BY SACNILK

Chennai, July 8 - Arjun Sarja's action entertainer Blast is turning out to be a major success for Netflix, after a blockbuster box office run. The film made an impressive debut on Netflix and has continued the momentum in the last week to emerge as the most viewed Tamil movie of the year in the first two weekends. The film opened to 4.4 million views in the first weekend, and followed it up with another 3.1 million views in the second full week, registering 7.50 million views in 10 days, making it the third most-watched Kollywood film on Netflix (2024 onwards) during the same period, behind only Maharaja (9.3 million views) and Idli Kadai (8.1 million views). (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) It was the number 1 film worldwide on Netflix during the week of June 29 - July 5 in the non-English category. It has been trending in the top 10 in 14 countries, including number 1 in India, Maldives, and Bangladesh. The impressive digital performance highlights the film's strong audience reception following its successful theatrical run. The film premiered on Netflix on June 25 after a successful run in cinemas, where it grossed over 75+ crore worldwide. Driven by positive word of mouth, Blast has continued its momentum on OTT, attracting viewers across multiple languages and consistently featuring among Netflix's most-watched Indian titles. Directed by Subash K. Raj and also starring Abhirami and Preity Mukhundhan, the film follows a family whose peaceful life is threatened by a corporate syndicate with diabolical plans. It is produced by AGS Entertainment with music by Ravi Basrur.

BY SACNILK

Chennai, July 1 - Arjun Sarja's most anticipated Blast has emerged as one of the biggest Kollywood OTT successes of 2026. After a blockbuster theatrical run, the action entertainer debuted strongly on Netflix with 4.4 million views in its opening weekend, making it the second-highest-viewed Kollywood film on Netflix since 2024. The film trails only Idli Kadai, which had recorded 5.2 million views in its first five days on the platform. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Directed by Subash K. Raj, Blast was the second most-watched non-English title on Netflix during the week of June 22-28. Earlier, the film turned out to be a surprise commercial winner during its theatrical run. The film earned 75+ crore worldwide against a controlled budget of 18 crores, helping it emerge as one of the most profitable Tamil films of the year. The film's blend of martial arts action, emotional drama, and Arjun Sarja's comeback performance received strong appreciation from audiences both in theatres and after its OTT release. Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan's horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla continues its impressive OTT run on Netflix after a superb theatrical run. The film added another 1.5 million views in its third week on the platform, taking its cumulative Netflix viewership to 11.10 million views globally. The stronghold indicates excellent repeat audience interest and family viewership for the horror-comedy entertainer. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Bhooth Bangla was a major theatrical success before its digital premiere. The film grossed approximately 271 crore worldwide during its lifetime run, including around 216 crore gross in India and 55 crore overseas. Made on an estimated budget of 120 crore, the film comfortably emerged as a hit venture, aided further by substantial recovery through satellite and OTT rights. The Priyadarshan directorial marked a successful reunion with Akshay Kumar and benefited heavily from nostalgia surrounding their iconic comedy collaborations. Positive word-of-mouth, strong family audience turnout, and consistent OTT traction have helped Bhooth Bangla remain among Netflix India's most-watched Indian titles of the year weeks after release.

BY SACNILK

Directed by Subash K. Raj, the martial arts thriller Blast features Arjun Sarja as a karate master caught in a dangerous corporate conspiracy. The film is currently displaying a rare and impressive trend at the box office, as its second weekend performance has actually surpassed its initial three-day opening total. While the movie netted 7.95 Crore during its first three days of release, the second weekend saw that figure grow significantly to 9.96 Crore. This unusual upward trajectory suggests that the film is gaining momentum through steady word of mouth, helping it maintain strong footfalls as it enters its 12th day and comfortably clears the 50 Crore milestone globally. The second weekend has been nothing short of exceptional for the film, showing a classic growth pattern that indicates strong word of mouth. Across the three days from Friday to Sunday, the movie was screened in a cumulative total of 6,239 shows nationwide. This massive visibility translated into a total weekend net collection of 9.96 Crore in India. The average occupancy remained robust throughout the weekend, starting at 23.7 percent on Friday and peaking at a high of 38.4 percent on Sunday, signaling that the film has become a preferred destination for families and action enthusiasts alike. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Blast 2nd Weekend India Collection Breakdown DAY INDIA NET INDIA GROSS Day 9 (2nd Friday) ₹ 2.11 Cr ₹ 2.45 Cr Day 10 (2nd Saturday) ₹ 3.50 Cr ₹ 4.06 Cr Day 11 (2nd Sunday) ₹ 4.35 Cr ₹ 5.04 Cr 2nd Weekend Total ₹ 9.96 Cr ₹ 11.55 Cr A significant highlight of this run has been the film's ability to cross the 50 Crore worldwide milestone. By the end of Sunday, the total India net reached 35.74 Crore, while the India gross climbed to 41.10 Crore. The overseas market has also played a vital role, contributing a total gross of 13.00 Crore so far. This brings the cumulative worldwide gross to 54.10 Crore. Comparing the daily jumps, Saturday's 65.9 percent surge was the biggest turning point, followed by a solid 24.3 percent increase on Sunday, proving that the film's appeal is widening as it continues its theatrical journey. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) When we look at the regional performance specifically for the second weekend, the movie has maintained a solid presence across the South. Tamil Nadu remains the primary engine, bringing in a gross of 6.23 Crore over the last three days. However, the most notable trend is the film's exceptional run in Kerala, where it collected 3.36 Crore this weekend. This is an impressive figure as it represents more than half of the collections recorded in its home state of Tamil Nadu during the same period. Additionally, Karnataka and the Telugu states (APTG) added 0.95 Crore and 0.90 Crore respectively, while the rest of India contributed a minor 0.03 Crore to the weekend total gross. The cumulative state-wise gross collection for Blast as of the end of its second weekend (Day 11) is as follows: APTG: ₹ 4.71 Cr Tamil Nadu: ₹ 22.12 Cr Karnataka: ₹ 3.34 Cr Kerala: ₹ 10.72 Cr Rest of India: ₹ 0.21 Cr (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Ticket sales data provides further evidence of the film's blockbuster status. On the booking platform BookMyShow, the film sold 76.4K tickets in the last 24 hours alone, bringing the cumulative sales on the platform to approximately 8.94 lakh tickets. The performance in national cinema chains has been equally impressive. Over the second weekend, more than 47,900 tickets were booked across PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis. On Sunday alone, these chains recorded approximately 22,000 ticket sales, with PVR leading at roughly 14,900, followed by INOX at 5,100 and Cinepolis at 2,000. As Blast enters its 12th day, it remains the only Tamil film trending on an hourly basis, setting it up for a very successful second week at the box office.

BY SACNILK

Blast is currently finishing its first week on a positive note, maintaining a steady trajectory even during the mid-week period. On its 7th day, the film collected 3.16 crore gross across the Indian market. This represents a logical drop from the previous day, which is a standard trend as the initial opening weekend rush settles into a more stable daily pattern. The film has managed to sustain 2,544 shows across the country. Directed by Subash K. Raj and produced under the AGS Entertainment banner, Blast is a Tamil-language action-family thriller that seems to have struck a chord with its target audience. The story features Arjun Sarja in the role of a disciplined karate master, and early feedback from viewers has highlighted the standout performances by Preity Mukhundhan and Abhirami. The mix of family emotions and action elements has helped the film stay relevant in both urban and rural centers during its first seven days. Tamil Nadu continues to be the primary driver for the film, contributing 1.55 crore gross on Wednesday. Interestingly, Kerala has also emerged as a very strong territory, adding another 1.15 crore gross on Day 7. With these latest numbers, the total India net collection now stands at 23.75 crore, while the total India gross has reached 27.29 crore. For a film produced on a moderate budget, reaching these figures within the first week is a healthy sign for its long-term recovery. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The performance in the Kerala market has been one of the biggest highlights of the film's first week. On Wednesday, Blast grossed 1.15 crore in the state, pushing its total Kerala gross to a solid 6.36 crore in just seven days. To give some context to these numbers, the film is trending exceptionally well compared to major franchises in the region. For example, Drishyam 3 had recorded a gross of 1.20 crore in Kerala on its 14th day. For Blast to maintain nearly that same volume of collection on its 7th day shows that it has successfully tapped into the local audience's preference for thrillers, outperforming typical expectations for a mid-budget Tamil production in the state. Looking at the state-wise breakdown for Day 7, Tamil Nadu predictably leads the way with a gross of 1.55 crore. A significant highlight, however, is the performance in Kerala, where the film earned a strong 1.15 crore gross on Wednesday. The Telugu-speaking regions contributed 0.30 crore, while Karnataka added 0.15 crore to the daily total. These numbers, along with a small contribution of about 1 lakh from the rest of the country, bring the single-day domestic gross to 3.16 crore. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) On the global stage, early trends suggest the international market is providing a solid boost. On Wednesday, the film added approximately 0.50 crore from overseas regions, taking the total overseas gross to an estimated 7.30 crore. This is a noteworthy achievement for a mid-budget production that does not feature one of the top-tier superstars, proving that the content and Arjun Sarja's screen presence have found an audience beyond domestic borders. Combining the domestic gross with these early trends, the worldwide gross collection for Blast is now nearing 34.59 crore. On the digital booking front, the film remains a popular choice for moviegoers. In the last 24 hours alone, nearly 58,400 tickets were sold on BookMyShow, bringing the total ticket count on the platform to over 6.15 lakh since release. Occupancy in major cities like Chennai remains healthy at around 34 percent, while regions like Coimbatore and Vizag are seeing stable footfalls, particularly during the evening and night shows where demand is highest. National multiplex chains have also played a key role in supporting the first-week totals. On Day 7, these major chains accounted for a gross of approximately 86 lakhs, with nearly 59,000 tickets sold. The overall occupancy in these premium screens stood at roughly 10 percent for the day. As the film moves into its second weekend, the goal will be to see how much it can capitalize on the current momentum to further boost its 34.59 crore global tally before new competition arrives.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 1 - The final weekend of May 2026 delivered another strong showing at the Indian box office, with regional films continuing to dominate Bollywood. While Malayalam blockbuster Drishyam 3, along with Tamil blockbuster Karuppu and Marathi sensation Deool Band 2, battled for the top position, new releases Blast and Hollywood horror thriller Obsession managed solid openings and added fresh momentum to the marketplace. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Drishyam 3, starring Mohanlal, continued its superb second-weekend run. The thriller witnessed a good hold in collections in the second weekend, and grossed over 17 crores domestically, dropping around 60% from the opening Friday to Sunday frame. The film emerges as one of the biggest Malayalam successes of the year and is showing good strength in both domestic. Meanwhile, Suriya's Karuppu continued its dream run, and added another 16.40+ crores gross in its third weekend, and grossed slightly higher than the Marathi blockbuster, Deool Band 2, to take the second spot in the weekend chart. Deool Band 2 is turning out to be a sleeper blockbuster with growth in the second weekend. Riding high on the super positive word of mouth, the devotional drama scored an excellent 16.35 crores gross collection, jumping by around 5% from the Friday to Sunday opening window. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The film continued to attract audiences in huge numbers and crossed the 50 crore mark on the second Sunday to become the second Marathi film of the year to do so. Tamil action entertainer Blast, starring Arjun Sarja, also registered a solid start. The film recorded impressive growth over the weekend due to positive word of mouth, helping it establish a decent base despite competition from several strong holdover releases. On the international front, psychological horror thriller Obsession continued its impressive global run while also posting a good opening weekend in India, continuing the ever-growing interest in the horror genre among the Indian audiences. The low-budget thriller film has been attracting audiences worldwide and has added another encouraging chapter to its remarkable box-office journey. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Top 5 Box Office Weekend Grossers (May 29-31) S. No. Movie Weekend India GBOC Total India GBOC 1 Drishyam 3 ₹ 17.10 Cr ₹ 112.20 Cr 2 Karuppu ₹ 16.40 Cr ₹ 211.00 Cr 3 Deool Band 2 ₹ 16.35 Cr ₹ 51.85 Cr 4 Blast ₹ 16.00 Cr ₹ 16.00 Cr 5 Obsession ₹ 9.30 Cr ₹ 9.30 Cr Note: Gross collection*

BY SACNILK

The action-drama genre in Tamil cinema has found a fresh pulse with Blast, a film that combines a high-stakes martial arts core with a grounded narrative about a family's survival against corporate greed. The story follows Rajaraman, Neelaveni, and their fearless daughter Nila, whose intervention in a local harassment case leads them into a dangerous confrontation with a violent sand mining baron, Varun. This battle of karate versus criminal syndicates has clearly piqued the audience's interest, further bolstered by the thunderous Tamil debut of music director Ravi Basrur, who brings his signature sonic weight to the project. As we head into the conclusion of the first weekend, Blast has witnessed an extraordinary surge in its trajectory. It appears that positive word of mouth is doing the heavy lifting, as the film has managed to see a notable surge in footfalls every single day of its opening run. On its third day, this momentum delivered a massive shot of oxygen to the box office, with a net collection of 4.55 crore. This represents a staggering 111.6 percent growth compared to Saturday’s 2.15 crore, proving that Sunday has been a complete game-changer. This push brings the total India net collection to 7.95 crore within just three days, with the film playing across 2,294 shows on Sunday alone. The worldwide picture looks equally healthy for a mid-budget actioner. While the India gross has reached 9.13 crore, the overseas market contributed a solid 2.00 crore on Sunday, taking the total international gross to 4.05 crore. This brings the overall worldwide gross tally to 13.18 crore. When you consider that the film has sustained itself across a total of 5,911 shows so far, it is evident that the moolah is coming in from multiple territories with consistent momentum. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Looking at the state-wise breakdown for Sunday, Tamil Nadu remains the primary engine, contributing 3.00 crore gross to the kitty. However, the film is finding traction in neighboring states as well, with Kerala pulling in 80 lakhs and the Telugu market (APTG) adding another 75 lakhs. Karnataka saw a gross of 64 lakhs, while the rest of India contributed 4 lakhs, bringing the single-day India gross for Sunday to 5.23 crore. The Telugu version is also holding its own, particularly in Hyderabad, where overall occupancy stood at 32.5 percent. The ground-level occupancy in Tamil Nadu is particularly impressive, indicating strong word-of-mouth. Chennai led the charts with a 64.8 percent overall occupancy, peaking at a massive 85 percent for the night shows. Coimbatore followed closely with 58.5 percent occupancy. Even in smaller Telugu centers like Vijayawada and Vizag, the film maintained steady occupancy levels between 17 and 20 percent. The footfalls are also reflected on digital platforms, with BookMyShow recording 152,890 tickets sold in the last 24 hours, bringing the platform's total to nearly 249,000 tickets. In the national chains, the film saw a significant volume of ticket sales as well. PVR saw approximately 12,000 tickets sold, while INOX and Cinepolis contributed roughly 3,500 and 1,700 tickets respectively. This brings the total ticket count in these three major chains to 17,200 for the day. For a film marking Ravi Basrur's entry into the Tamil market, the initial response suggests that the combination of gritty action and martial arts training has successfully landed with the mass audience.