Sunny Deol's Jaat inches towards Rs 3 crore mark in North America, but faces major losses

The Punjabi action-drama Jaat is inching closer to the Rs 3 crore mark in North America, but its box office journey has turned out to be far from successful. After five days of release, the film has grossed $338,751 (approximately Rs 2.82 crore), with $217,180 coming from the USA and CAD $121,571 from Canada.The film also starred Randeep Hooda, Viineet Kumar Siingh in pivotal roles, rumours also suggest that South superstar Ravi Teja was earlier part of the film but was replaced with Sunny Deol.

Despite gaining a wide release—the numbers suggest that Jaat has failed to capitalize on the high expectations that surrounded its release. Day 5 alone saw a modest reported gross of $37,185, reflecting a downward trend in collections as the weekday slump sets in.

The film was bought on a Minimum Guarantee (MG) basis, riding on the massive success of Gadar 2, which turned out to be a cultural juggernaut across India and in overseas Punjabi-speaking markets. Distributors, banking on that momentum, hoped that Jaat would follow a similar trajectory. However, the reality has been starkly different. Based on current trends and reported expenses, the film is now projected to incur a loss of about 60% to 65% in North America.

Industry experts point to a combination of factors for the underperformance—lack of sustained marketing, weak word-of-mouth, and the film's limited appeal beyond core Punjabi audiences. While Jaat featured action-packed sequences and attempted to blend patriotism with local flavor, it appears to have struggled to find resonance with the diaspora, especially in the US and Canadian markets where demand for Punjabi cinema is often dictated by strong community buzz and novelty.

With total earnings likely to hover around the Rs 3 crore mark, Jaat will only manage to collect about 15% of the revenue Gadar 2 generated in North America. The comparison, though ambitious to begin with, underscores the financial risk of MG-based acquisitions without solid pre-release traction.

As the weekend approaches, Jaat may see a slight jump in footfalls, but the damage has largely been done. For now, it stands as a cautionary tale in the overseas distribution of regional cinema.