Khurrana's *Thamma*, which has also performed well at the box office, earning over ₹100 crore worldwide. The success of both films featuring actors without traditional Bollywood connections has been viewed as a positive signal for diverse talent in the industry.
The film's steady performance throughout the weekdays, combined with its Saturday resurgence, indicates strong word-of-mouth publicity and audience approval. Trade analysts expect the movie to continue its profitable run through the weekend, potentially adding significantly to its already impressive collections.
