ALPHA has a decent start at the box office and is looking to put up a fair number on the first day which will be higher than what most of the industry had expected. The advances of the ran well in the national chains though it could have been better outside. The opening wont be at the number the budget of the film needs but that went out of the window with the failure of WAR 2.

The failure of that film hurt this film badly because if that film had done well, then this film would be looking at a double digit initial (going by the initial response today) and if WAR 2 had become a BLOCKBUSTER, which it was expected to become, then you would be looking at an even higher number for ALPHA. The film was fighting a losing battle in terms of the franchise value post WAR 2 but on the other side the film has been made at this level due to the franchise value. It started when the franchise was flying before WAR 2.

ALPHA is a female action film and there is no history of these in recent times but they did work in earlier times with actresses like Hema Malini and Rekha. The biggest example being when a PHOOL BANE ANGARAY took out an Aamir Khan starrer DIL HAI KE MANTA NAHIN in 1991. Actually it should be easier for these to find an audience today compared to the older days. But the female audience has to be on side and for that the film probably has to deal with social causes while ALPHA is more of a popcorn entertainer where it relates less to the female audience.

The film should at least get 7 crore nett up on the board but if it can to get 8 crore nett or higher it would be actually be a good result considering post WAR 2 scenario. There was negativity for this film as well when its teaser came as many in the industry even expected numbers like 3 and 4 crore nett. But this negativity is all internet noise and ground realities are always something else. There is always a difference between the noise pre release and post release as post release, it can be real but pre release you have to take with a pinch of salt.

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ALPHA is looking at a good first day as the collections look set to finish around the 9 crore nett mark. GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI opened to 9.50 crore nett and that will probably be a stretch but there is an outside chance it can also reach there. The film has seen good momentum through the day and will end the day with a good result.

It is a good result for the stardom of Alia Bhatt as again it shows that she is one of the very few heroines with some sort of pull at the box office. Its not mass pull or anything but with the big city multiplex audience, she is a box office draw as well as Overseas. Her films tended to outperform in centres like Mumbai and Pune before the pandemic and it remains to be seen if it still stands that way as these markest have changed. GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI can't really be counted as that was Maharashtra heavy and a film for these centres.

As for the film itself, there is a lot of work to do and the opening day is just a platform. The film is not as costly as a GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI but being an action film, it will be much more front loaded even though its female action. It would have been a completely different scenario had WAR 2 not been rejected so badly. If this film can pick up 9 crore nett after WAR 2, where the franchise gets hurt so badly, then the scenario could have been very good if WAR 2 had worked. But this is the risk of franchise films being made almost simultaneously as one will come before and if results go the wrong way then the other film will get hurt. This is what basically has happened to ALPHA.

The film needs to grow well on Saturday but action films do have their limitations for growth even if reports are positive and here they are mixed.

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ALPHA has done well on its first day and actually got a good opening day collection of 9 crore nett which was not expected. The film had to contend with pre release negativity in the digital world but audiences have turned up on the first day. Its a different story the film may not have the reports that an action film needs to get the growth needed to justify the costs. Despite all the negative backlash, the public out there have still given it a go and is in the race after day one.

The issues started for the film as soon as WAR 2 flopped as it hit the franchise hard and if ALPHA was a smaller film, it could have gotten away with it. But it needed to be comfortably in double digits on day one and the only way for that was the franchise factor had to be working for the film while post WAR 2, the franchise factor became more of liability instead of a plus.

The 9 crore nett number is far more than anyone in the industry expected. So, the accusations of feeding come out as its heavily prevalent in the industry and when something surprises, its easy to put it down to feeding today. The collection is organic and there is NO feeding. There maybe BookMyShow screenshots going around of housefull shows pre release. But when you see the collection of these shows, they are normal and that's all that matters and its this that tells you if its feeding or not.

Its like today makers will send these screenshots of BookMyShow sales to show good trend or sales and probably knowing fully well there will be tickets from the next day and the next day or even next included in this. Not that sales matter much as its about collection as a GADAR 2 or even WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE will have a bigger ratio of sales outside BMS. Anyway real daily sales are available with BMS. So getting them will show the real daily trend but they will not get as it does not suit the purpose.

Coming back to feeding, there is a system to this. Firstly, before it all starts, you get the paid media on side as these are the lot which are going to attempt to give the perception for which you are feeding. This is most important. When the feeding starts, the trends will be different, be it multiplex chain or some centres or if that does not tell, then on release, collections will be off at places and this is not the case here with ALPHA. Thirdly, Overseas will tell as it will not be in sync with India. If its minor feeding then this will not tell much but if done in bigger margins it will show up. For the record, ALPHA also clears this hurdle.

The industry knows exactly how it works as most of the industry indulges in it. The irony of ALPHA will be is that its this paid media which will be shouting feeding but when its actually done, they have to keep quiet. There is nothing dodgy about the collections of this film and it has actually got a good number up on day one. Simply put, no one feeds without getting the paid media on side first as it will not serve the purpose. Those who have done feeding will know that and here it does not take us to say where this media stands on this film.

The film has a long journey to survive due to the costs but the start is actually good though how it will go from here remains to be seen.

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ALPHA did well on Saturday as it grossed 11.50 crore nett showing a 25% jump on the previous day. This is decent growth for a film in the action genre especially when its opened well on Friday. The film saw good jumps in all the markets which were low on Friday, be it the central belt or Gujarat. These went up by around 40%.

The film had good numbers in South and West Bengal on day one and these have also followed through well on the second day. Despite all the negative noise around the film, ALPHA has actually done well over the first two days as it stands at 20.50 crore. Its just not India but overseas is good as well with over $1.2 million in the first two days.

The Sunday is crucial but this jump on Saturday in the Hindi mass circuits gives some hope. It these follow through on the Sunday, then there will be a good result on the third day for sure. The film was pretty much written off by the industry on release due to the noise coming from the digital world. But after two days, the film is still in the race and the next two days are crucial.

The two day collections of ALPHA are as follows.

Friday - 9,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 11,50,00,000 apprx

MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA has seen a good run at the box office without really breaking out to more areas outside NCR, Punjab, Mumbai city and Bangalore. NCR and Punjab is down to the regional flavor and other two do well with gentry films. The film is going to end up with similar business to 12TH FAIL (2023) but that film was a HIT and MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA will not be. These films are basically down to budgets as they never reach much of the audience.

Its actually pretty weird that the writers and media raves and even the industry sees them as the better films but in real world around you, not many have seen or even know about them. This is why these films can be commercial HITS (budget to box office) but never HITS for the public. For commercial hit, it comes down to the budget and the budget of MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA is three times of 12TH FAIL which is the problem. The budget of the film is more than a SATYAPREM KI KATHA and almost as much as TERI BAATON MEIN AISA ULJHA JIYA and will not do as much business as these films. No doubt even non theatrical will be less than these but that does not come into the equation for theatrical success.

MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA has done extremely well to get this 47 crore nett mark so far from a 1 crore nett start and this would have looked phenomenal before the pandemic. But post pandemic, we have seen MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA and THE KASHMIR FILES and compared to them, this trend is nothing. Basically due to the budget, the film needed to start at 2-3 crore nett and then find this appreciation from the areas where it has been liked.

Post the pandemic, there have been three of these much raved about films (12TH FAIL, LAAPATAA LADIES, MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA) and within the industry, you sort of understand now why they are talked about so much as films are watched in a different way from a regular watcher. But its 2026 and you would think the rest, be it media or social media, will be more reflective of the wider society but that's not the case.

For the record 12TH FAIL was a HIT, LAAPATAA LADIES was a FLOP and MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA may turn out to be AVERAGE.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE had a very good hold on Monday as it collected 8.25 crore nett which is a 45% drop from the first day and that was a holiday for Muharram which means in real terms the drop will be less than 45%. It is the fact that its coming from a holiday on Friday which makes it a very good hold. The four day collection of the film is almost 72 crore nett and it should be a comfortable 90 crore nett plus week.

The film has got an 8 crore nett plus Monday when, on Thursday, the word was going around that day one would not be this much based around the advances. Just like admits, the advance response is dwindling for Hindi films and here WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE has proved that a big film can work even if advance sees hardly any response if a film has the potential to reach the wider audience.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is on course to emerge a HIT film and it will be the second one for Akshay Kumar this year. It means that two out of the four hits this year so far will be Akshay Kumar starrers. The Monday figure is way ahead of BHOOTH BANGLA which was in the 6 crore nett range. But that film had a clear field with no big film anywhere around it for weeks while the situation is different for WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE especially as a film in the same genre comes in week three.

The collections of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE till date are as follows.

Thursday - 3,75,00,000 apprx

Friday - 15,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 24,75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

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WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE has seen a very good hold on Monday and its driven by the Hindi belts. The film had started with a national chain (PVR/Inox, Cinepolis) ratio of 46% and this is now down to 42% on Monday. This is happening here with this film when the industry continues to make those films where the national chains contribute 60-65% of the business. When this happens, it is always going to be a struggle for collections as it means you have a limited number of people out there to watch your film. It also shows it does not have to be action to get a wide reach and although this film will have action, it is generally seen as a comedy film.

The way forward is going to be making more films which leverage to cinemas outside these chains. If business remains where these two national chains contribute a hefty chunk of the business then the industry will remain in the glut it is at the present time. It is seen on Monday that the ratio of the chains does go lower many times. But with WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE was already. It was not expected to go even lower on Monday. Basically on Monday its like a PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE or KGF - CHAPTER 2 which were mass action films and it here its comedy film which has its limitations.

The key markets are Delhi/UP, East Punjab, Rajasthan, CI and Bihar along with Gujarat which have all seen superb holds on Monday. Its that core Hindi belt which has done the job for the film.

Below is the circuit breakdown of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE for Monday.

Mumbai - 2,35,00,000

Delhi/UP - 2,22,00,000

East Punjab - 74,00,000

Rajasthan - 61,00,000

CP Berar - 40,00,000

CI - 36,00,000

Nizam/Andhra - 28,00,000

Mysore - 34,00,000

Taml Nadu/Kerala - 5,00,000

West Bengal - 28,00,000

Bihar - 39,00,000

Assam - 11,00,000

Odisha - 11,00,000

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WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE continued its good run on Tuesday as it collected 9 crore nett showing a jump of around 10% from Monday due to the discounted rates. This now takes the collections of the film to 81 crore nett and it should be a week of 93-94 crore nett depending on the drops over the next two days.

There will be a drop on Wednesday as is the case after the discounted Tuesday but its basically about where the film lands on Friday that is most important. The family audiences will return over the weekend for sure but you want that second Friday as high as possible from where the growth can come.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE will face competition which has not been the other major releases this year. Its rare to have back to back big releases post the pandemic but that has what happened here with COCKTAIL, WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, ALPHA and DHAMAAL 4 all coming back to back. Where WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE goes will depend how it gets through the competition over the next two weeks.

The collections of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE till date are as follows.

Thursday - 3,75,00,000 apprx

Friday - 15,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 24,75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,00,00,000 apprx

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WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE held up well on its second Friday as it collected 4.75 crore nett which is a 15% drop from the previous day and there were places which were even less including some of national chain multiplex cinemas. But there was a drop in screens which is basically the reason for this drop.

Going by this drop, if there was no ALPHA, then the collections would have been same as the day before or maybe even better. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is going to be that rare big film that is going to be hurt by competition as it will see competition from big releases in week two and week three which has probably not happened post pandemic.

The film will see huge competition next week as well with DHAMAAL 4, which is of the same genre as well. It will be another obstacle the film will have to get over but the job is more or less done as it stands at 98 crore nett and should have a strong Saturday and Sunday. The film has found appreciation in the mass belts.

The collections of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE till date are as follows.

Thursday - 3,75,00,000 apprx

Friday - 15,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 24,75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,00,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,25,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 5,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 4,75,00,000 apprx

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WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE had a good second Saturday as it collected 7.75 crore showing an excellent jump at multiplexes. The mass circuits were a little less but that was because they remained solid on Friday and now should jump more on Sunday. The film now stands at 105.50 crore nett with another good total to come on Sunday.

The film continues to score in Delhi/UP, East Punjab, CP, CI Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat. The plus for the film is that where ALPHA is best, those are the weaker markets for WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE. Basically its got over the ALPHA obstacle but there is still one more next week with DHAMAAL 4. its likely the competition will cost the film 10-15 crore nett but nothing can be done about that.

The film remains on course to emerge a HIT and its just about that third Friday having a similar trend to this week and not seeing a major drop.

The collections of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE till date are as follows.

Thursday - 3,75,00,000 apprx

Friday - 15,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 24,75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,00,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,25,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 5,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 4,75,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 7,75,00,000 apprx

Actor-comedian Krushna Abhishek is basking in the success of his latest film Welcome To The Jungle. While he has been part of several comedy films and television shows over the past two decades, Krushna says the challenge is not just delivering a hit but sustaining oneself in the industry.

“Even now, when I go on a shoot, I get butterflies in my stomach. Giving a hit is not the game; sustainability is the real game! Sustain karne ke liye aapko roz mehnat karni padegi,” he shares.

During the shoot of Welcome To The Jungle, Krushna says co-star Akshay Kumar played an unexpected role in helping him quit smoking. “I stopped smoking after seeing Akshay sir. Unhone mujhe pehle bhi Entertainment (2014) ke time pe kaha tha ki I should quit. Unke saath reh kar aapki aadatein bhi acchi ho jati hain,” the 43-year-old says.

However, Krushna is quick to point out that Akshay isn’t all about discipline. Calling him a complete “mastikhor”, he says, “Akshay sir se bada mastikhor koi nahin hai! He is like a kid, playing with us, giggling with us. He fills you with energy.”

Besides Krushna and Akshay, Welcome To The Jungle features an ensemble cast including Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Tusshar Kapoor, Aftab Shivdasani and Farida Jalal, among others. Krushna is full of praise for director Ahmed Khan for seamlessly managing such a large cast and their schedules.

“You think, ‘How will such big artistes adjust their dates with mine?’ But Ahmed made it happen. He is one of the finest people in our film industry. Usne kisi ko stress nahin diya,” he ends.

After years of delays and censorship-related hurdles, Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Punjab '95 has finally been released under a new title. The film, now called Satluj, quietly dropped on OTT on Friday. Based on the life and death of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Honey Trehan directorial was originally slated for release last year but remained stuck amid certification issues.

During an Instagram Live session on Friday, Diljit clarified that while the title has changed, the film itself remains untouched. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep the original title for certain reasons... But there are absolutely no cuts in the film. The version I watched in theatres two years ago is exactly the same one I watched at home last week. If even a single cut had been made, I would not have promoted the film,” he said.

Trehan echoed the sentiment, revealing that Khalra’s wife, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, had also confirmed that the released version remains unchanged. “Paramjit aunty also shared a post about the film and said this is the very same version she had watched earlier. Only the title has changed,” he said.

Trehan added, “Everything I objected to, every word I refused to cut or mute, is still there in the film.”

The film also stars Arjun Rampal, Surinder Vicky, Varun Badola and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan.

Disha Patani may be basking in the success of Welcome To The Jungle, but the actor says the film gave her a newfound appreciation for comedy — a genre she now believes is among the toughest to master. “Making people laugh is much harder than it looks. The challenge is to make it look effortless and natural,” says Disha, adding, “I’ve also learned a lot just by watching actors on set — Akshay (Kumar) sir, Johnny (Lever) sir and Arshad (Warsi). Observing them really helped me understand comedy as a genre better.”

“It’s not every day that you get to be part of a film with such a huge ensemble cast and so many talented people coming together. I love comedy, and the scale of this film was something that really excited me,” says Disha, adding, “As an actor, I don’t think you focus on competing or proving yourself. You focus on your character, do your best, and trust that if you’re sincere, your work will connect with the audience.”

The success comes at a time when the actor, who made her Bollywood debut with M S Dhoni - The Untold Story (2016) and has since featured in films such as Malang (2020), Ek Villain Returns (2022), Yodha (2024) and Kalki 2898 AD (2024), continues to balance commercial entertainers with action-driven roles.

Despite her strong social media presence and glamorous public image, Disha says she remains deeply introverted. “It hasn’t always been easy, and there have been a lot of challenges along the way, but every experience has taught me something valuable. Being an introvert, it’s not always easy to put yourself out there, but I think that’s part of the process. Looking back, I think the journey has made me stronger, more resilient and more appreciative of every opportunity.”

Asked about the kinds of roles she feels closest to, Disha says she naturally gravitates towards understated characters rather than larger-than-life personas.

“The more quiet, simple and emotionally grounded characters are probably closest to who I am in real life. I’m actually quite reserved and prefer letting my work speak for itself,” she says.

Actor, director, and producer Sohail Khan is set to make his reality show debut with Alliance. Calling it an opportunity to move beyond being only seen as “Salman Khan’s brother”, Sohail says, “In the show, there’s no family name to lean on. No industry clout. It’s just me, my mind, and how I play the game.” He adds, “If people walk away seeing a side of me they didn’t expect, good. That’s exactly why I’m here.”

Having watched his brother, Salman, host a reality show for years, Sohail says he never saw himself entering the same until now because the format demanded something different.

“I’ve seen what it takes, the energy, the drama, the emotional toll. And I always thought, ‘That’s his space, not mine’,” he says, adding, “Salman’s show is about personalities, conflicts and emotions. But this one is fundamentally different. It’s a game of the mind. Strategy. Outwitting people without them knowing they’ve been outwitted. That challenge appealed to me in a way nothing else has.”

Ask him how Salman reacted when he decided to participate, Sohail says his brother was both encouraging and cautious. “He was intrigued. And then he said, ‘You sure you know what you’re getting into?’ Which, knowing him, is both a warning and a blessing. I’ll take it,” says the 55-year-old.

Sohail also weighs in on what the Khan family dynamic would look like inside a reality TV show, saying each member would play the same role they do in real life. “The leader is obviously Salman.... He walks into any room and it reorganizes itself around him,” he says, adding, “The peacemaker would probably be Arbaaz (Khan, actor-director). He listens, mediates and keeps everyone grounded. And the master strategist? I’d say me, but honestly, it might be my mother (Salma Khan). She’s been managing this family for decades. Three sons, three different personalities, three different egos. If that’s not master-level strategy, I don’t know what is.”

As his son Nirvaan Khan, whom he shares with ex-wife, fashion designer Seema Sajdeh, prepares for his Bollywood debut, Sohail has one piece of advice: “He’s his own person. He’s going to find his own path, make his own mistakes and build his own career. The only thing I keep telling him is: be honest with yourself about why you want this. If it’s for the right reasons, the work will follow.”

Sohail shares, “That I’m someone who’s had it easy. Or that I’m ‘Salman’s brother.’ I’ve spent my career building things quietly, directing, producing, acting, without needing to be the loudest voice in the room.”

What began as a birthday trip to Dubai turned into a health scare for actor Jasmine Bhasin. Now, recovering in a Mumbai hospital, she opens up about the difficult experience, the uncertainty of life and the love and wishes that helped her through.

“I am better now, but healing from terminal ileitis (inflammation of the last segment of small intestine) is not easy. Hopefully, in a day or two, I will be home,” says the actor, who turned 36 on Sunday.

Describing the unexpected crisis that began on the second day of her trip, Jasmine shares, “Despite taking medication, my fever refused to drop below 104 degrees even after 24 hours,” adding, “My gut infection, with a CRP level of 350 mg/L, was very risky as it starts creating sepsis in the body. Thankfully, the doctors managed to control it.”

Crediting the constant support of actor–beau Aly Goni, Jasmine reflects how his presence by her side helped her through the illness in a foreign land. “I am grateful to God that he was there with me. It is comforting to have your loved ones with you during such a crisis. You know you have ‘your people’ who won’t let anything go wrong, and I had that faith because Aly was with me,” she shares.

On celebrating her birthday on a hospital bed, the actor says, “So much was planned for my birthday, a grand party which got cancelled. I felt bad for my friends who had everything lined up. But they still made sure that I celebrated my day in the best way they possibly could.”

The illness also prompted the actor to reflect on life’s uncertainty. She says, “Sometimes life has other plans. This time, my birthday was destined to be this way, but I am happy that I am alive and healing. I won’t call it a terrifying experience to fall sick on my special day. For me, it was an experience I will never forget.”

On the road to recovery, Jasmine is now eager to return to her professional life. “I have been ordered two weeks of complete rest, and after that, I will be back to business. With my show and a film release in the pipeline, I really need to push myself,” she says, adding, “I even tried convincing my doctor to let me go for a shoot yesterday because I need to hustle to feel fine!”

Overwhelmed by the love on social media, she also expressed her gratitude. “The way my friends and well-wishers stood by me is incredible,” she signs off.

Nearly nine years after its release, Jaya Janaki Nayaka is making headlines again. The Hindi-dubbed version (Khoonkhar) of the 2017 Telugu film, starring Rakul Preet Singh and Bellamkonda Sreenivas, has become the first film in the world to cross one billion views on YouTube.

Reacting to the milestone, Rakul tells us she is still trying to wrap her head around the sheer scale of the achievement: “When we convert it into footfalls today of people going to theatres, it’s an insane number. Even Dhurandhar would have been watched by one crore people, so one billion is amazing.”

The actor is also keen to set the record straight on reports describing the film as a commercial failure. “It was a film that did well at the time of its release as well. I don’t know why some platforms have written otherwise. We had celebrated the success of the film, it was well received,” she says.

Writer-director Boyapati Srinu says the milestone is particularly gratifying because the film’s long-term success has “far exceeded” its theatrical performance. “It gives support to my vision to believe in content and make films for people with conviction, without fear of the result.”

With inputs from Deep Saxena

Prabhas has gone back in time to the World War II era — on screen, of course. The superstar and director Hanu Raghavapudi are currently shooting one of the most crucial portions of their period drama, Fauzi, in Hyderabad. mid-day has learnt that for the leg, the unit has recreated an elaborate Japanese Army camp of the 1940s at Ramoji Film City.

A source close to the production revealed, “The World War II backdrop is integral to the story. The director wanted every detail of the Japanese Army camp to feel authentic. The team has spent considerable time on the production design to recreate the period as accurately as possible for the screen.”

From what we’ve heard, Prabhas will continue shooting for Fauzi — that is reportedly set against the backdrop of the British Raj in India and sees the actor play a soldier — till July-end. After that, he will turn his attention to Spirit, his cop actioner helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga.

An insider said, “The major schedules of Spirit have been wrapped. Soon, the team will move to Dehradun and Goa for two stints.”