Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 949
11:27 PM
TOXIC HAS A RECORD FIRST DAY; WILL IT HOLD OVER THE WEEKEND?
The much-awaited film, Toxic, finally released on Wednesday, August 26, and opened with a bang. The Hindi version was expected to open in the range of Rs. 40 crores. Trade and industry had ruled out that the Hindi version would cross the day 1 of KGF - Chapter 2’s Hindi version, which was Rs. 52.50 crores. However, Toxic’s Hindi version did the unthinkable. It managed to earn Rs. 53.50 crores. The support from the mass centres has been extraordinary, leading to such a huge number. The collections in the original Kannada version were record-breaking. The all-India gross from all languages was around Rs. 115-120 crores.
Thursday, August 27 was a working day. As a result, a drop was expected. But the film dropped more than expected. In Hindi, the collections came down by more than 50% as it collected around Rs. 23-25 crores. The drop was even more for all-India and all-languages, around 70%.
A big reason for this drop is said to be word of mouth. Most viewers have criticized the film’s content, especially the climax. Yet, such a big drop was expected on Monday, not on the second day.
The Hindi version is holding up the best. Tomorrow is a partial holiday due to Raksha Bandhan. That may help in some way, and the weekend, too, would prove beneficial. However, the Thursday trend suggests that another shot at Rs. 50 crore in a day won’t be possible. On its fourth day, KGF - Chapter 2’s Hindi version had earned around Rs. 50 crores, as the reports were encouraging. That sadly is not the case here.
All eyes are now on Monday. That would be the real test and would indicate what the film’s lifetime would be.
The much-awaited film, Toxic, finally released on Wednesday, August 26, and opened with a bang. The Hindi version was expected to open in the range of Rs. 40 crores. Trade and industry had ruled out that the Hindi version would cross the day 1 of KGF - Chapter 2’s Hindi version, which was Rs. 52.50 crores. However, Toxic’s Hindi version did the unthinkable. It managed to earn Rs. 53.50 crores. The support from the mass centres has been extraordinary, leading to such a huge number. The collections in the original Kannada version were record-breaking. The all-India gross from all languages was around Rs. 115-120 crores.
Thursday, August 27 was a working day. As a result, a drop was expected. But the film dropped more than expected. In Hindi, the collections came down by more than 50% as it collected around Rs. 23-25 crores. The drop was even more for all-India and all-languages, around 70%.
A big reason for this drop is said to be word of mouth. Most viewers have criticized the film’s content, especially the climax. Yet, such a big drop was expected on Monday, not on the second day.
The Hindi version is holding up the best. Tomorrow is a partial holiday due to Raksha Bandhan. That may help in some way, and the weekend, too, would prove beneficial. However, the Thursday trend suggests that another shot at Rs. 50 crore in a day won’t be possible. On its fourth day, KGF - Chapter 2’s Hindi version had earned around Rs. 50 crores, as the reports were encouraging. That sadly is not the case here.
All eyes are now on Monday. That would be the real test and would indicate what the film’s lifetime would be.
Toxic collects 53.50 cr on Day 1 in Hindi
3:19 PM
Box Office India Trade Network
TOXIC (Hindi) has recorded an outstanding first day of around 53.50 crore nett which is far higher than expectation not only pre release but what it looked like coming out yesterday as the collections coming from mass circuits are simply outstanding. Shockingly Bihar has set an all time record beating the phenomenal record of PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE. The single screen figures in the circuit are at a level which is unthinkable though Eid has helped. CP Berar is closing on in 4 crore and here there has been a limited Eid affect. Both single screen dominated circuits are out of the roof.
The collections has edged past KGF - CHAPTER 2 but that is down to the figures in South as the Hindi version here has put up almost 1 crore nett more than what the 2022 Yash starrer did in South and that is basically the difference between the two films. It sits as the highest non sequel film from the South by a distance as it doubles up the SAAHO figures.
If we take the all time list for Hindi films, then TOXIC will be the fifth highest opening ever after PATHAAN, JAWAN, PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE and DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE. The hero of the film, Yash, has managed to create a very strong market in the Hindi belts with the KGF films and the opening here proves that. Its not the sequel factor here like it was KGF - CHAPTER 2 and PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE. When the mass pockets get these results, it means stardom is there. The reports are not like KGF - CHAPTER 2 and PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE and yet, this opening has come.
There is an advantage of not coming from the Telugu film industry as it will enable the films when made at these costs to keep away from a South feel which is tougher for the Telugu lot of stars. This makes a big difference in terms of initial when its not a sequel. The reports of the film are not so great but momentum is there for the film and if the fall today is around 40% it would mean another very good day.
As the Hindi version has gone over 50 crore nett, the 100 crore nett all India figure is back in play but that will be known later. All in all, this is an outstanding result on the first day with the Hindi version being a stand out and that's what's needed with a budget like this.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day's near 500 cr lifetime may mean no King this Christmas
3:05 PM
Box Office India Trade Network
SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY is closing in on the 500 crore nett mark as it hits 475 crore nett plus in three weeks. Like AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER fell a little short of 400 crore nett, this film may fall a little short of 500 crore nett. But these are just pointless benchmarks for the media today as it hardly matters if its 490 or 500 crore.
The biggest takeaway from this will be is it will make it difficult for a big Hindi film to release this Christmas as AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY is a bigger film than SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY. KING is due for release for Christmas and obviously huge numbers will be expected. But its pretty much impossible to have any chance to meet those expectations if you release with AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY looking at the figures of SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY and where it has accumulated these collections from..
AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY will also be affected but there the studio will hardly care and India is not so important in the bigger scenario. The problem will be that the best markets of KING, be it South and the bigger centres will be the best markets for DOOMSDAY as well. If the Hindi film was for Gujarat, CI Rajasthan or even Punjab, then it would be lesser of an issue but its not the case here as these will be the under performers for KING and AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY.
At the moment, KING is set to arrive on Christmas but logically it looks pretty much impossible unless you take the call that AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY will fall flat but no one can do that. There is also DUNE: PART THREE on the same day and again its best markets will be same as KING and AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY. A smaller Hindi film with lesser expectations targeting the Hindi mass belts can come but not a big budget film like KING. Basically KING should not come but they way this industry is functioning today, it does make some very bad decisions.
Batwara 1947 collects 31.04 cr in 10 days
2:59 PM
Box Office India Trade Network
BATWARA 1947 has taken a slow start due to various reasons with the main reason being one which actually you don't want to really talk about but the way it is today, its pretty much in your face. In a secular industry, its pretty much been known since years that the lead hero being a Muslim character is not the best way to go and that's why the lead would generally be Shankar, Ajay, Vijay Ravi etc. There will be exceptions as some Muslim socials did huge business but it was not the norm. Even when the biggest star of the country, Amitabh Bachchan, played a Muslim lead in COOLIE (1983) that film matched a previous blockbuster like KRANTI (1981) everywhere except Punjab and Haryana where the business was 50% of the latter. It does not take Einstein to figure out why.
Today the scenario is known by the whole industry and its pretty certain this mistake will not be repeated in a big film until there is an actual change in the country. The film also does not have the initial elements like action and music. So, it becomes about word of mouth but limited to gentry crowd as the Hindi belts are not likely to come on board. The plus is the film has got a good release due to the clout of Aamir Khan Productions and PVR Inox despite the stronger competition but does it have the merits to take benefit of that. Time will tell.
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BATWARA 1947 had a slow start and it did not really make up much ground either as it collected 5 crore nett apprx on the first day. There is a huge holiday on Saturday. Hence, it will jump but as the the first day is low, its a must to at least double up from here and get a Saturday and Sunday with double digit collections.
The trailer of the film did not offer much as it looked a slow paced film with a lack of action and no music either to attract the audience. Sunny Deol was not in the BORDER element or even JAAT. So, basically it became a word of mouth film relying on the emotional content of the film. The film has done a little better in Delhi/UP and Rajasthan but East Punjab could have been better considering its a partition based film.
There was also the competition of AWARAPAN 2 but even if you take that out its unlikely this would have opened much better as simply there is a only a limited audience which is going to go to watch this sort of film on the first day. Its about the reports for a film like this and even then its about the older audience in the bigger centres which means a very limited audience.
Independence Day falling on Saturday also means its not the best holiday weekend as this film would have jumped on Saturday anyway. For a film like AWARAPAN 2, it does not matter much as its opened but this film could have done with the holiday falling on Friday. It would have meant a larger audience sampling the film.
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BATWARA 1947 saw huge growth on its second as it collected a decent 12 crore nett which is a huge jump coming from the 5 crore nett on the first day. But there was a good chance this would happen but the tougher part is Sunday and whether the film can hold up in double digits. The reports and all that may be fine but the problem is a limited audience and its tough for the film to collect at these levels.
It got the benefit of Independence Day on Saturday but on Sunday the film will face an issue with the evening and night collections which will make it tougher to get into double digits. The total business of the film in two days is 17 crore nett which is not good enough considering the size of the film.
The two day collections of the film are as follows.
Friday - 5,00,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 12,00,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 17,00,00,000 apprx
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BATWARA 1947 had a poor first weekend as it grossed 23.50 crore nett. There was the jump in business on Saturday due to Independence Day but even with that 140% jump, it was not really good enough and it was just about a decent Saturday when business needed to be good. Basically despite the huge growth, it still needed more.
The film got into double digits on Saturday but after the low opening the task was always going to be to remain there on Sunday and it fell well short as collections dropped heavily on Sunday. The film lacks mass appeal and that is why collections have dropped so much on Sunday. It has a limited audience and would have got a lot of its Sunday audience on Saturday due to the holiday.
A Sunny Deol film today has to be front footed with mass appeal and this was the opposite. Also the content of the film may have good intentions and the way religion is dealt with compared with other films. Sadly box office results in recent past show there is not much space for this at the moment and films like these have to take that cinematic liberty and go a certain way. Muslim character main leads have been few and far between in the 100 plus years of Hindi cinema and today it is probably the worst period to attempt this. The results here means its pretty certain this will not be happening for some time.
The weekend collections of BATWARA 1947 are as follows.
Friday - 5,00,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 12,00,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 6,50,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 23,50,00,000 apprx
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BATWARA 1947 had a huge fall on Monday which was coming but you would not have thought to this extent. The film is a huge flop and such a result makes it clear you cant go against the prevailing sentiment across most of the country. This sentiment can change at some point and maybe it can be said this will be for the better which can allow these type of films to be made. But at the present, its the ANTI sentiment that works. BATWARA 1947 is probably heading for a 29 crore nett first week and not much thereafter.
The collections of BATWARA 1947 are as follows.
Friday - 5,00,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 12,00,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 6,50,00,000 apprx
Monday - 1,50,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 25,00,00,000 apprx
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BATWARA 1947 collected 2 crore nett on Tuesday which was a healthy gain from the previous day but it hardly matters as the weekend figures were just not good enough and Monday just rubber stamped its fate. The losses will be huge and the film does not have a digital deal also as yet. At least, that was the scenario at the time of release.
The collections of BATWARA 1947 are as follows.
Friday - 5,00,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 12,00,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 6,50,00,000 apprx
Monday - 1,50,00,000 apprx
Tuesday - 2,00,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 27,00,00,000 apprx
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BATWARA 1947 had a horrible first week as it collected around 29 crore nett with the last day of the week not even doing 1 crore nett. The capitulation post the Saturday, when it got some sampling, means its more than just good or bad film. This sort of capitulation does not even come with those action films which are soulless like BAAGHI 4 or ATTACK.
This film will not be soulless and will have drama and emotions and the trend normally for these when they don't work is low weekday collections which are stable. Here the weekdays are crashing like nine pins and worse than a bad action film. The industry would have pretty much worked out what has gone wrong here to have such bad collections and no one will attempt this type of film until there is a change signs of change with the audience and there will be at some point but when no one knows. At the moment films like THE TAJ STORY do 20 crore and THE KERALA STORY 2: GOES BEYOND does 45 crore. You can call them Anti or propaganda films but they are getting in an audience far above their worth.
Here, BATWARA 1947 is far bigger film and far superior in terms of cinema but will be taking middle ground on the divides and hatred will be calling it a day at around 35 crore nett.
The first week collections of BATWARA 1947 are as follows.
Friday - 5,00,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 12,00,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 6,50,00,000 apprx
Monday - 1,50,00,000 apprx
Tuesday - 2,00,00,000 apprx
Wednesday - 1,00,00,000 apprx
Thursday - 75,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 28,75,00,000 apprx
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BATWARA 1947 had a dull second weekend as it collected a little more than 2 crore nett takings its ten day total to 31 crore nett. the film will fall short of the 35 crore enett mark mark and finish with lifetime business of 33 crore nett.
The collections of BATWARA 1947 are as follows.
Week One - 28,94,00,000
Friday - 50,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 75,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 85,00,000 apprx
Second Weekend - 2,10,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 31,04,00,000 apprx
Awarapan 2 collects 134.58 cr in 10 days
2:49 PM
Box Office India Trade Network
AWARAPAN 2 has seen a fantastic start all over and is basically a HIT already considering the costs of the film and its going to be about how big of a HIT it can become. The film had the Hit songs of AWARAPAN (2007) and it was a good teaser. So, a double digit opening day looked on the cards but this has gone far ahead of that.
AWARAPAN did not do well when it was released but the songs were a huge hit and the film played out well post release on satellite. Although this happened all those years back, AWARAPAN 2 is getting the benefit of that now. The film has that male mass audience on side in cities like Jaipur, Lucknow, Bhopal etc and when this happens, you are on a good wicket as you have reached that core audience which is a must for a big initial at least.
The advances of the film hit 1.18 lakh at the national chains which means it should do 20 crore plus on day one and the comparable will now be SAIYAARA which opened at 21.60 crore nett. Emraan Hashmi had a good career and was a good box office draw at a level until for some reason, those weird type of films like SHANGHAI and GHACHAKKAR started coming. As a result, he lost an audience but AWARAPAN 2 proves that public is there for the right content.
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AWARAPAN 2 has had an excellent first day of 22.50 crore nett as it comes up with extraordinary collections in the core Hindi markets of Northern and Central India. The standout will be Delhi/UP but East Punjab, Rajasthan. CI, West Bengal and Bihar are also superb. Nizam/Andhra is also excellent and its a territory where Emraan Hashmi films always used to outperform when the going was good.
Mumbai circuit is the underperformer but this was the case with SAIYAARA and the circuit breakdown is also pretty similar to SAIYAARA with overall collections being just a little more than the YRF film. The film is already a HIT and its just about whether the film becomes a SUPER HIT or BLOCKBUSTER film. The results post the weekend will determine that. The costs of the film are less than SAIYAARA.
AWARAPAN 2 is in the same zone as SAIYAARA, EK DEEWANE KI DEEWANIYAT and TERE ISHK MEIN. All these films have done very well and without star casts mainly because the love story has appeal for that core Hindi belt. Here in AWARAPAN 2, the love story may well be weaker but the first part was strong and its carrying the nostalgia of that film which did well post release after a weak theatrical run. The music of the first part was huge and this film is coming with the same songs.
There is a the Independence Day holiday on Saturday. Hence, the film should get a bump up but it wont be huge as the film has opened so well on the first day itself. The business is huge in those centers which don't grow much on Saturday but as its a huge holiday, they should be better. The film is lesser in the likes of Mumbai and Pune but they wont matter in the bigger picture. You would rather being taken a huge start in the Hindi belts rather than Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore.
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AWARAPAN 2 had an extraordinary second day as collections went over 30 crore nett to collect 32.50 crore nett which is a jump of over 40% from the previous day. It was a national holiday. So, the jump may seems less but when a film opens they way AWARAPAN 2 did on day one, there will always be limitations of growth even on a national holiday and a 40% jump is a great result.
This is the highest ever collection on a single day for a film which has cost less than 50 crore and its probably the first time that such a budgeted film has gone over the 30 crore nett mark. The best before this was probably THE KASHMIR FILES, which got to 25 crore nett but not 30 crore nett. The second day, like the first, also saw huge collections across North, Central and Eastern India with West and South being excellent also though comparatively less. The two day business is 55 crore nett and there will be another big day to come on Sunday and then its about the weekdays.
The collections of AWARAPAN 2 till date are as follows.
Friday - 22,50,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 32,50,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 55,00,00,000 apprx
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AWARAPAN 2 scored a fantastic first weekend as it collected 81 crore nett over the first three days. This has come for a film which hardly grossed 8 crore nett in 2007 and fared very poorly. The music was a blockbuster and the film lived on through that and got the results now in 2026. The sort of opening that film ensured success for the film.
The fact that the film opened was not a surprise it was just the level that it opened to as going over 20 crore nett is pretty insane when its such a struggle for many films to open. The film is a normal action love story film with a low budget which should give hope that regular films without scale and budget can still succeed.
The issue is this sequel factor because at the moment its this which looks to be working. Would this film with a different name and without nostalgia songs even got 30% of what it did? After all, if an original film with this cast picks up even 6-7 crore nett, it completely changes the present picture in the industry. The results here will ensure that part 2,3,4,5, etc etc will continue with franchisable films and maybe even no franchisable ones.
Coming back to AWARAPAN 2, the job is done with 80 crore nett plus on the board and whatever it gets from here is a bonus. The drop on Sunday was a little more than it should be but it will continue to collect till TOXIC next week. TOXIC will have a similar audience profile to AWARAPAN 2 and is sure to open to a good initial response. Hence, there will be limited collections for AWARAPAN 2. It will see a drop on Monday but as long as it holds well enough hereon, it will be an excellent week.
The collections of AWARAPAN 2 till date are as follows.
Friday - 22,50,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 32,50,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 26,00,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 81,00,00,000 apprx
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AWARAPAN 2 did very well on Monday collecting in the 9.25-9.50 crore nett range showing a drop of a little under 60% from the first day. The drop is on the wrong side of 50% but that would be a problem if it was a big budget film and here it hardly matters. The film is standing a 90 crore nett plus total and will clear the 100 crore nett mark today.
The film is a SUPER HIT at the very least making it the third biggest HIT of the year after DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE and BORDER 2. Going higher will depend what happens when TOXIC releases. The lifetime will depend on where it lands on Friday and then Wednesday when TOXIC arrives next Wednesday.
The film is superb in Delhi/UP with Monday also showing excellent numbers and its likely it will surpass the likes of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE and DHAMAAL 4 in ten days though its unlikely that Mumbai circuit will do the business of the latter.
The collections of AWARAPAN 2 till date are as follows.
Friday - 22,50,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 32,50,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 26,00,00,000 apprx
Monday - 9,50,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 90,50,00,000 apprx
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AWARAPAN 2 had a very good Tuesday collecting almost 10 crore nett which takes the film over the 100 nett mark. This is a first for Vishesh Films though films like RAAZ (2002) and AASHIQUI 2 (2013) are bigger HITS. The RAAZ franchise did not do well in its last installment but its obvious that there has to be another RAAZ film, looking at the box office scenario today.
The film is also the first 100 crore nett film for Emraan Hashmi and here will also be the third biggest HIT after THE DIRTY PICTURE and RAAZ 3. The film will see a drop today as is the norm on Wednesday now and then that Friday hold will be crucial in terms of the lifetime business. It will need to be around 5 crore nett on Friday to ensure that it goes over 150 crore nett as it will be shortened second week and contributions are likely to be limited after this.
The collections of AWARAPAN 2 till date are as follows.
Friday - 22,50,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 32,50,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 26,00,00,000 apprx
Monday - 9,50,00,000 apprx
Tuesday - 9,75,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 1,00,25,00,000 apprx
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AWARAPAN 2 has not only done very well in India as well as overseas as its worldwide gross crosses 150 crore in six days. It will comfortably go over 200 crore making it the fifth film to go over 200 crore this year after BORDER 2, DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE, BHOOTH BANGLA and DHAMAAL 4. The overseas collections were dominated by Gulf.
AWARAPAN 2 is actually the biggest film in Gulf this year as DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE and BORDER 2 did not release there. The film will cross the business of BHOOTH BANGLA in Gulf over the next few days which so far is the biggest in gulf this year. Gulf has contributed around 50% of the overseas business. The other markets are less but will still compete with recent releases like COCKTAIL 2, WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, ALPHA and DHAMAAL 4. The target will be to cross these films overseas and it will depend on the second weekend.
The final worldwide business could surpass DHAMAAL 4. It would have beaten that film for sure but with a midweek release for TOXIC, its difficult to say what sort of business the film will do post August 26. DHAMAAL 4 stands at around 222 crore worldwide.
The worldwide collections of AWARAPAN 2 till date are as follows.
India - 128.75 crore (107 crore nett)
Overseas - 24 crore ($2.5 million)
TOTAL - 152.75 crore
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AWARAPAN 2 saw a good hold on its second Friday as the film stabilized well after the mid week drops. The film did not jump much on the discounted Tuesday so there was hope that Wednesday could show a drop which is less than normal. However, it was not to be as the film still fell over 30% which can be called more than normal.
The key was the second Friday and and the film has held up well there and taken advantage of the no new release factor. The collections are pretty much the same as the day before and the film should now reach the 150 crore nett mark though there will be some work to be done when TOXIC releases on Wednesday. There will be a drop but its not as if the film will collect TOXIC when Toxic releases.
The second Friday is a sign that the film has been appreciated. The drops midweek means it will not be a BLOCKBUSTER but is a SUPER HIT film and the third biggest HIT of 2026 after DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE and BORDER 2. Its the part 2's dominating the box office this year so far with DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE, BORDER 2 and now AWARAPAN 2. The collections AWARAPAN 2 stand at 117.50 crore nett till date.
The collections of AWARAPAN 2 till date are as follows.
Friday - 22,50,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 32,50,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 26,00,00,000 apprx
Monday - 9,50,00,000 apprx
Tuesday - 9,75,00,000 apprx
Wednesday - 6,50,00,000 apprx
Thursday - 5,50,00,000 apprx
Week One - 1,12,25,00,000 apprx
Friday - 5,25,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 1,17,50,00,000 apprx
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AWARAPAN 2 maintained well in its second weekend as it picked up 22.50 crore nett which takes the film to almost 135 crore nett. The film will see a big drop in collections from Wednesday due to the release of TOXIC and its basically about whether the film can reach 150 crore nett. The film should be standing over 140 crore nett before TOXIC and it remains to be seen if it can get that 8-10 crore nett post August 26.
AWARAPAN 2 may not not reach the 160 crore nett of DHAMAAL 4 but will cross the figures of that film in every circuit apart from Mumbai and the Central circuits. The main gap is going to be Mumbai where the film will probably be more than 10 crore nett short. In the likes of Nizam/Andhra, West Bengal and Odisha it has already crossed DHAMAAL 4.
The collections of AWARAPAN 2 till date are as follows.
Week One - 1,12,08,00,000
Friday - 5,25,00,000 apprx
Saturday - 8,50,00,000 apprx
Sunday - 8,75,00,000 apprx
Second Weekend - 22,50,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 1,34,58,00,000 apprx
Dhamaal 4 collects 158.53 cr in 6 weeks
2:31 PM
Box Office India Trade Network
DHAMAAL 4 has collected a little over 2 crore nett in its sixth week showing a fair hold from the previous week as it takes its overall total to 159 crore nett. This will be it for the film as the two major releases, AWARAPAN 2 and BATWARA 1947, dominate the scene from here on. DHAMAAL 4 is the best performer over the June-July summer period and also got the best date as it was the last film to come come in a clogged up period.
The film has scored over the last film in the franchise by around 10 crore nett. In short, all films of the franchise have now done better than the predecessor. The film did not look like doing well with little urgency before release and the dull industry reports. However, the public has liked it well enough and that is what its all about.
DHAMAAL 4 will do around 53 crore nett in Mumbai circuit and 39 crore nett in Delhi/UP circuit with places like West Bengal and Mysore being less. The disappointment for the film is overseas where it will end up less than COCKTAIL 2 and WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE and will finish with similar numbers to ALPHA.
The collections of DHAMAAL 4 till date are as follows.
Week One - 94,91,00,000
Week Two - 38,13,00,000
Week Three - 17,93,00,000
Week Five - 5,71,00,00,000
Week Six - 2,15,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 1,58,83,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga vs 12th Fail lifetime comparison
2:27 PM
MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA is coming to the end of its run with a few lakhs more to add and will close with a 59 crore nett total. The film has edged past a similar film, 12TH FAIL, which was released in 2023. The similarities are in that both did the box office in a similar way starting with around 1 crore nett on the first day and both catered to the gentry audiences with regional differences.
The main regional difference is that 12TH FAIL appealed more in the West (read mainly Mumbai Pune) and for MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA, it was the North (read Punjab and NCR). Both films did well from where they started and can be called mini breakouts. Before the pandemic these would have been seen as huge breakouts but in the last few years there have been films like THE KASHMIR FILES and MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA which show nothing is impossible even with low starts. These are the new real breakouts like the era of the past.
This sort of stuff would happen in the older days in the single screen era with films starting with nothing and then running for weeks and weeks and challenging the top films. But generally in the multiplex era, before the pandemic, it was like you may start with 2-3 crore and get to 50-60 crore nett with 100 crore nett being pretty much impossible. THE KASHMIR FILES and MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA showed what is possible today even with low initial figures and like the old days BLOCKBUSTER success is possible with hardly any start. In that 2000-2020 era you could reach HIT level only.
The cost of 12TH FAIL is one third of MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA. This is why its a HIT film and MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA is not. MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA needed a bigger breakout or a bigger initial.
The lifetime circuit figures of 12TH FAIL and MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA are as follows.
Mumbai
12th Fail - 18,72,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 14,06,00,000
Delhi/UP
12th Fail - 13,67,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 16,52,00,000
East Punjab
12th Fail - 4,58,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 9,67,00,000
Rajasthan
12th Fail - 2,57,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 2,44,00,000
CP Berar
12th Fail - 2,67,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 1,71,00,000
CI
12th Fail - 2,40,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 1,40,00,000
Nizam/Andhra
12th Fail - 1,77,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 1,79,00,000
Mysore
12th Fail - 4,01,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 5,60,00,000
Tamil Nadu/Kerala
12th Fail - 66,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 81,00,000
West Bengal
12th Fail - 2,78,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 2,51,00,000
Bihar
12th Fail - 1,85,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 1,19,00,000
Assam
12th Fail - 59,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 63,00,000
Odisha
12th Fail - 1,15,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 64,00,000
TOTAL
12th Fail - 57,42,00,000
Main Vaapus Aaunga - 58,97,00,000
(Crisp) Movie Review: TOXIC by FENIL SETA
2:58 PM
Toxic tells a story which must have sounded very interesting on paper. A few scenes are arresting while the scale is huge. Sadly, the goings-on are bizarre. One wonders where the story is heading. The twist is unexpected, but it doesn’t suit the zone and genre of the film at all. It ended up making the big-budget Toxic into a film festival type of cinema. The other problem with the film is that it was not ready until the last minute. Imagine a film whose shoot commenced in 2024 and wrapped in 2025, yet had its first show cancelled in 2026 because the print failed to arrive on time, as the makers were still putting the final touches on the film just hours before release! This has happened with several South films in the past. For a film of Toxic’s scale, such last-minute chaos reeks of unprofessionalism on the part of Yash and Geetu Mohandas. Speaking of performances, Yash puts in a lot of effort and looks dashing. But he also hams in a few scenes. Kiara Advani is the best performer in the film followed by Nayanthara. Both look stunning and perform ably. Tara Sutaria is a surprise; Huma Qureshi and Akshay Oberoi are dependable as always. Rukmini Vasanth is okay and her track is silly and boring. All in all, Toxic is a plain disappointment.
My rating - * ½ out of 5!
My rating - * ½ out of 5!
Don 3 row: Ranveer Singh urges IMPPA to stay out, warns of legal action
11:14 AM
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 24, 2026)
Eight months since Ranveer Singh exited Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Don 3, the controversy continues. Things took a fresh turn at the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association’s (IMPPA) August 18 meeting. mid-day has found out that the actor’s legal team apparently submitted a letter stating that IMPPA shouldn’t intervene and if it passes a decision in the matter, Singh will take legal recourse.
Apparently, this isn’t his first letter urging IMPPA to dismiss the complaint. After Akhtar and Sidhwani filed their complaint with the body, claiming Rs. 45 crore damages over the actor’s exit, IMPPA scheduled its first meeting for August 14.
An IMPPA member, on condition of anonymity, told mid-day, “Before that meeting, Ranveer’s legal team sent a letter mentioning that he did not have a formal agreement with Excel Entertainment; instead, they had only a Memorandum of Understanding [MoU]. He also submitted a formal defence countering the Rs 45 crore claim. His letter also stated that IMPPA should dismiss the complaint as it did not fall under the body’s jurisdiction and that only the court could settle the matter. After receiving Ranveer’s letter, IMPPA postponed the August 14 meeting. When the actor’s father Jagjit Singh Bhavnani showed up, he was told that the meeting had been postponed.”
The meeting then took place on August 18. The insider added, “Ranveer’s legal team submitted another letter that stated that Excel Entertainment had no grounds to complain, and if Farhan and Ritesh want, they can take the matter to court. It also said that if IMPPA passed any resolution, then Ranveer would take the legal route. Some people in IMPPA feel that he should face the heat for walking out of a movie at the last minute.”
When mid-day reached out to Abhay Sinha, President, IMPPA, he said, “The legal teams of both parties gave their versions at the second meeting. Now IMPPA’s legal team is looking into the matter after which we’ll decide.”
We live in a world where the more aggressive you are, the more likely you are to go viral-Kunal Kapoor
11:12 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; August 24, 2026)
For Kunal K Kapoor, a four-year gap from acting was never meant to be a break from cinema. If anything, it gave him more time to reconnect with the part of filmmaking that drew him to the industry in the first place — storytelling. Now, with his Telugu debut Vishwambhara, Kannada debut Lambodhara 2.0, Nitesh Tiwari’s magnum opus Ramayana and three scripts of his own in the works, Kunal is stepping back into a busy phase of his career, but on his own terms.
He says, “The break gave me a chance to develop the stories I really wanted to tell. At my core, I am a storyteller. I’ve been writing for years and just finished three scripts. Those are films that I’d like to act in. The break happened because I haven’t got the kind of work that I was excited about, but now I see a lot of that coming around.”
‘You don’t set out to make a Rang De Basanti’
This year, Kunal’s film Rang De Basanti, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, marked its 20th anniversary. Reflecting on the film’s enduring legacy, Kunal says, “We were just telling an interesting story. It was not like we believed that we were setting out to do something so important that would be remembered 20 years later.”
The actor thinks that the possibility of making a film with that kind of cultural resonance still exists. The challenge, he says, is finding the right story. “I think the possibility of telling an interesting story still exists. It’s only about finding those interesting stories together. But those are far and few in between. I meet so many people who come up to me and say, ‘Rang De Basanti jaisi picture aur banao na.’ And I’m like, sure, but you have to find the content for it, right?”
‘The Ramayana set felt meditative’
Ask him about his experience of being part of Nitesh Tiwari’s much-anticipated film Ramayana, in which he plays Lord Indra, and he replies, “I enjoyed being on that set because it felt meditative. It was quiet. I’ve never been on such a quiet set. Usually our sets are crazy. There’s so much noise and chaos. But the sets of Ramayana felt different. Everyone seemed to feel like they were part of something they genuinely cared about. That doesn’t happen often. I think it’s a combination of Nitesh sir’s energy and also the kind of film that we’re making.”
‘Today, everybody can express what they feel online’
A project as culturally significant as Ramayana was always going to attract scrutiny, particularly in the age of social media. The trailer brought with it a flood of opinions, from casting choices to the appearance of its characters. Kunal, however, sees the online reaction as a consequence of how audiences consume and discuss cinema today.
“We live in a world where everyone has access to expressing their opinion. When I was starting off, we had three newspapers and those three would have a review and you probably had one show on TV that reviewed movies. You either had to be part of a television network or a newspaper network to express how you felt about something. But today, everybody can express what they feel online. We live in a world where the more aggressive you are, or the more you attack something, the more likely you are to go viral. So virality is not necessarily based on just expressing your opinion; it’s based on how aggressively you express your opinion.”
‘Down south, the filmmaking process stays rooted in one language’
Kapoor is also venturing into south cinema with back-to-back projects in Telugu and Kannada. While he doesn’t find the filmmaking process fundamentally different, he says there is one aspect that struck him — the continuity of language throughout the filmmaking process.
He says, “The only difference that I find, and which is one of the reasons that a lot of films from the south industries feel more rooted, is that everybody is operating in one language. For instance, if I’m doing a Telugu film, that film is written in Telugu first. Everybody on that set speaks mostly in Telugu. Then you go and say your lines in Telugu. So the whole process is in one language. That doesn’t happen on the set of Hindi films.”
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