BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 9 - After the massive success of Chhaava and a potential big success of the upcoming film Eetha, director Laxman Utekar is reportedly setting the wheels in motion for his next directorial venture. According to the latest industry reports, the director has approached Hrithik Roshan to headline an ambitious new film, although the project is still in its early stages and no agreement has been finalised yet. As per a Variety India report, Laxman Utekar recently narrated the script to Hrithik Roshan, who is said to have responded positively to the concept. However, the superstar is yet to make a final decision, as he is currently occupied with multiple commitments. If everything falls into place, the project will mark the first-ever collaboration between the actor and the acclaimed filmmaker. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Laxman Utekar has emerged as one of Bollywood's most successful directors in recent years with films such as Luka Chuppi, Mimi, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, and the blockbuster historical drama Chhaava. He is currently awaiting the release of Eetha, a biographical drama starring Shraddha Kapoor, before moving on to his next feature. Meanwhile, Hrithik Roshan has an exciting slate ahead. The actor is currently focused on the pre-production of his directorial debut, Krrish 4. He will be next seen in Rajinikanth's Jailer 2 as he has already shot his cameo on June 22 and June 23 in Chennai. While reports of his collaboration with Laxman Utekar have generated considerable buzz, the project may take some time to start as Hrithik also has a movie with Hombale Films.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

The Dhamaal franchise has been a staple of Hindi comedy for years, known for its slapstick humor and an ensemble cast that usually brings chaos to the screen. As Indra Kumar prepares to release the fourth installment, Dhamaal 4, tomorrow on July 10, there is already significant news regarding the future of the series. According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, the makers are so confident in the latest film that they have ended it with a direct hint of a sequel. A source mentioned that a specific sequence at the end of the movie indicates that Dhamaal 5 is already in the offing, promising another madcap entertainer for the fans. Directed by Indra Kumar, Dhamaal 4 sees the return of the franchise core members including Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Sanjay Mishra, and Jaaved Jaaferi. To keep the dynamic fresh, new faces like Esha Gupta, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Anjali Anand, and Ravi Kishan have been added to the mix. The film is produced by a large team including Ajay Devgn and Bhushan Kumar, and the industry is keeping a close eye on how this ensemble will perform at the box office. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Looking at the advance booking numbers, the film is showing a decent buildup for its opening day. So far, the all-India advance booking gross stands at 1.13 crore, excluding block seats. If we include block seats, that figure jumps to approximately 3.33 crore. A total of 44,659 tickets have been sold across 7,626 shows for the first day. Most of the sales are coming from the standard 2D format, which has contributed nearly the entire gross amount, while premium formats like 4DX are just beginning to see some movement. As we reach midday on July 9, the performance in national cinema chains is showing steady growth leading into tomorrow's release. Based on the latest tracking, PVR has sold approximately 7,100 tickets for a gross of 29.30 lakh. INOX follows with about 3,550 tickets and a gross of 10.95 lakh, while Cinepolis has added roughly 1,030 tickets for a gross of 3.35 lakh. In total, these major national chains have already accounted for approximately over 11,000 tickets and a combined gross of around 43 lakh as the film enters its final countdown before hitting theaters. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The momentum on digital platforms like BookMyShow also indicates a rising interest as the release date nears. On July 7, the platform saw 6,170 tickets booked, which significantly increased to 21,260 tickets on July 8. This brings the total tickets sold on the platform to approximately 27,430 so far. More recent tracking shows that between 11 am and 12 pm today, another 2,100 tickets were sold, bringing the total since 9 am this morning to 5,220 tickets. This hourly acceleration is a good sign for the film's spot bookings tomorrow. Regionally, the National Capital Region and Mumbai are the primary drivers for the advance bookings. NCR has recorded a gross of 21.48 lakh across 948 shows, a figure that goes up to 66.68 lakh if we include block seats. Mumbai follows with 19.47 lakh from 744 shows, reaching 41.32 lakh with block seats. While real occupancy in these major hubs currently stands at 2 percent, both cities have already seen one almost full show and several filling fast statuses. Hyderabad is performing slightly better in terms of engagement with a 5 percent occupancy across 230 shows, earning 6.18 lakh. Interestingly, Chennai reports the highest occupancy at 14 percent despite having a smaller window of 59 shows, contributing 2.37 lakh. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In other markets, Ahmedabad has grossed 4.26 lakh across 438 shows, while Jaipur and Bengaluru have collected 3.85 lakh and 3.33 lakh respectively. Other cities like Pune, Kolkata, and Surat are currently seeing more modest movement, with gross totals ranging from 1.50 lakh to 2.90 lakh. Although overall occupancy levels are mostly around 1 percent right now, the presence of filling fast shows across multiple regions indicates that demand is starting to pick up. With the news of a fifth installment already being teased, the makers of Dhamaal 4 seem to be leveraging the strong franchise recall across these major urban centers.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 9 - The first six months of 2026 have painted an interesting picture for the Indian film industry. While a handful of blockbuster releases dominated the box office and broke multiple records, some high-profile films struggled to justify their massive budgets. Overall, the period from January 1 to June 30 witnessed a healthy theatrical market led by Hindi cinema, while Malayalam films continued to punch above their weight with remarkable overseas performances. The biggest story of the year was undoubtedly the phenomenal success of Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, which emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film of the year by a massive margin. The Ranveer Singh-led action spectacle crossed 1800 crore worldwide, making it one of the biggest Indian successes in history. It was followed by Border 2, while Telugu cinema contributed one major success in the form of Mana ShankaraVaraprasad Garu. Tamil cinema's biggest performer was Karuppu, which comfortably crossed the 300 crore mark worldwide. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Top 5 Movies Overall – All-India (First Half of 2026) Rank Movie Language India Gross Worldwide Gross Footfalls (India) 1 Dhurandhar 2 Hindi ₹ 1375.00 Cr ₹ 1813.00 Cr 4.50+ Cr 2 Border 2 Hindi ₹ 393.00 Cr ₹ 450.00 Cr 1.58 Cr 3 Peddi Telugu ₹ 288.00 Cr ₹ 340+ Cr N/A 4 MSVPG Telugu ₹ 258.50 Cr ₹ 301.50 Cr 1.27 Cr 5 Karuppu Tamil ₹ 229.00 Cr ₹ 310.00 Cr N/A Hindi cinema enjoyed the strongest headline performance thanks to Dhurandhar 2 and Border 2, but the overall success was largely concentrated among a few event films. Telugu cinema delivered mixed results, with the only major success being Mana Shankara. The box office collections alone did not always translate into commercial success, as some expensive productions failed to recover their investments despite respectable worldwide numbers. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Malayalam cinema once again proved why it continues to be one of India's most consistent film industries. Films like Vaazha 2 and Drishyam 3 not only performed exceptionally well in Kerala but also generated huge revenues overseas. The industry continued to benefit from its strong presence in international markets, especially across the Gulf region, allowing several medium-budget films to achieve impressive worldwide totals. Tamil cinema also experienced a mixed first half. While Karuppu emerged as a blockbuster and became one of the biggest Tamil hits of the year, mid-budget films such as Thaai Kizhavi and Blast also delivered solid numbers, indicating that audiences were willing to support well-made commercial entertainers beyond star-driven spectacles. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Top 5 Hollywood Movies Rank Movie India Gross Worldwide Gross 1 Obsession ₹ 100.15 Cr ₹ 3850+ Cr 2 Project Hail Mary ₹ 89.50 Cr ₹ 6436+ Cr 3 Michael ₹ 83.65 Cr ₹ 9050+ Cr 4 The Devil Wears Prada 2 ₹ 35.90 Cr ₹ 6400+ Cr 5 Lee Cronin's The Mummy ₹ 30.00 Cr ₹ 30.00 Cr Hollywood releases maintained a steady presence in India, with films such as Obsession, Project Hail Mary, and Michael attracting strong urban audiences. However, their worldwide collections were naturally driven by international markets rather than India, making domestic box office comparisons with Indian films less meaningful. Kannada cinema endured a relatively quiet first half compared to other industries. No Sandalwood release managed to create a nationwide impact, and the industry's highest-grossing films remained significantly behind their counterparts from Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi cinema. The second half of the year will be crucial for Kannada cinema to regain momentum. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Surprise Indian Successes S. No. Movie Industry India Gross Worldwide Gross 1 Thaai Kizhavi Kollywood ₹ 71.65 Cr ₹ 82.00 Cr 2 Vaazha 2 Mollywood ₹ 149.50 Cr ₹ 235.25 Cr 3 Aadu 3 Mollywood ₹ 59.10 Cr ₹ 120.10 Cr 4 Blast Kollywood ₹ 61.00 Cr ₹ 75.40 Cr One of the most encouraging trends of the first half was the continued success of content-driven cinema. Films like Thaai Kizhavi, Blast, and Aadu 3 exceeded trade expectations despite not carrying the scale or hype of pan-India spectacles. Their performances reinforced the fact that audiences continue to reward strong storytelling and positive word of mouth. At the same time, a few expensive productions struggled to meet expectations. Despite collecting well worldwide, some big-budget releases were unable to secure profitable theatrical runs due to their enormous production costs. This once again highlighted that worldwide collections alone are no longer sufficient to determine a film's commercial success. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Hyped but Failed/Underwhelmed Movies S. No. Movie Industry India Gross Worldwide Gross 1 The Raja Saab Tollywood ₹ 174.15 Cr ₹ 208.40 Cr 2 Peddi Tollywood ₹ 288.00 Cr ₹ 340+ Cr 3 Patriot Mollywood ₹ 36.75 Cr ₹ 80.00 Cr Overall, the first half of 2026 can be described as top-heavy but healthy. Films across industries have grossed around 6500 crores at the Indian box office in the first 6 months, which is better than the first halves of the previous post-pandemic years. Bollywood produced the year's biggest blockbuster, Telugu cinema delivered mixed results, Malayalam cinema continued its remarkable consistency, and Tamil cinema found success through both star vehicles and mid-budget entertainers. As the industry heads into the second half of the year with several highly anticipated releases on the horizon, the box office appears well-positioned to build on an encouraging start to 2026.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Cocktail 2 has reached a significant milestone in its theatrical run as it enters its third week. The film has officially surpassed the lifetime worldwide collection of Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, which stood at 139 crore. With this achievement, Cocktail 2 has secured a spot in the top five highest-grossing romantic comedies in Indian cinema since 2012. This steady performance highlights the sustained interest in the genre when backed by a strong franchise name. On its twentieth day, which was a Wednesday, the film collected a net of 0.45 crore across India. When compared to the previous day’s net of 0.50 crore, this represents a 10 percent drop, which is a standard trend for a film at this stage. The movie maintained a presence across 1,172 shows during the day. Taking a closer look at the cumulative figures, the total India net collection now stands at 93.90 crore, while the total India gross has reached 111.93 crore. Globally, the film is performing well, with a worldwide gross collection of 142.33 crore achieved across more than 1,04,000 shows so far. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The international market continues to be a steady contributor to the film's success. On Day 20, the overseas collection was 0.10 crore, taking the total overseas gross to 30.40 crore. According to data tracked by Venky Box Office, the film earned 13,000 dollars in North America on Tuesday, bringing its total in that region to 1.45 million dollars. As the film's pace begins to slow down, it remains to be seen if it can cross the 1.5 million dollar mark by the end of its theatrical run. If it manages to reach this figure, it will be Shahid Kapoor's second film as a solo lead to hit the 1.5 million dollar milestone in North America, following Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, which finished with approximately 2.50 million dollars. In terms of audience engagement on digital platforms, BookMyShow recorded 6,520 tickets booked on Wednesday, following 11,530 tickets on Tuesday. This brings the total tickets sold on the platform to approximately 16,34,640. Looking at the performance in national cinema chains for Wednesday, PVR led the way with roughly 1,460 tickets sold for a gross of 4.75 lakh. INOX followed with approximately 840 tickets and a gross of 1.90 lakh, while Cinepolis contributed about 520 tickets with a gross of 1.17 lakh. In total, these major chains accounted for roughly 2,820 tickets and a combined gross of 7.80 lakh for the day. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The overall occupancy for the Hindi 2D version stood at 13.99 percent on Wednesday. Similar to previous days, the night shows saw the highest footfalls at 17.15 percent, while morning shows started at around 6.6 percent. Regionally, Mumbai led the occupancy charts among major hubs with 13 percent across 99 shows. The National Capital Region followed with 11.8 percent across 167 shows, while Ahmedabad and Bengaluru both recorded an occupancy of 10.3 percent. These numbers indicate that the film is still holding a decent grip in metropolitan areas even as new releases arrive. Top 5 Rom-Coms Since 2012 - Worldwide GrossMOVIE NAMEWORLDWIDE GROSSYeh Jawaani Hai Deewani₹ 318.00 CrTanu Weds Manu Returns₹ 258.00 CrTu Jhoothi Main Makkaar₹ 223.00 Cr2 States₹ 173.10 CrCocktail 2₹ 142.33 Cr

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Samantha Ruth Prabhu made a highly anticipated return to the big screen with the action-drama Maa Inti Bangaaram, marking her first release after a three-year hiatus following Kushi. While the film was produced on a controlled budget estimated between 20 crore and 30 crore, it managed to recover its entire investment through pre-release business alone. This high demand allowed the movie to enter a pure profit zone from its very first day. Currently, its global performance is nearly three to four times its initial production cost, making it a significant commercial success. Looking at the Day 20 performance, which fell on its third Wednesday, the film earned an India gross of 0.46 crore. This shows a slight uptick from the previous day gross of 0.45 crore. In terms of net earnings, the movie collected 0.40 crore on Wednesday, representing a 2.6 percent growth compared to Tuesday. This steady momentum across 1,016 shows is noteworthy for a film entering its fourth week in theaters. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The cumulative totals for Maa Inti Bangaaram highlight its strong theatrical run. The total India gross now stands at 68.64 crore, while the total India net collection has reached 59.29 crore. On the international front, the film has grossed 26.60 crore overseas. According to data tracked by Venky Box Office, the movie earned 15,000 dollars (approx. 12.5 lakh) in North America on Tuesday, taking its total in that region to a significant 2.04 million dollars (approx. 17.10 crore). When we combine these figures, the total worldwide gross collection currently stands at approximately 95.24 crore. This milestone has been achieved across a total of 42,106 shows since its release. A regional breakdown of the collections shows that the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (APTG) market remains the strongest contributor, with a cumulative gross of 51.24 crore. On Day 20 specifically, this region added 0.37 crore to the gross. Karnataka has also been a major territory, contributing a total gross of 10.77 crore so far. Interestingly, the film is now just 72 lakh behind the Karnataka box office collection of HIT: The Third Case. With this performance, Samantha has surpassed the career-best Karnataka collections of stars like Nani, Balakrishna, and Naga Chaitanya. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In other states, Tamil Nadu has contributed a total gross of 5.31 crore, while Kerala and the rest of India have added 0.23 crore and 1.09 crore respectively. For the Telugu version on Day 20, the overall occupancy was 11.12 percent. Hyderabad led the major regions with 13.5 percent occupancy across 208 shows, followed by Vizag at 12.5 percent and Bengaluru at 12.3 percent. These consistent occupancy rates across the third week suggest that the film is still finding an audience in urban centers. The audience engagement is also visible on digital platforms. On BookMyShow, the film saw 6,310 tickets booked on Wednesday, following 8,240 tickets on Tuesday. This brings the total number of tickets sold on the platform to approximately 15.41 lakh. This level of sustained interest on a booking platform is a good indicator of the film’s long-tail potential in theaters. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Looking at the national cinema chains for Wednesday, PVR recorded approximately 470 tickets sold for a gross of 1 lakh. INOX and Cinepolis followed with roughly 230 and 390 tickets respectively, contributing a combined gross of about 1.30 lakh. In total, these major chains accounted for approximately 1,090 tickets and a combined gross of 2.35 lakh for the day. While these are smaller numbers compared to the opening week, they reflect the typical tapering off seen in a movie’s third week of release. With its worldwide gross now approaching the 100 crore mark, Maa Inti Bangaaram has solidified its position as a profitable venture for its producers and distributors. For Samantha, this successful comeback confirms her drawing power at the box office, particularly in the southern markets.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

The Golmaal franchise has been a cornerstone of Indian comedy for nearly two decades. Since its debut in 2006, Rohit Shetty has managed to turn this ensemble caper into one of the most successful film series in the country. As the team works on the fifth installment, officially titled Golmaal FIVE, new details are emerging about the cast and characters that indicate a shift from the typical formula of the series. According to an exclusive report by Variety India, the National Award-winning actress Priyamani has joined the cast in a significant role. Interestingly, she is set to portray a negative character, which is a departure from the usual casting choices in this franchise. Priyamani is no stranger to working with this team; she previously collaborated with Rohit Shetty on the popular dance number 1 2 3 4 Get on the Dance Floor in Chennai Express and shared the screen with Ajay Devgn in the biographical sports drama Maidaan. Seeing her in a villainous arc within a comic setting will be an interesting addition to the film's entertainment quotient. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The production, which officially went on floors in February 2026, has already made headlines for its massive casting choices. The biggest surprise was the addition of Akshay Kumar, marking a major casting coup for the franchise. Trade buzz suggests that Akshay might also be taking on a negative comedic role, adding a fresh layer of conflict to the story. Alongside him, the original gang is back in full force, featuring Ajay Devgn as Gopal, Arshad Warsi as Madhav, Tusshar Kapoor as Lucky, Shreyas Talpade as Laxman, and Kunal Kemmu as the second Laxman. Notably, Sharman Joshi is making a return to the franchise for the first time since the original 2006 film. Beyond the primary cast, franchise favorites like Johny Lever, Sanjay Mishra, Mukesh Tiwari, and Ashwini Kalsekar are all confirmed to return. However, there is a notable twist in the storytelling this time. Reports suggest that Golmaal FIVE will move away from traditional romantic subplots. There will reportedly be no primary heroine or romantic track for Ajay Devgn's character, shifting the entire focus toward the ensemble group madness and the chaotic dynamics between the characters. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Looking back at the box office history of this franchise, the trajectory has been one of steady growth. The journey began with Golmaal: Fun Unlimited in 2006, which earned approximately 47 crore worldwide and was a Superhit. Its sequel, Golmaal Returns in 2008, saw an increase in collections, grossing about 82 crore globally. The franchise hit a new peak with Golmaal 3 in 2010, which became a Blockbuster with a worldwide gross of 162 crore. The most recent entry, Golmaal Again in 2017, remains the highest earner of the series, grossing roughly 309 crore worldwide. With a combined total of over 600 crore from four films, the expectations for the fifth part are naturally quite high. The makers are currently aiming for a massive theatrical release in early 2027. This timing is intentional, as it will mark the 20th anniversary of the franchise that started it all. With the inclusion of stars like Akshay Kumar and Priyamani alongside the veteran cast, Rohit Shetty seems to be scaling up the production to ensure the milestone year is met with a significant commercial impact.