BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 18 - Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has triggered a fresh controversy surrounding the 2023 hit OMG 2 after claiming that the film's original concept was his idea and that he was never credited for his contribution. The actor alleged that he had worked on the story with filmmaker Amit Rai years before the project took shape, but the script underwent major changes after Akshay Kumar came on board, eventually leading to his exit from the film. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) According to Rawal, the initial version of OMG 2 was significantly different from the one that eventually reached theatres. He claimed that the original story did not feature a divine character and that his name was omitted despite contributing to the film's conception. The actor expressed disappointment that he received no story or concept credit after the project moved forward without him. Producer Ashwin Varde has strongly denied the allegations, calling Rawal's claims "baseless, untrue and unsubstantiated." Varde further alleged that Rawal had once attempted to develop OMG 2 without Akshay Kumar, describing such an effort as "unethical." He maintained that the film was developed independently and insisted that Rawal's version of events does not reflect what actually transpired during the making of the sequel. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Director and writer Amit Rai has also rejected Rawal's assertions, stating that the screenplay and concept of OMG 2 were his own work. Rai denied that the film originated from Rawal's idea, effectively dismissing the actor's claims of creative ownership. With both the producer and director publicly refuting the allegations, the dispute has escalated into one of the biggest behind-the-scenes controversies surrounding OMG 2, reigniting discussions about authorship, story credits and creative recognition in the Hindi film industry.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 18 - Singer-composer Kshitij Tarey, known for memorable tracks such as Aye Khuda, Madno and Javeda Zindagi, says composing the music and background score for the upcoming web series Ab Hoga Hisaab allowed him to explore the emotional depth of its characters. The series, starring Mouni Roy, Sanjay Kapoor and Shaheer Sheikh, features two original songs composed by Kshitij Tarey, including the title track sung by him and the romantic number Saaiyaan Ve sung by Shaan. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Speaking about what made him connect with the story, he said, "When I came on board, the story immediately connected with me. It had so many emotional layers, and capturing the protagonist’s journey through music was both challenging and fulfilling. Along with the background score, creating two completely different songs for the series made the experience even more exciting," Tarey said. The singer said composing for a web series differs from films due to its episodic storytelling and changing viewing habits. "The essence of background music remains the same — it always serves the story and the characters. But with a web series, you compose across multiple episodes and also keep in mind that audiences are largely watching on personal devices, which naturally influences the treatment of the music," he added. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Tarey also spoke about collaborating with veteran singer Shaan, calling him an inspiration both professionally and personally. "He is an exceptional artiste and an even better human being. Every interaction with him is a learning experience, whether it’s his approach to singing or the stories he shares from his journey in the music industry," he said. Reflecting on the enduring popularity of songs like Aye Khuda, Madno and Javeda Zindagi, Tarey said the biggest reward for any artiste is knowing that their music continues to resonate with listeners. "When people tell me that my songs stayed with them during some of the most emotional phases of their lives, it means everything to me. There’s no greater satisfaction than knowing your music has become a part of someone’s personal journey," he said.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

The collaboration between Natural Star Nani and director Srikanth Odela has become one of the most anticipated projects in Tollywood's 2026 calendar. Titled The Paradise, the film serves as a high-stakes reunion for the duo following their 2023 blockbuster, Dasara. While the project has been under wraps for some time, recent market developments have highlighted just how massive this spectacle is going to be. In a major development for the trade circuit, the theatrical rights for the Nizam region have reportedly been bagged by Mythri Movie Makers. Industry insiders suggest the deal was closed for a reported ₹37 crores, an unprecedented figure for a Nani starrer in this territory. This deal serves as a strong market signal, indicating high distributor confidence in Srikanth Odela's vision and Nani’s box office pull. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The scale of The Paradise is significantly larger than anything Nani has attempted before. The film is being produced on a staggering reported budget that has now escalated into the ₹160 to ₹200-crore range. To put this into perspective, this budget effectively triples the cost of Nani's other concurrent franchise, HIT: The Third Case, which was made for a reported ₹70 crores. The spike in production costs is attributed to director Srikanth Odela's meticulous action choreography and the ambitious nature of the shoot. On the casting front, Nani is set to appear in a rugged transformation as a raw, heavy-bearded fighter named Jadal (or Dhagad). The film also marks the intense Telugu debut of Bollywood actor Raghav Juyal, who plays the primary antagonist, Vikram Malik. Adding further weight to the ensemble is veteran actor Mohan Babu, who portrays a character named Shikanja Malik, alongside Kayadu Lohar and Sonali Kulkarni in pivotal roles. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) While fans were initially expecting an August release, the latest industry buzz indicates a shift in the timeline. Originally locked for August 21, 2026, the film is reportedly facing production delays as approximately 30 to 35 shooting days are still pending. Trade reports now reveal that the team is targeting a late September release, specifically September 24 or 25, 2026. This extra time is believed to be necessary to ensure the high-octane action sequences meet the global standards the makers are aiming for.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

With Dhurandhar 2: Raw & Undekha having completed more than a month of streaming on JioHotstar since its early June premiere, the performance data of the first film is being revisited as a key market indicator. Comparing the global reach of the edited version against the domestic success of the uncut release offers significant insights for producers and advertisers about the specific pull of raw content in the Indian market. Currently, RRR (Hindi) maintains its position as the most viewed Indian film on Netflix with approximately 46.25 million views. However, Dhurandhar has secured a strong second place on the all-time list with 38.6 million views, outperforming other major hits like Jawan (35.3M), Animal (33.4M), and Gangubai Kathiawadi (32.84M). These figures, which exclude direct-to-digital releases, reflect the film's standing through June 2026. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) A closer look at the Netflix data shows that Dhurandhar remained in the Global Top 10 for ten consecutive weeks. The viewership pattern was steady, starting with 7.6 million views in its first week and peaking at 8.2 million in the second. Interestingly, the film saw a significant resurgence in its eighth week, jumping back up to 2.3 million views. This late-stage push was a direct result of the buzz surrounding the release of the sequel, showing how new theatrical installments can revive interest in older catalogue titles. Here is the week-wise Netflix viewership breakdown for Dhurandhar: 1st Week – 7.6 Million 2nd Week – 8.2 Million 3rd Week – 2.9 Million 4th Week – 2 Million 5th Week – 1.3 Million 6th Week – 1 Million 7th Week – 1 Million 8th Week – 2.3 Million (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) However, the most intriguing data point comes from the comparison between platforms. While Netflix streamed a cut version of the film for a global audience, JioHotstar carried the Raw & Undekha (uncut) version specifically for the Indian market. The difference in numbers is stark. While Netflix's best global week recorded 8.2 million views that week with 28.1 million hours viewed and 10 weeks in the Top 10, JioHotstar reported that their uncut version garnered more than 32 million views in India within just three days of its release. The marketing strategy played a major role in this domestic surge. Using the campaign line, India Ruka Bhi, JioHotstar Par Dekha Bhi, the platform positioned the film as a national viewing event rather than a standard digital release. The fact that an India-only platform claimed 32 million views in 72 hours—surpassing the global weekly numbers of a giant like Netflix—highlights the massive domestic demand for uncut, mass-market Hindi entertainment.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 17 - Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema's Evil Dead Burn has delivered a strong performance at the Indian box office, emerging as the biggest opening week for a horror film released in 2026. The supernatural horror title wrapped up its first seven days with an impressive 25 crore gross, comfortably surpassing the 22 crore-plus opening week of Curry Barker's Obsession. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The film collected 2+ crore gross on its seventh day, taking its first-week total to 25 crore gross. Despite facing competition from multiple Indian releases, Evil Dead Burn maintained steady collections throughout the week, with South India and major metropolitan cities leading its business. The result underlines the growing appetite for horror films among Indian audiences. The latest instalment in Sam Raimi's iconic Evil Dead franchise has also achieved another significant milestone by making India the biggest international opening weekend market for the film. During its opening weekend, the movie grossed approximately 15+ crore, outperforming every overseas territory outside North America and highlighting the franchise's strong fanbase in the country. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) With positive word-of-mouth and limited direct competition in the horror genre, Evil Dead Burn now has an opportunity to extend its theatrical run over the coming weeks. Having already overtaken Obsession to register the biggest first week for a horror film in India this year, the film has established itself as one of Hollywood's notable box office successes in the Indian market in 2026. Earlier, Obsession had an excellent run at the Indian box office. Despite starting slowly, the thriller grew exceptionally over the weeks due to extremely positive word of mouth. It became only the second Hollywood horror title to surpass the 100 crore gross mark in India, to emerge as one of the biggest non-Indian titles. It needs to be seen how far Evil Dead Burn can go.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

The arrival of a Christopher Nolan film is often treated more as a global event than a standard movie release, and The Odyssey is certainly living up to that reputation. For months, the buzz surrounding this project has been building, fueled by Nolan’s commitment to large-format practical filmmaking. As the film finally makes its debut today, it is not just the technical scale that is making headlines, but the critical reception as well. With a staggering 98 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, it has officially become the highest-rated film of Nolan’s career, surpassing iconic masterpieces like The Dark Knight and Memento. To give you some context on how impressive this critical acclaim is, the film currently sits above Oppenheimer and Dunkirk in the director's filmography rankings. This level of praise is undoubtedly a driving force behind the strong turnout we are seeing in India. Technically, Nolan continues to push boundaries, as the film is designed for the rarest of cinematic experiences. It has been confirmed that only 40 cinemas worldwide possess the specific technical capability to screen The Odyssey in its intended 70MM IMAX format, making it a rare artifact for cinema purists. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In India, the anticipation for Christopher Nolan's latest project translated into a final pre-sale tally of approximately 3,39,490 tickets on BookMyShow. This performance places The Odyssey at the fourth spot in the list of highest Hollywood pre-sales in the country, trailing behind Deadpool and Wolverine (505K), Avatar: Fire and Ash (474K), and The Conjuring (443K), while moving ahead of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (248K). The momentum saw a sharp spike as the release approached, with daily bookings jumping from 36,910 tickets on Tuesday to a massive 1.14 lakh tickets on Thursday alone. This trend has carried into the release day, with real-time data showing over 50,110 tickets sold between 7 am and 1 pm today, including 12,730 tickets booked in the single hour between 12 pm and 1 pm. Looking at the live box office performance, The Odyssey has collected a net of ₹4.04 Cr across India so far on its first Friday. This corresponds to a gross collection of ₹4.77 Cr. The film is currently playing across 4,154 shows nationwide. When we break these numbers down by language, it is clear that the English version is the primary driver, contributing roughly ₹3.26 Cr. The dubbed versions are seeing more modest starts, with Hindi at ₹0.46 Cr, Tamil at ₹0.17 Cr, and Telugu at ₹0.15 Cr. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The occupancy rates for The Odyssey show an exceptional trend across different languages and formats, especially for a morning start. The English version is the primary driver with a 70 percent occupancy across 2,113 shows. In contrast, the Hindi version is running on 1,468 shows with an occupancy of 10 percent. The South Indian markets are showing more immediate interest, with the Tamil version recording 22 percent occupancy over 227 shows and the Telugu version reaching 25 percent across 346 shows. These figures contribute to a total of 4,154 shows nationwide for the opening day. Premium formats are witnessing massive demand, which is typical for a Nolan directorial. The English IMAX 2D screenings are leading the charge with an overall morning occupancy of 73.86 percent. In Bengaluru, this format is performing exceptionally well with 85 percent occupancy for its 29 shows. Other major hubs like NCR and Mumbai are also seeing strong numbers with 70 percent occupancy for 46 shows and 56 percent occupancy for 50 shows respectively. The English 4DX format is also drawing a respectable crowd, maintaining an overall occupancy of 42.29 percent. Regionally, Bengaluru leads this format with 47 percent occupancy for 40 shows, followed by NCR at 23 percent for 35 shows and Mumbai at 17 percent for 21 shows. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The regional distribution for English 2D screenings highlights strong engagement in South India. Chennai is currently leading with 39 percent occupancy across 118 shows, while Hyderabad follows closely at 36 percent across 286 shows. Other key metros like Bengaluru and Pune have recorded occupancies of 17 percent for 439 shows and 16 percent for 180 shows respectively. In the northern and western markets, Mumbai is at 9 percent for 400 shows and NCR is at 8 percent for 481 shows during the morning period. The regional language screenings are also contributing steadily to the day one numbers. In the Telugu market, Vizag has seen 29 percent occupancy across 48 shows, while Hyderabad is at 28 percent for 86 shows and Vijayawada is at 20 percent for 48 shows. The Tamil market shows high interest in Salem with 33 percent occupancy for 28 shows, while Chennai and Coimbatore are at 25 percent for 139 shows and 24 percent for 49 shows respectively. In the Hindi belt, Mumbai is at 7 percent for 161 shows, NCR at 6 percent for 291 shows, and Ahmedabad at 5 percent for 181 shows. These figures suggest that while the English version remains the primary choice for the morning shows, the dubbed versions are finding their footing in specific regional pockets. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In the national chains—PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis—the daily advance for today has been significant. Based on round-off figures, PVR has sold approximately 34,500 tickets, while INOX has moved about 23,200. Cinepolis has contributed roughly 6,000 tickets to the total. This brings the total advance bookings in national chains to about 63,800 tickets for the opening day. These figures highlight that the urban multiplex audience is currently the backbone of the film's Indian run. As the day progresses and evening shows commence, we expect these occupancy numbers to climb even higher. The combination of record-breaking reviews and the promise of a unique technical spectacle has made this a must-watch for many. To see how the general public and critics are responding to this epic journey, we have compiled a series of reactions from viewers who caught the early shows. Here is what audiences and film enthusiasts are saying about Christopher Nolan's latest cinematic journey. #TheOdyssey in #IMAX Review - Magnificent ! Rating : 4/5Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus The Odyssey is an outstanding cinematic experience. A must see in IMAX to get that big screen format feel of a technically brilliant film. The writing, actors along with technical team… pic.twitter.com/nAwJmxfVsh— Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) July 17, 2026 #TheOdysseyReview ~ Once in a Generation Masterpiece!Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Before writing anything, lemme put this in words: “Even GOD can’t prepare you for the CINEMATIC PEAK that you are going to WITNESS in these three hours.” 🔥Yes, #TheOdyssey is not just a film but an… pic.twitter.com/wuVvrRkigl— CineHub (@Its_CineHub) July 16, 2026 #TheOdyssey Technically Brilliant, A True Cinematic Experience!The first 30 minutes takes time to get going, but once Odysseus’ journey back begins, the film is exhilarating. Some sequences genuinely feel like a horror movie, while others play out like a proper commercial film.…— Venky Reviews (@venkyreviews) July 17, 2026