BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, May 30 - The release plans for Yash Raj Films' much-awaited spy thriller Alpha have reportedly undergone another major change, but this time, the film is moving up instead of getting delayed. According to the latest reports, the makers are considering preponing the film's release date from July 10 to July 3, 2026, in a strategic move to secure a longer uninterrupted box office run. Headlined by Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh, Alpha is one of the most anticipated films from the YRF Spy Universe. The action thriller is directed by Shiv Rawail, who directed YRF's The Railway Men, and it also features Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor in pivotal roles. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Why Is Alpha Being Preponed? As per reports, YRF is looking to avoid a crowded mid-July box office scenario. The film was originally scheduled to arrive on July 10, but the studio is reportedly considering July 3 after changes in the release calendar of other major films. The move would allow Alpha to enjoy a cleaner theatrical run before the arrival of other big-ticket releases, including Dhamaal 4 and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. It is said that producer Aditya Chopra sees July 3 as a stronger commercial window, potentially giving the film two weeks of relatively open play at the box office. A Crucial Film For The YRF Spy Universe (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Alpha holds special significance for Yash Raj Films as it is being positioned as the first female-led instalment in the blockbuster YRF Spy Universe. The franchise already includes successful titles such as Pathaan, War, and Tiger 3. The film has already seen multiple release date changes over the last two years. It was initially planned for a Christmas 2025 release before being shifted to April 2026 and later to July 10. Massive Expectations Around Alpha Buzz surrounding the film has remained consistently good, with recent reports revealing that Alia Bhatt will reportedly be seen in a fierce assassin avatar rather than a traditional spy role. The film has generated significant excitement among fans eager to see Alia and Sharvari headline a large-scale action spectacle.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Kochi, May 30 - Malayalam cinema continues its dream run at the box office as megastar Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 has achieved yet another major milestone. The crime thriller has crossed the 100 crore mark in India gross collections and has simultaneously entered the prestigious 200 crore worldwide club within just nine days of release, emerging as one of the biggest successes of 2026. Directed by Jeethu Joseph, the third instalment of the iconic Drishyam franchise opened to massive anticipation and quickly translated that excitement into impressive box office numbers. Despite the mixed audience reception, the film has collected approximately 100+ crore gross in India, becoming the 8th Malayalam film to do so, while overseas markets have contributed around 108 crore, taking its total worldwide gross to an outstanding 208 crore in nine days. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Malayalam Films With 100 Crore Gross Domestically S. No. Film Domestic Gross Collection 1 Lokah Chapter 1 ₹ 184.00 Cr 2 Manjummel Boys ₹ 167.65 Cr 3 Vaazha 2 ₹ 149.50 Cr 4 Thudarum ₹ 141.60 Cr 5 Empuraan ₹ 124.50 Cr 6 2018 ₹ 110.50 Cr 7 Drishyam 3 ₹ 100.00+ Cr 8 Pulimurugan ₹ 100.00 Cr As of May 29, 2026. The film's performance has been particularly remarkable in international territories, where it has enjoyed an exceptional run across the Middle East, North America, Europe, and other key overseas markets. In fact, overseas collections have outpaced domestic earnings throughout most of its theatrical run, highlighting the global appeal of the franchise and Mohanlal's star power. Drishyam 3 had already signalled blockbuster potential by crossing the 100 crore worldwide mark in just three days, becoming one of the fastest Malayalam films to achieve the feat. The film maintained strong momentum throughout its first week and comfortably crossed the double-century mark globally during its second weekend. It has become the sixth Mollywood title to top 200 crores worldwide. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Malayalam Films With 200 Crore Gross Worldwide S. No. Film Worldwide Gross Collection 1 Lokah Chapter 1 ₹ 303.85 Cr 2 Empuraan ₹ 266.80 Cr 3 Manjummel Boys ₹ 241.00 Cr 4 Thudarum ₹ 235.40 Cr 5 Vaazha 2 ₹ 235.25 Cr 6 Drishyam 3 ₹ 208.00 Cr The latest achievement further strengthens Mohanlal's dominance at the box office. The superstar has consistently delivered major theatrical successes in recent years, and Drishyam 3 has now joined the list of his biggest worldwide grossers. The film has also become one of the select Malayalam titles to cross the 200-crore milestone worldwide, underscoring the industry's growing commercial reach. Featuring Mohanlal in his celebrated role of Georgekutty alongside Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Asha Sharath, and Siddique, the thriller continues to attract audiences despite the arrival of new releases. With strong word-of-mouth support and sustained overseas business, the film is expected to add significantly to its total in the coming days.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Karuppu has entered its third week at the box office with a steady performance, bringing its total India net collection to 171.40 crore. On its 15th day, which was the third Friday, the film earned a net of 3.25 crore across 3,024 shows in India. This figure marks a 34.3 percent drop from the 4.95 crore collected on the previous day. This is expected as the film has been enjoying a high momentum period for an extended time, and it is now settling into a more consistent pace for its long run, with natural ups and downs during the holiday period. The total India gross collection currently stands at 198.28 crore. Given the usual jump in footfalls during the weekend, the movie is guaranteed to cross the 200 crore gross mark in India by today, its 16th day. This puts Karuppu in an elite club of high-earning regional films that have managed to sustain interest deep into their theatrical run. Looking at the engagement on BookMyShow for this third Friday, Karuppu sold approximately 77,000 tickets. By doing so, it has surpassed many other blockbusters like Leo and GOAT and is trailing only behind Jailer and Amaran, which sold 135,000 and 115,000 tickets respectively on their third Fridays. While Karuppu is slightly behind these giants, its overall performance remains robust, with a total of 4,095,560 tickets booked on the platform so far. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In terms of national cinema chains, the advance bookings for Day 15 showed focused interest. PVR led the contributions with 10,000 tickets, followed by INOX with 3,800 tickets and Cinepolis with 700 tickets. This brings the total across these major chains to 14,500 tickets, generating a gross of 21.53 lakhs. These numbers indicate that while the mass centers are driving the bulk of the revenue, the urban audience in multiplexes is still contributing to the daily totals. The regional breakdown highlights Tamil Nadu as the primary contributor, accounting for 2.90 crore of the 3.73 crore gross earned on Day 15. The Andhra Pradesh and Telangana markets added 0.50 crore, while Karnataka and Kerala contributed 0.20 crore and 0.12 crore respectively. In terms of language, the Tamil version remains the dominant force with a net of 2.85 crore, while the Telugu version brought in 0.40 crore. Cities like Chennai and Coimbatore maintain healthy occupancy rates at 32.8 percent and 27.8 percent, showing the film still has legs in its home state. In the Telugu market, Hyderabad had the highest show count, with the film running across 235 shows at an overall average occupancy of over 12 percent, followed by Vizag-Visakhapatnam with the film running across 63 shows at the same average occupancy level. Globally, Karuppu is also making its mark. The film collected 1.75 crore from overseas markets on Day 15, taking its total international gross to 75.75 crore. When we combine the domestic gross of 198.28 crore with the overseas earnings, the worldwide gross collection has reached 274.03 crore. With 76,385 shows completed across its run, the movie has successfully transitioned from a strong opening into a reliable hit that continues to draw audiences into the third week.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Antony Varghese, popularly known as Pepe, has returned to the big screen with his latest action-packed thriller, Kattalan. Directed and written by Paul George, the film has generated a lot of curiosity due to its rugged forest setting and its unexpected ties to the wider Marco universe. Set in the village of Aanakolli, the story follows Maari, played by Antony, who initially appears to protect the villagers from rogue elephants but eventually becomes an even greater threat. With a powerful background score by KGF Fame Ravi Basrur, the movie had a mid-week release on Thursday and has posted a decent set of numbers on its opening day. Looking at the numbers, Kattalan has delivered a massive career-best opening for Antony Varghese. With an India gross of 4.35 crore, it has easily overtaken his previous top openers like RDX, which earned 1.38 crore on its first day, and the 2021 hit Ajagajantharam, which opened around the 1-crore mark. This jump in opening-day figures is a clear indicator of Pepe's rising bankability as a solo lead. On its first day, Kattalan collected a net of 3.80 crore at the Indian box office, which was achieved across 3,358 shows nationwide. When we look at the gross collections, the film earned 4.35 crore in India. Since the overseas numbers are yet to trickle in, the worldwide gross currently stands at 4.35 crore. For a film primarily rooted in the Malayalam market, these are healthy starting figures, especially considering it released on a working Thursday. It is also important to note that the film is currently navigating a significant screen crunch, as Drishyam 3 is simultaneously running in theaters and dominating a major portion of the available screens. The performance was heavily driven by the home state, Kerala, where the movie saw strong footfalls. In Kerala alone, the film grossed 3.50 crore, while other regions like Karnataka and the Telugu states provided additional support. Here is the state-wise gross breakdown for the opening day: (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Kerala: ₹3.50 Cr APTG (Andhra Pradesh & Telangana): ₹0.30 Cr Karnataka: ₹0.18 Cr Tamil Nadu: ₹0.09 Cr Rest of India: ₹0.30 Cr Analysing the language-wise performance, the Malayalam version contributed the lion's share of the revenue, netting 3.25 crore with an impressive 48% occupancy. The film also saw a multilingual release, with the Hindi version bringing in 0.28 crore and the Telugu version adding 0.20 crore. The Tamil and Kannada versions had a quieter start, contributing 0.05 crore and 0.02 crore, respectively. In terms of major regions, Kochi stood out with an exceptional 77.8% occupancy, while Trivandrum also performed well at 42.3%. Kattalan Movie - Day 1 India Net CollectionLANGUAGEINDIA NET COLLECTIONMalayalam₹ 3.25 CrHindi₹ 0.28 CrTelugu₹ 0.20 CrTamil₹ 0.05 CrKannada₹ 0.02 CrTotal Day 1₹ 3.80 Cr (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The ticket sales data reflects a positive trend as well. On BookMyShow, Kattalan sold 61.86K tickets in the last 24 hours alone, bringing its total sales on the platform to 126.73K tickets so far. Looking at the national chains, the film sold over 1,100 tickets in advance across PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis. The majority of these sales came from PVR, which accounted for more than 800 tickets. Overall, Kattalan has had a solid start, particularly in the Kerala market. The dark themes and high-octane action sequences seem to be resonating with the core audience. While the Hindi and Telugu versions had a slow start in terms of occupancy, the upcoming weekend will be crucial for the film to gain traction in these markets. With a unique plot and a strong lead performance by Antony Varghese, the movie is expected to see a significant jump in collections over Friday and Saturday.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, May 18 - Maddock Films' Cocktail 2 is among the most-awaited Bollywood films of the year. The buzz for the film is getting stronger with each passing day, with chartbuster music dropping every week. The romantic drama starring Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Rashmika Mandanna is scheduled for June 19, and the makers are set to unveil the trailer soon. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) During an earlier event in Mumbai attended by the film's lead cast, along with director Homi Adajania, producers Dinesh Vijan and Luv Ranjan, and music composer Pritam Chakraborty, the makers announced that the trailer of the sequel would be launched on May 29. However, the latest development is that the trailer has been delayed, and it will now be released on June 2nd. The makers clarified that the delay in the trailer will not affect the film's release. While the reasons for the sudden change have not been disclosed, it appears to be part of a broader promotional strategy, as the makers want to keep the buzz alive, leading to the theatrical debut. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The premise of the film is not known yet, and the upcoming trailer is expected to showcase the film's central themes of relationship drama, humour, and emotional conflicts. Apart from the film being a sequel to a successful film, its casting is another major plus, which seems to be a major factor driving the buzz. Directed by Homi Adajania, who also helmed the original Cocktail, the upcoming film is described as a spiritual successor rather than a direct sequel. It revisits themes of friendship, romance, and emotional complexities set against a contemporary urban backdrop. The original film, featuring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Diana Penty, became a memorable hit due to its music and fresh take on relationships.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

The Georgekutty legacy continues to redefine the boundaries of Malayalam cinema. Ever since Jeethu Joseph and Mohanlal first introduced us to the world of Drishyam, the franchise has become a global phenomenon. With the release of Drishyam 3, the anticipation was at an all-time high, and the first eight days of its theatrical run have lived up to every bit of that hype. The film has not only dominated the local market but has also made a significant impact on the international stage, proving that well-crafted thrillers have a universal appeal. Looking at the performance on day 8, which was the second Thursday, the film showed incredible stability. It collected 6.50 crore net across India, which is just a minimal 2.3% drop from the previous day. This kind of hold on a weekday, especially after a massive opening week, suggests that the movie is benefiting from very strong word-of-mouth. So far, the film has been screened across 38,373 shows, maintaining a healthy occupancy rate even in its second week. The Malayalam version remains the primary driver, particularly in the home state of Kerala. When we break down the collections by region for the first week, it is clear that the movie is a massive hit across South India. Kerala, as expected, led the charts with a staggering gross. Here is how the state-wise gross collections look for the opening week: Kerala: ₹62.65 Cr Karnataka: ₹11.59 Cr APTG (Andhra Pradesh & Telangana): ₹7.98 Cr Tamil Nadu: ₹7.25 Cr Rest of India: ₹5.44 Cr Total India Gross (8 Days): ₹94.91 Cr (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The international performance is where Drishyam 3 has truly smashed records. The film has already crossed the 10 million dollar mark in overseas collections within just seven days, a feat rarely achieved by regional films. According to reports from Venky Box Office, the North American market has been a major contributor. By Wednesday, the film had earned 42,000 dollars, taking its total in North America to a solid 1.77 million dollars. On its eighth day, the overseas market added another 5.50 crore, bringing the total overseas gross to 103 crore. This brings the overall worldwide gross collection to 197.91 crore, just a few steps away from the 200 crore milestone. The ticket sales data provides further evidence of this dominance. On BookMyShow, Drishyam 3 has sold over 3.16 million tickets by the end of its first week. To put this into perspective, this places it at the number two spot for the highest ticket sales for a Malayalam film since 2024, trailing only behind Empuraan. The film has consistently seen over 200,000 tickets sold daily on the platform throughout its first week. Additionally, ticket sales through national chains have crossed the 300,000 mark, excluding premiere shows, which highlights its massive reach across multiplexes. Drishyam 3 (Malayalam) - India Net Collection BreakdownDAYINDIA NET COLLECTIONDay 1 (1st Thursday)₹ 15.85 CrDay 2 (1st Friday)₹ 11.05 CrDay 3 (1st Saturday)₹ 13.70 CrDay 4 (1st Sunday)₹ 13.85 CrDay 5 (1st Monday)₹ 7.70 CrDay 6 (1st Tuesday)₹ 6.50 CrDay 7 (1st Wednesday)₹ 6.65 CrDay 8 (2nd Thursday)₹ 6.50 CrTotal India Net (8 Days)₹ 81.80 Cr (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In the all-time records for Mollywood, the film has secured the second spot for the highest first-week net collection, with the Malayalam version alone netting 70.65 crore. The occupancy rates in major regions like Kochi and Trivandrum have stayed exceptionally high, often exceeding 50% to 70% even on weekdays. In Bengaluru and Chennai, the film continues to draw large crowds, maintaining its position as the top choice for moviegoers. With the second weekend approaching, Drishyam 3 is poised to enter the elite 200 crore club by today, cementing its status as one of the biggest hits in the history of Malayalam cinema. Check out the top 5 Week 1 Malayalam Movies: L2: Empuraan - ₹80.70 Cr Drishyam 3 (Malayalam) - ₹70.65 Cr Vaazha 2: Biopic of a Billion Bros - ₹55.05 Cr Thudarum - ₹50.34 Cr Lokah: Chapter 1 - Chandra - ₹42.45 Cr