O'ROMEO dropped a little under 45% on Monday but there is disparity in the collections with the national chains dropping more than the rest and by a margin which is not normal on a Monday be it a HIT film or FLOP film. The Monday trend makes the film look like a film catering to the mass centres. There was the buy one get one offer on but even that normally helps more in the bigger multiplexes. 

The national chains (PVR Inox, Cinepolis) contribution is 50% which is the sort of contribution that huge releases like ANIMAL, JAWAN and PATHAAN have which pretty much tells that there is some healthy manufacturing in the figures. Its about waiting till the dust settles for this one but even if you take all the numbers till date at face value, they are still not good.

If the film trends well beyond into the second weekend and beyond without aid, it would be a different story. Basically the film has been given crutches to walk on Monday and it remains to be seen if it can walk without these crutches; the running part is way off yet. The numbers for the film date are 31 crore nett in four days and lets see where it goes from here.

The numbers for O'ROMEO till date are as follows.

Friday - 7,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 11,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Monday - 4,25,00,000 apprx

TU YAA MAIN collected collected 40 lakh nett apprx on Monday taking its total collections to 3 crore nett. The film has not done well and irrespective of whatever type of content the film is and wherever the collections are, at least the figures are clean.

The collections of TU YAA MAIN are as follows.

Friday - 50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 1,35,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 40,00,000 apprx

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O'ROMEO collected 4.25 crore nett on Tuesday which is similar to Monday but the film had a buy one get one free offer up to Rs 100 as well as being played at discounted rates which meant giving tickets away at super low rates. Its unlikely that an offer has been put on the discounted Tuesday or at least not a on a major film like O'ROMEO.

On paper, all this is making the weekday collections look reasonable but its manufactured box office, be it through offers or buys and the real level will come when and if all this goes out of the window. The disparity in collections was less on Tuesday as the national chains coming closer to what they should be which means smaller cinemas were bolstered less obviously due to the double whammy of offer and discounted rates. 

The offer remains on Wednesday with a bigger discount of Rs 125 compared to the Rs 100 on Tuesday. So again, it means that real level of the film will not come out. The makers can keep the offer there till the film remains in cinema but eventually the affect of it will get less and less. Hence, its just about waiting and seeing how this unfolds from here. The numbers for the film date are 35 crore nett in five days and despite the aid being given this is still below the mark.

The numbers for O'ROMEO till date are as follows.

Friday - 7,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 11,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Monday - 4,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 4,25,00,000 apprx

TU YAA MAIN's collection was a little higher on Tuesday compared to Wednesday as it takes its total to almost 3.50 crore nett in five days.

The collections of TU YAA MAIN are as follows.

Friday - 50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 1,35,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 40,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 45,00,000 apprx

BORDER 2 collected a low 60 lakhs nett on its fourth Monday and the film is now seems to be holding better on the weekdays than previous weeks. The film should see a jump on Tuesday and it eventually it will come out a decent fourth week. The Friday collections was only 75 lakhs nett and yet, it will still come out with a week of 6.5-7 crore nett. The week will be dropping around 70%.

The collections of BORDER 2 till date are as follows.

Friday - 75,00,000

Saturday - 2,00,00,000

Sunday - 1,50,00,000 apprx 

Monday - 60,00,000 apprx

We saw and loved Akshaye Khanna in ‘Dhurandhar’ (2025). Now, it looks like we’ll get a dose of another Akshay in ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’. Before rumours emerge about Akshay Kumar’s cameo in the action drama, let us set the record straight. mid-day has exclusively learnt that a promotional song of Kumar’s ‘Bhooth Bangla’ will be attached to the March 19 release, thus serving as the first look of filmmaker Priyadarshan’s upcoming horror comedy.

Usually, movie trailers are attached to films playing in cinemas. But from what we’ve heard, ‘Bhooth Bangla’ producer Ektaa R Kapoor felt that releasing the track instead of a dialogue promo would instantly grab attention.

A source shared, “Akshay and Priyadarshan’s 2007 horror comedy ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ benefited immensely from its title song, ‘Teri Aankhein Bhool Bhulaiyaa’, which became wildly popular. So, this time, with Pritam having composed another song that has the potential to become a chartbuster, Ektaa felt it would catch on among listeners and create buzz around ‘Bhooth Bangla’. Attaching it to ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ made sense as it’s among the most awaited films.”

Also starring Tabu and Wamiqa Gabbi, ‘Bhooth Bangla’ is a fantasy horror comedy that reportedly explores black magic. The source added, “The song was filmed on a grand scale with Akshay and over 100 background dancers. Given the film’s theme, a set of a spooky mansion was built.”

Actor Barun Sobti recently reprised his role in a web series where he plays a cop reporting to a new commanding officer, a female superior played by actor Mona Singh. The new season of the show delves into the discomfort some men feel about working under women in positions of authority, a theme Barun believes reflects reality, including within the film industry.

He shares, “It’s evident that men have a problem with stronger women. To a certain extent, it depends on the family you’ve grown up in, but we cannot deny it. Taking orders from them is still a huge thing. Even if a woman makes a strong point in an argument, I see men getting uncomfortable.”

The first season of Kohrra marked a turning point in Barun’s career, earning him significant recognition. Reflecting on its impact, the 41-year-old says, “In terms of viewership, there are shows that people watch and then there are shows that the industry watches. What happened with Kohrra was that the industry watched the show, and that’s why I started getting more work.”

In June 2024, Vijay Varma announced that he had begun shooting for filmmaker Nagraj Manjule’s web series, Matka King. The crime drama was included in Prime Video’s slate of projects for 2025, but was a no-show throughout the year. So, where does Manjule’s series stand over a year-and-a-half since it went on floors?

mid-day has learnt that the drama — which is set in the 1960s and tells the story of a cotton trader in Mumbai, who invented a form of gambling called ‘Matka’ — will première in April 2026.

A source revealed, “Matka King’s shoot was wrapped in 2025, and the top bosses at the streamer were keen to release it the same year. But a show of this scale needed time to get the best result. It will present Bombay of the 1960s authentically, and marks Nagraj’s first attempt at a period drama. The director doesn’t believe in rushing things to fit a deadline. The show is now ready and set to drop online in April.”

Filmmaker and actor Anurag Kashyap says his biggest fear today is not being able to make the kind of cinema he truly believes in. Speaking at the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) 2026 during the Fearless Filmmaking session on Saturday, Anurag said films such as Gangs of Wasseypur and Mukkabaaz would not be made in the current climate.

“Gangs Of Wasseypur or Mukkabaaz would not have been made today because of the themes I chose to tell those stories with. And even if they were released, they would be heavily censored,” he said.

Anurag also noted that several honest filmmakers are attempting to find ways around censorship. “India is still better, and that gives me hope. If filmmakers can make cinema in Russia and China, we can too,” he said in conversation with critic and writer Baradwaj Rangan. “Movies that spark important conversations will be made in India at some point. We just need to wait,” he said.

Cinema, Anurag said, has always been meant for the big screen. However, with the rise of OTT platforms and the convenience they offer, audiences are increasingly consuming films on smaller devices. “When I made Nishaanchi, I envisioned it entirely for the big screen. But times have changed. People now watch films at their convenience. The format has destroyed the way cinema is experienced,” he said.

Emphasizing the importance of the theatrical experience, he added, “The joy of cinema is watching it on a big screen. You can’t watch Mera Naam Joker or Sholay on a phone. These films are made for the theatre, and it’s a disgrace if they’re watched otherwise.”

Responding to the backlash around the trailer of the upcoming Kannada film Toxic, Kashyap said he enjoyed it and felt the reaction on social media was exaggerated.

“When a woman is in control of her sexuality and enjoys it on screen, it becomes a problem. But when male actors do the same, no one says anything,” he said, adding, “Social media controls the narrative, and this was blown out of proportion.”

Known for their love for sports, Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi were in for a treat in Melbourne, where they witnessed the clash between tennis greats Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. After the thrilling final, Neha met Djokovic.

An ecstatic Neha says, “I have been a die-hard Djokovic fan. I was screaming his name the whole time and rooting for him. We usually watch these games on TV, but watching the final live is a completely different experience. Even when the house was divided, it was united in its love for tennis. Both players had incredible support — people took sides but truly honoured the game and each player’s contribution. There was pin-drop silence during the match; you could actually hear the ball bouncing. I wasn’t sure if Djokovic would make it to the finals, but he did, and I got to witness it.”

Recalling her encounter with the tennis champ, Neha shares, “We were a group of 20 walking towards the centre court at Rod Laver Arena after the match when Djokovic happened to be walking out. For the first few seconds, I was speechless. I wasn’t sure whether to approach him. He had played exceptionally well but hadn’t won the trophy and looked exhausted. But I finally told him, ‘I’m not giving you a choice, you have to click a photograph,’ and he was so gracious. I told him we were from India and that this was a bucket-list moment for me. I was overwhelmed and thrilled.”

She adds, “This experience was extra special because I’m an avid tennis watcher and my entire family follows sports. My dad was thrilled that I got to witness this. Swedish legend Stefan Edberg was seated right behind us, while Rafael Nadal was in the front. It was surreal. I’m honestly falling short of words to describe how I felt... like a bumbling teenager. That definitely checked off a major item on my bucket list.”

So, your doctor is a man?” he asks, eyes on the road. “Yes,” she shrugs, head wrapped in a scarf. “The oncologist is a man. He was referred to me by my gynaecologist.” “Okay. She must be sure of his credentials then.” “He. My gynaecologist is a man.” “What? You mean he touches you?”

Questionable questions, awkward puns, well-timed expletives and several unreciprocated high-fives animate ‘Breast of Luck’, a play whose protagonists choose to sing, dance and laugh their way through the grimness of cancer.

Co-written and staged by Tannishtha Chatterjee — who was diagnosed with stage IV oligometastatic cancer last year — and Sharib Hashmi, whose wife has beaten mouth cancer four times, the musical comedy, directed by Leena Yadav, opened at the G5A in Mumbai recently to a packed house.

The room included Naseeruddin Shah, Dia Mirza, Tanvi Azmi and Divya Dutta, apart from Chatterjee’s doctors and cancer survivors. At the end of the first show, Chatterjee turned to the room and said, “Honestly, I don’t know how I am doing except that I have stopped chasing certainty.” Shah reassured her: “This is the most cathartic and best thing you could have done for yourself.”

To be staged at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival on February 4 to mark World Cancer Day, the script sees opposites distract before they attract. Sheila Roy is a cool, composed classical singer, while Arun Mohan is a goofy divorced stockbroker who punctuates dad jokes with high-fives. When she launches into her riyaaz every morning at 5, he winces and rings her up on the intercom, begging her to stop. Their heated exchanges morph into real-world meetings on a dating app. Just as Roy begins to enjoy Mohan’s company, the story swerves: she is diagnosed with stage IV oligometastatic breast cancer.

She pushes Mohan away, convinced love will only expose her vulnerability. He refuses to leave, insisting on staying, his caregiving peppered with relentless puns. That refusal to surrender humour, intimacy or companionship to illness anchors the play’s emotional centre.

Often reduced to a serious trope in movies, the Big C finds its funny bone in the drama. “Exactly. That is the USP,” Hashmi says. “Otherwise, it could easily have become a sad story. We chose to see it from a lighter side — with songs, jokes, laughter.”

The play draws from a deep personal well. Interspersed through the second half are real hospital visuals — insurance IVRs (interactive voice responses), chemotherapy rooms, and injections. At one point, you watch Chatterjee singing through an injection. “The targeted medicine was extremely painful. But when I sing, those 10 minutes used to pass more quickly,” says Chatterjee, who had invited her friend, a documentary cinematographer, to shoot on the last day of her chemo.

Music, laughter and community sustained Chatterjee through the medical journey. Incidentally, Chatterjee — best known for her performances in ‘Dekh Indian Circus’ (2011), ‘Gulaab Gang’ (2014), and ‘Angry Indian Goddesses’ (2015) — was supposed to meet Hashmi of ‘Family Man’ and ‘Filmistaan’ fame on the day her biopsy report arrived. Hashmi had been shooting for her film ‘Full Plate’ and had casually discussed a collaboration.

“The day I got my report, I was supposed to meet Sharib for coffee. I almost cancelled,” she recalls. “I was devastated. But I thought if I go home, I’ll have to tell my mother and I’ll feel worse. So I went.”

A year before Chatterjee was diagnosed, she had lost her father to cancer.

“He died in my arms in the hospital ICU. He was so full of life. When I was diagnosed, my main concern was my mom, who’s 70 plus. How would I give this news to her? Because it wasn’t stage one, or stage two, or even stage three — it was stage four.”

When she confided in Hashmi, he called his wife Nasreen, who has lived with cancer since 2018. “She gave me a lot of strength,” Chatterjee says. “She said, ‘Look at me. I’ve relapsed four times. I’m here. I’m doing everything.’ After that call, I looked at Sharib and said, let’s write a play for her.”

The script took shape during chemotherapy. Rehearsals were scheduled between hospital visits. Improvisations were shaped as much by pain as by laughter. “I was writing while going through treatment. I wanted to laugh constantly. I didn’t want to pull myself down,” says Chatterjee, who found humour in the mundane — doctors clinically debating silicone implants, nurses scolding her and her friends for laughing too loudly in hospital rooms.

The rehearsals weren’t easy. “I had, and still have, terrible nerve damage in my shoulder and left arm. Everyone had to be careful while hugging me or touching me because it’s excruciating if it goes beyond a certain range of mobility.”

Hashmi relates to Arun Mohan not only as a performer but as a caregiver. “After my wife’s diagnosis, our lives changed completely,” he says. “But she treated cancer like a fever — with courage, humour, incredible strength. We tried to bring that spirit into the play.”

Medical professionals echo that sentiment carefully. Breast oncoplastic surgeon Dr Vani Parmar notes that a cancer diagnosis often arrives as a shock, particularly for younger women. “The treatments — radical surgeries, long chemotherapy sessions, hair loss, weakness — lead to immense physical, emotional, social and financial strain, along with a constant fear of recurrence and death,” she says. Changes to appearance, she adds, often trigger anxiety and depression. “‘Chemo brain’, or brain fog, is also part of the territory.”

Chatterjee recalls days when she told her doctor she couldn’t do another chemo cycle. “He understood. He knew that in three days, I’d feel differently.” That reassurance — from doctors and fellow survivors — mattered enormously.

While psychological counselling is not routinely integrated into many hospitals, it is increasingly being recognised as an essential part of cancer care.

Dr. Priyadarshini Deo, counsellor at the Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, points to studies showing that humour and movement-based activities can significantly enhance emotional health. “Humour and lightness reduce stress, ease anxiety, improve communication and strengthen relationships, especially with caregivers,” she says.

A case for lightness arrives in actor Lisa Ray’s memoir Close to the Bone, in which she recalls the day she was diagnosed with cancer by a “jittery, rabbit-faced doctor”. “He spoke very slowly, pausing for a long time between each word, as if to gauge my reaction. You. Have. Multiple. Myeloma.”

The doctor, Ray writes, reminded her of the rabbit in ‘Alice in Wonderland’. “As he kicked me down the hole, he never said the word ‘cancer’.” “Oh,” Ray replied. “Do you want me to get you some water?”

Her response, she writes, might seem strange. “But he did look parched. Also, it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t get better… I was framing it as just another adventure.”

Apart from music, what sustained Chatterjee after her diagnosis was community. “I cried alone in my car with my reports,” she says. “My sister told me — you can’t save yourself alone.” Friends video-called her and joked about everything from Trump’s antics to local absurdities. “It helped me sleep. It made me feel light.”

Why, we ask her, is cancer so often portrayed in popular culture only through despair and solemnity? “Because it usually comes from an external perspective, not lived experience,” Chatterjee says. “I think there’s a fear — how can I be sensitive (towards the topic)? I was fearless because it’s me.”

The play does not trivialise her struggles, including her prolonged insurance battles. Her arguments with an automated voice convey her frustration. “The day my insurance refused me, I was at my lowest. The treatment is excruciatingly expensive. I’m not a commercial actor. I’m an alternative, arthouse actor. I’m not rolling in money. And I have a mother and a daughter to take care of,” says Chatterjee. Her daughter lived with the actor’s sister in the US during treatment.

Care for the caregiver, too, is crucial, Dr Parmar reminds us. “There is emotional burnout, financial strain and disrupted routines. Clear communication, shared decision-making and emotional support make the biggest difference.” She urges the integration of psychological and financial support into standard cancer care. “Good healthcare at an affordable cost is a right.”

“My doctors told me this isn’t just about cancer,” Chatterjee says. “In any illness, people should watch it — to see how art, music, laughter and community are therapeutic.”

The audience response suggests the message has landed. Survivors have cried and laughed in equal measure. Caregivers have recognised themselves. Those who have lost loved ones have found something gentler than grief alone. Hashmi’s wife has seen the play three times. “She loved it,” he says.

From choosing mental health work over films to embracing a quieter lifestyle, superstar Aamir Khan and Reena Dutta’s daughter Ira Khan in an interview talks about battling depression, how her parents are her support system and why she does not party with star kids.

Ira, who has faced body shaming and mental health struggles in the past, is clear about one thing — films are not her calling. While her brother (Junaid Khan) is already part of the film industry, Ira has chosen a different path and says her work with a NGO defines her career.

“I’ve been working full-time at a NGO for the past five years, with one break in the middle for my mental health. It is my career. I don’t want to pursue films,” she says.

Her decision stems from lived experience rather than rebellion. “After my experience with depression, there seems to be no point in doing anything else with my life. And I get to explore my creative side through the NGO as well.”

Ira credits her father Aamir Khan for shaping her values and work ethic. “I think there are some very helpful things that I have learnt from my dad that I am very grateful for. His work ethic is one of them. He’s always learning new things. The other thing that he’s taught me is to stay true to what I believe in.” 

She adds, “I truly believe that if I were ever in trouble, I can always reach out to my parents — no hesitation and no shame.”

Unlike most celebrity kids, Ira doesn’t enjoy clubbing or loud social scenes. “I like to socialize. I don’t necessarily go out to clubs and party. It’s too loud, and there are too many people,” she explains. Her recovery from depression has changed her lifestyle and priorities. “Since my recovery journey through my depression, I’ve realized sleep is very important to me. So I don’t do late nights, but I socialize in my own way -— karaoke at home, craft hang-outs, just hanging out at home.”

Ira says marriage with fitness coach Nupur Shikhare hasn’t dramatically altered her life. “Life after marriage has been pretty much the same as life before marriage. Which I think is a good thing,” she says, adding that the decision was well thought out.

“I mean, I made a thought-through decision, and we both knew what we were getting into and are very happy about our decision. Even Popeye’s (Nupur Shikhare) bad jokes.”

She also shares that living with her husband and mother-in-law has been smooth. “Life with my husband and mother-in-law has been good. As I said, we’d been living together for a while.”

Having spoken openly about her body image issues and personal complexes, Ira says fitness has now become part of her self-care. Participating in the Mumbai Marathon helped her restart that journey.

She says, “The Mumbai Marathon was definitely a great way for me to kickstart my fitness journey again. There was definitely a big selfish plus side of ‘Hey! This will mean I will have to get fit!’”

O'ROMEO struggled at the box office over the first weekend as it collected almost 27 crore nett. The opening day was not good but it was good enough to keep the film in the race if merits where there. However, the film could not really get the growth needed on Saturday and Sunday was always going to be tough with the cricket match.

The film needed a 70-80% jump on Saturday and it fell short of that and then Sunday dropped. The Sunday drop was pretty much in alignment of the other releases so that is normal. The weekend collections are pretty much the same as TERI BAATON MEIN AISA ULJHA JIYA which did 26 crore nett over three days but it had a lower start. The trend of that film is stronger and although O'ROMEO may have been hit by the match on Sunday, it got a boost on Saturday for Valentine's Day which equals things up.

The film has the buy one get one offer on Monday which will help to an extent but the fact that the offer is there on the fourth day of release pretty much tells the film has not really worked the way it should. The offer being there on Monday means you are signaling to the industry that it has disappointed over the weekend. 

The collections of O'ROMEO are as follows.

Friday - 7,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 11,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

The other release TU YAA MAIN collected 2.50 crore nett plus over its first weekend. The film got benefit of Valentine's Day but the fall was also bigger the next day than the other releases being screened including O'ROMEO. There are hardly any collections outside Mumbai and Mysore. These two circuits probably contribute around 50% of the business.

The collections of TU YAA MAIN are as follows.

Friday - 50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 1,35,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 75,00,000 apprx