TOXIC (Hindi) collected 4.50 crore nett on Tuesday as the rejection of the film meant pretty much a flat Tuesday despite the discounted ticket rates. The first week collection has come to 131.50 crore nett. This is the third highest first week collection of the year after DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE and BORDER 2 but the issue is nothing much is to come from here on.

This next two days might add another 6 crore nett for an extended first week total of around 137 crore nett. 150 crore nett will be tough from here as the film will see another let down on Friday when MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE arrives. The film will see better numbers in the likes of Bihar, Odisha and CP Berar when compared with other films released this year. However, that's mainly down to the first day. In Odisha, it will probably have a similar figure to BORDER 2.

The all India business of all the versions is 214 crore nett apprx over the first week with limited contribution from all the southern states. The extended first week will fall short of 225 crore nett and from there, it will be just some collections for the Hindi and Kannada version. But this will not be enough to take it to 250 crore nett.

The collections of TOXIC (Hindi) are as follows.

Wednesday - 53,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 18,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 14,75,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 4,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 4,50,00,000 apprx

With ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-ups’ in theatres now, Yash is giving undivided attention to his next ambitious release, ‘Ramayana: Part 1’. While the Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash-starrer has generated enough buzz, we’ve heard that the two male leads plan to take their epic to fans across India through special interactions.

According to an industry insider, Kapoor — who plays Lord Ram — will spearhead a fan meet-up in Delhi on October 31, while the South star will host the Bengaluru leg on November 1.

“The idea is to create a pan-India connect. Ranbir and Yash will lead the interactions in their respective cities,” said a source.

The team is also said to be planning a summit in Hyderabad, potentially a day before the Nitesh Tiwari-directed venture’s India release on November 8. Details of the event are still being worked out.

The source added, “The exact format has yet to be finalized, but over 4000 people are expected to attend. The makers want to ensure the film travels to the South belt. That said, the official première of ‘Ramayana’ will be in Mumbai.”

Put Mithun Chakraborty, Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, and Jackie Shroff in one frame, and you can expect an action extravaganza. That’s exactly what Baap promises. Now, producer Ahmed Khan has also woven in an element of dance in it.

While the movie’s principal shoot was wrapped up in April 2025, mid-day has learnt that Khan and director Vivek Chauhan recently filmed a music video with the four leading men and Johny Lever.

Think of it as a stylised promotional track that will highlight the heroes’ action set-pieces from the movie.

A source from the creative team revealed, “A peppy dance number featuring the four actors, and another track celebrating their camaraderie were to be shot last year. However, only the latter was filmed in the jungles of Mizoram and in Film City, Mumbai. The dance track was finally shot in June. A set depicting a mill was created at Madh Island for the purpose.”

Considering Baap is high on stunts designed by action directors Parvez Shaikh and Ravi Varma, Zee Studios as well as Khan felt portions of it should be incorporated in the single. The source added, “It’s intercut with different action set-pieces. For instance, one sequence has Sunny and Sanjay fighting on top of a Boeing plane; it may make the cut.”

For Khan, it was wonderful to see the four stars shake a leg together. “It was great fun to have the true action heroes dancing and doing dialoguebaazi,” he told mid-day, while the director added, “Seeing these macho icons together in one frame is a cinematic feast!”

Actor Rashmika Mandanna is set to resume shooting today after taking a month-and-a-half-long break following a hip injury she suffered on the set of her action thriller Mysaa in July.

Revealing how the injury happened, she tells us, “The tendon in my hip bone snapped while shooting a song. I felt the snap but continued shooting till I couldn’t lift my right leg. The next day, I visited the hospital and got an MRI. I was my happy self so the doctors didn't suspect an injury. The doctors were then surprised that I managed to walk up to the hospital all by myself. They told me my pain receptors are messed up!” She adds, “I have to be careful once I resume.”

Although doctors cleared her to return to work within a week, Rashmika chose to resume in just a day. She says, “I’m resuming the shoot for Ranabaali in Hyderabad because it’s up for release soon and I have 10 days of shoot left. I have two other films to shoot after that; I have my months planned, and I’m getting anxious looking at my calendar.”

The break gave her time to catch up on sleep, spend time with family, read and solve puzzles — things she says she’ll miss once she is back to her packed schedule. It also allowed her to spend quality time with her husband, actor-producer Vijay Deverakonda, for the first time since their wedding in February this year.

She shares, “We didn’t get to see each other for three months after the wedding; we would just speak on the phone. This was the universe’s way of saying, calm down, I will keep you at home now. This is the most time we have spent together and it was strange but nice. He likes watching serious shows and K-dramas are my thing, so now we watch both. I have managed to convert him already.”

Vijay, she says, would like more such downtime, but without the circumstances that brought it about. “Vijay says, ‘Let’s have more of this, but next time without an injury!’” she laughs.

She adds that time flies when one is spending precious moments with family. “It didn't feel like I was unwell because I don't like to depend on anyone to help me. I cant just be on the bed, waiting for someone to help me get off it. I like to believe I'm fit to do things by myself. So I had a good time making memories with the family."

As actor Swara Bhasker continues to face backlash for her remarks about the depiction of jauhar in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat (2018), the film’s co-writer Prakash Kapadia has come out in defence of the scene, citing deep research and historical accuracy.

“We made the film according to our research and what is written in history books,” says Kapadia, who co-wrote the film alongside Bhansali.

He adds, “Every person interprets the film differently. What we showed including the jauhar scene was the reality of those times, it cannot be changed now. The situation was that of ‘do or die’. Woh log (the male warriors) kesariya kar ke utare thhe.”

In Rajput tradition, Kesariya refers to the men dressing in saffron (kesari) robes and marching into a battle to fight to the death when victory is impossible.

Reacting to Bhasker calling the portrayal “problematic”, Kapadia says that while he hasn’t been following Swara’s comments, the controversy feels unnecessary to him.

“It depends on the person’s mood, even if it’s a good film and you watch it with a bad state of mind you will find it bekaar. It’s also about intention; whether you are going as a viewer, or watching it to find something controversial, or to find negativity... With Padmaavat, people had raised objection even before watching the film and had protested on the streets. The same conversation is continuing years later, so what can I say, let people say what they want to."

Sonu Sood is walking the talk about being there for those in need. He reached Kathmandu on Tuesday to help the victims of the horrific Nepal floods.

Talking to HT City from ground zero, he says, “Yes I am here, at a place called Nuwakot, it’s among the most affected areas. Meeting those families, the survivors was heart-wrenching. We are trying to do a lot of relief work for them- from arranging food supplies, medical help to shelters. We have been to many camps, met families. We have noted down their details too.”

Sonu took to Instagram on Tuesday and shared a carousel of pictures where he is seen meeting the children who have survived the floods.

He wrote in the caption, “They lost their homes, their families, their childhood…but together, we will help them find a new beginning. Nepal, you are not alone.”

The actor, who had garnered immense goodwill for helping people during the Covid outbreak too few years back, adds as he speaks to us, “The situation on ground is not good. All the relief camps are full of heartbroken people, especially Nuwakot. The debris here are unreal. Whole houses have been buried under the slush. I visited the miracle green house too which has survived, and met the family living in it. A lot of people have lost their livelihoods. It is important for us to come together in this hour of need. If you find any details or connection to some survivor, try to help them. Our charity is doing their bit. You can also get in touch with us, we will do whatever we can.”

Akriti Kakar was 16, when she first met Palash Sen. She’d been chosen to open for Euphoria at a show in Udaipur; an opportunity that was thrilling and intimidating in equal measure for the singer. “I was a teenager who was in awe of The Palash Sen when I first met him. His humility made me believe he’s for real!” she recalls.

What stayed with her was not just meeting the frontman of a band she admired, but the warmth she received from the entire group. “They were so supportive and loving and encouraging to a 16-year-old girl who nobody knew about at that point.”

Over the years, that first impression only deepened. Akriti laughs that while she grew older, “he visibly grew younger and only cooler”. The admiration gradually turned into friendship, and eventually, a relationship she describes as that of a big brother, guide and friend.

For Palash, too, the relationship began with admiration. He remembers watching a very young Akriti perform at Euphoria concerts and being struck by not just her voice but the way she carried herself. 

“With Akriti, I think the respect came first,” he says. “She conducted herself with such dignity, poise, which is rare in these times. I was always such a fan of hers. She’s such a dynamic person, strong and brave, the way she has handled her life. I say, ‘Darr ke aage Akriti hai’. Duniya mein koi dar, koi cheez nahi hai aisi jo Akriti nahi overcome kar sakti.”

There is also plenty of laughter between them. Palash recalls that whenever they meet, it becomes a “laugh riot”.

That chemistry was particularly evident while shooting their latest music video Oh Jaanu. Their director would reportedly have to wait for the two to finish laughing before continuing the shoot. “I’m a very private person, but I’m just so comfortable with her, she is like a sister. I hold her in high regard, and I admire her as an artist,” says Palash.

Their professional equation has grown alongside their friendship. Akriti says, “Collaborating with Palash Da is a bumper lottery for multiple reasons. He’s a big bucket list tick mark for me! Having grown up on his iconic songs like Maeri and Kaise Bhoolegi Mera Naam, having him collaborate with me on this incredibly mental track is more special than I can possibly express.”

When she approached him for Oh Jaanu, his response meant as much to her as the collaboration itself: “If you’re doing it, I’m on. I trust you with your creative decisions, tu kuch achha hi karegi.” Their bond has also spilled beyond music. “Akriti recently gifted me idols of Shiva, Ma Durga and Vaishno Devi. I feel my house is blessed. Akriti keeps blessing me always, she’s such a pure soul.”

Mumbai: Amid the din created by big-budget Indian and Hollywood movies, several faith-based films that amalgamate personal stories with cardinal ideas of deities and saints have scored strong success at the box office. These include films such as Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate (Gujarati, 2025), Hanuman Ansh (Hindi, 2026) and Irumudi (Telugu, 2026), all of which were made on small budgets and feature faith-based but non-mythological stories.

Made on budgets ranging from Rs. 2 crores to Rs. 35 crores, these films have collected Rs. 45-Rs. 140 crores from the box office. Critically, some of the films have weathered stiff competition from big-budget movies such as Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-ups, Dhurandhar The Revenge and Hollywood spectacle films in India.

These films drive the importance of community experiences, faith and spirituality in bringing audiences to theatres, producers, distributors and exhibitors told ET.

A key aspect that binds these films is that they are not devotional in the traditional sense. They are about existential problems and how fundamental teachings of a saint, or a deity, help people to deal with these problems.

"These films weave faith into mainstream storytelling elements such as family, emotion, mythology and culture, thereby extending their appeal beyond believers," said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director of film production and distribution firm Karmic Films.

Irumudi is the story of an alcoholic father. On his daughter's request, he performs a 41-day Ayyappa Deeksha by abstaining from alcohol. After dealing with big challenges, he gets reformed. Laalo features an auto-rickshaw driver who is guided by Lord Krishna to come to terms with his past and mistakes. Hanuman Ansh tells the legendary stories that occurred in the life of the saint Neem Karoli Baba.

In India's vast cinematic history, there are many examples of successful faith-based films. Jai Santoshi Maa, which was released a few months before Sholay in 1975, stood up to the competition and collected close to Rs. 5 crore on a budget of Rs. 30 lakh.

"Faith has always been part of our storytelling. As the world becomes more uncertain and complex, people often return to faith for comfort and strength. That is also why films like Laalo, Irumudi and Deool Band 2 connect with audiences," said film producer Naveen Chandra.

According to a 2025 study by the Pew Research Centre, 82% of Indian adults describe religion as very important in their lives. Also, a 2026 study across 180 countries reported in the academic journal Wellbeing, Space and Society found that chances of people reporting stress nearly doubled in the past eighteen years. Audiences have appreciated the simplicity of these faith-based films, said exhibitors.

"These films have been made with the right intentions. Audiences who value culturally rooted stories rewarded it," observed Vishek Chauhan, chief executive of Roopbani Cinema, a single-screen theatre in Bihar.

Producers increasingly believe that faith-based films can be a sustainable genre given their favourable economics of low budget, no reliance on stars, community experience and high word-of-mouth communications.

TOXIC (Hindi) collected 123 crore over its extended five day weekend with dwindling collections every day as Sunday was the lowest day of the five days. This is despite the Raksha Bandhan period when collections are inflated in certain states. The film started off with such a huge 53 crore nett first day that you would think even on a worse case scenario it would get to 200 crore nett. That would have been a fair result.

Now with the coming falls it could be struggle to reach even 150 crore nett. The rejection is similar to what films like THUGS OF HINDOSTAN (2018) and ZERO (2019) faced. TOXIC, after a 50 crore nett plus opening day, will now be targeting a 5 crore nett Monday and considering how the weekend has gone, it would be no surprise if it does not get there. The fate of the film is worse in South as the home market of Mysore/Karnataka collected 47.50 crore nett including collections of the Hindi version. The rest of the southern states are even worse.

KGF - CHAPTER 2 did 135 crore plus lifetime in Mysore/Karnataka while KANTARA: A LEGEND – CHAPTER 1 was 190 crore plus. KGF - CHAPTER 1 did almost 100 crore and here its looking 60-65 crore nett end. For the biggest Kannada film in history, it will be less than both DHURANDHAR and DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE. Not to forget that Hindi films have limitations in Mysore/Karnataka.

The collections of TOXIC(Hindi) are as follows.

Wednesday - 53,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 18,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 14,75,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

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TOXIC had a disappointing weekend overseas but its not a huge surprise as Kannada films don't have much of a market and a lot is down to other versions to score. Here, it came down to Telugu version for initial and eventually Hindi version. Unlike India, the Hindi version was going to be dependent on the content as the craze was not like India and there is not much to say on the content now. The film got a big deal in terms of Overseas distribution rights but the risk is there being a Kannada film which has a far less audience than the other South Indian film industries.

The film collected $4 million overseas in five days and there will be nothing much coming post the weekend. The collections in India for the five day weekend were 200 crore nett apprx (241 cr GBOC) which gave it 278.50 crore for the extended five day weekend total worldwide. If we take the normal 3 day weekend, then the film stood at 210 crore apprx which is less than KANTARA: A LEGEND – CHAPTER 1 which managed 216 crore. KGF - CHAPTER 2 was a phenomenal 535 crore over the normal three day weekend.

The worldwide collections of TOXIC worldwide for its extended weekend for all versions are as follows. 

India - 241 crore (200 crore nett)

Overseas - 37.50 crore ($3.9 million)

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TOXIC (Hindi) went down further on Monday, as expected, with collections of 4.25 crore nett only. The film had pretty much crashed over the weekend and so, there was no hope for Monday. For the record, the total stands at 127 crore nett for six days. The first week will be around 131 crore nett and the extended first week will probably be around 137 crore nett.

This probably means that the film will fall short of the 150 crore nett mark. The results are like THUGS OF HINDOSTAN and BESHARAM, where the first day is 35% of the total business of the film. The film may not have done well in Hindi but the results are far worse in South as it collected 2 crore nett in Mysore/Karnataka and its all India total will be around 7 crore nett.

The collections of TOXIC (Hindi) are as follows.

Wednesday - 53,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 18,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 14,75,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 4,25,00,000 apprx

Starting at 250 theaters and coming down to 25 in a week and now running in 1,200 screens in the fourth week, doctor-turned-debutant writer-filmmaker Dr Vishal Chaturvedi’s Hanuman Ansh on Neem Karoli Baba is doing wonders at the box office.

Calling it “magical, divine and driven by the audience,” he says, “At Rs. 1.7 cr, we just wanted the audience to watch and the investment to return but it did wonders (according to data Rs. 45 Cr only in India and counting). We have stopped looking at collections and counting the blessings, appreciation and love.”

Vishal is himself surprised with the “grace.” He says, “I guess what worked in the film primarily is Baba’s divine story (played by actor Shobhinaw Satyaa), music and the actors and makers who are very emotional about the subject. We hardly did any promotion and PR as we did not have any budget, but the audience played the role of PR with word-of-mouth and posting on social media. The audience have driven the film on their shoulders.”

He recalled how August 15 big releases hit them. “Due to the big films (Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2,) our shows were reduced to just 25 screens but they kept running well. The audience wanted to watch but there were no shows, so people travelled 200-250 kms and posted on SM. There were videos that even after the film ended, the audience were so emotional that they did not get up from their seats. Probably that all worked which no PR can do.”

They did bhandaras instead on PR exercise. After the shows were reduced, they did a road trip from Mumbai. “We went to Rajkot, Surat, Ahmedabad and even small towns where we met the audience, local media and cinema owners. We did not have funds, so we amplified it on social media, and it was boosted by content creators and users with very emotional reels. It organically became viral and shows increased,” he says.

The film has been shot in Chitrakoot and has used Braj, Awadhi and Bundeli language to connect with the wider audience, he says.

A Lucknowite, Vishal completed his MBBS from Gorakhpur in 2006 and in the same year was posted in Haldwani when he got introduced to Baba and went to his ashram in Kainchi Dham (Uttarakhand) where he became a bhakt.

“In 2011, I stopped medical practice and came into writing and assisting in film. I have also worked with Anubhav Sinha for a few years and have assisted in films Hurdang (2024), Dedh Bigha Zameen (2024) and some shows too. My medical profession helps me a scientific and skeptical approach,” says the writer of TV series Fauji 2.

He also runs a Hanuman Chalisa Club which has 12,000 members.

As per Sacnilk, after 25 days it has earned gross collections to ₹53.82Cr and net collections to Rs. 45.63Cr so far.