The Tamil film, JANA NAYAGAN, released across India on Thursday and did well with collections of 35 crore nett plus on day one. The film has been in at war as it supposed to release earlier this year but did not get a censor as the main lead Vijay Joseph was contesting elections in Tamil Nadu. Hence, there were obviously pressure tactics not to censor the film. The guy won the elections and became Chief Minister of the state but at the same time, the film also leaked online.

Now its hard to say how far this leak reached and to what extent the potential audience of the film managed to access it but for sure the collections of the film would have been affected due to this leak. It is because of this leak that this 35 crore nett is good as otherwise, more would have been expected. The film is driven by the home market of Tamil Nadu but Mysore/Karnataka seems very good as well with collections looking to come in at around 8.5 crore nett.

The Hindi version of the film was dull with collections in the 1.25-1.50 crore nett range but that is no surprise as the trailer of the looked very bad. There is not much hope for the Hindi version but in the South, the film will manage to put collections up which will not be like they would have been if the film had relesed on time earlier this year. Nevertheless, it will be good considering whet the film has been through over the past six months.

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There were a few smaller releases this week but none of them could make an impact. The best of the lot was the dubbed south, JAN NETA, which released on Thursday and has done business of around 2.75 crore nett in two days.

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There were many original Hindi releases this week like DULHANIA LE AAEEGI, TERA YAAR HOON MAIN, THE INDIA STORY and UTTAR DA PUTTAR. All recorded negligible collections as between them the weekend collections may hit the 1 crore nett mark on a best case scenario. 

It was left to JAN NETA, the dubbed version of Tamil film JANA NAYAGAN to register some collections for the new releases this week and it has managed 4.50 crore nett in 3 days. It could be looking at a 6 crore nett extended four day weekend. This film has seen an online leak earlier this year and been in trouble with the censor board. So, the fact that the collections still went up on Saturday is actually a minor achievement.  

It wont be going anywhere as it has nothing for the audience in terms of star value, music and most importantly the content seems regional. It has done well in the South for a leaked film as collections for three days are in the 80-85 crore nett range. It actually has the 2nd/3rd best three day figures for a South film after PEDDI in 2026. The collections are very similar to the Prabhas starrer, THE RAJA SAAB, which released earlier this year.

The three day figures of JAN NETA (Hindi) are as follows

Thursday - 1,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 1,25,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 1,75,00,000 apprx

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE and DHAMAAL 4 had practically similar collections India in the first week with the main difference being Mumbai circuit where DHAMAAL 4 came out a couple of crore ahead. That is the difference in final first week collections as well. In the long run, this will also be the biggest difference between the films.

The difference in other circuits at the end will be mainly down to the fact that DHAMAAL 4 got benefit of a better release date as it was the last Hindi release of a packed period. But in the Maharashtra/Gujarat block, the difference is content as these states have appreciated the content of DHAMAAL 4 more. Both films are in a similar zone and for comedies to really fire, Mumbai circuit has been of utmost importance not just today but since films started being made.

The fact that more comedies started being made from the beginning of this century is down to Mumbai circuit getting bigger with the faster deployment of multiplexes in this circuit compared to other circuits. The victory of DHAMAAL 4 is scoring well in Mumbai/Gujarat, especially the latter, as its hard to tell which film will go which here post pandemic with even comedy films not outperforming like they used to. What is outperforming is films from the South but lets see how long that will last.  

The first week circuit figures of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE and DHAMAAL 4 are as follows. 

Welcome To The Jungle - 28,99,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 31,96,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 23,05,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 21,85,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 7,97,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 8,41,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 6,05,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 5,75,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 4,51,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 4,67,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 3,53,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 3,80,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 3,30,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 3,93,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 3,91,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 4,20,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 96,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 85,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 3,18,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 3,11,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 3,44,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 3,45,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 1,25,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 1,53,00,000

Welcome To The Jungle - 1,82,00,000

Dhamaal 4 - 1,47,00,000

DHAMAAL 4 held up strong in its second weekend as it collected over 27 crore nett in its second weekend and now stands at 122 crore nett after ten days. The film held well up on the second Friday with a minimal drop and then Saturday and Sunday really fired as the families came back and hit double digits on both days. The growth was outstanding on Saturday and despite this huge growth on Saturday, it still went up very well on Sunday.

This weekend business gives potential for good weekday holds this week. If we compare with WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, then that film did around 30 crore nett plus over the whole second week and it could be that DHAMAAL 4 does what WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE did in the whole week in just four days. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE had ALPHA for competition while DHAMAAL 4 has THE ODYSSEY. Although it will not look like it it on paper as THE ODYSSEY is a HIT but ALPHA was the bigger competition as it was a Hindi film.

DHAMAAL 4 remained pretty much unaffected by THE ODYSSEY as collections across the Hindi speaking circuits were far better for DHAMAAL 4. The film is doing superb business in Mumbai circuit especially Gujarat/Saurashtra and continues the trend of Indra Kumar films scoring big in Gujarat since the days of DIL in 1990. Mumbai circuit stands at 40 crore nett and will easily go over 50 crore nett and maybe even cross the 55 crore nett of TOTAL DHAMAAL.

The collections of DHAMAAL 4 till date are as follows.

Friday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 22,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 5,75,00,000 apprx

Friday - 5,25,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 10,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 12,00,00,000 apprx

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DHAMAAL 4 had a normal second Monday as it fell around 43% from Friday. Considering the weekend growth, it could have been on the right side of 40% but that does not matter much now. The film stands at 125 crore nett after 11 days and should be around 133 crore nett by the end of the week as it tries to chase down the figure of the last DHAMAAL film (150 crore nett).

The second week has collected 30 crore nett in four days and it should end with around 38 crore nett. The film does have discounted rates this week and it jumped well last week without them. So, the growth should be much better this week. But its hard to tell how this works and its a week to week thing. This is because some Tuesdays see more growth and others less.

The collections of DHAMAAL 4 till date are as follows.

Friday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 22,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 5,75,00,000 apprx

Friday - 5,25,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 10,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 12,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 3,00,00,000 apprx

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DHAMAAL 4 showed a good jump on Tuesday due to the discounted rates with collections of 3.75 crore nett which now takes the second week collections to 34 crore nett. The second week should end in the 38-39 crore nett range. This would make it the fourth best second week after DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE, BORDER 2 and BHOOTH BANGLA, though there is an outside chance it could beat BHOOTH BANGLA.

The overall total stands at 129 crore nett and after the collections today, it will go ahead of the figures of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE. The target is to cross the 150 crore nett mark and it may achieve that by the end of the third week depending on the drop this Friday. There is no major release though many small films are releasing.

The collections of DHAMAAL 4 till date are as follows.

Friday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 22,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 5,75,00,000 apprx

Friday - 5,25,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 10,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 12,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 3,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 3,75,00,000 apprx

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DHAMAAL 4 had a good second week collecting 38.50 crore nett which is a 60% apprx drop from the first week. The film now stands at 133 crore nett and the 150 crore nett business of TOTAL DHAMAAL should be easily achievable from here. The film faces little competition this week which should hold up its collections well.

The drops for the film have come on Wednesday and Thursday and this coupled with no major release will mean a good hold on the third Friday. There is SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY next week but by that time, the business of DHAMAAL 4 will be done and it will be down to under 1 crore nett daily levels. The lifetime of the film at present looks in he 155 crore nett range.

The collections of DHAMAAL 4 till date are as follows.

Friday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 22,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 28,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 9.50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 5,75,00,000 apprx

Friday - 5,25,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 10,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 12,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 3,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 3,75,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 2,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 2,00,00,000 apprx

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DHAMAAL 4 is set for another good week as it collected 2.25 crore nett on its third Friday. The film now stands 135.50 crore nett and is sure to be the biggest film of the DHAMAAL series. This is a solid result as in terms of scale and cast, this film is weaker than the last DHAMAAL film and yet, it is coming out with a better number. The film continues to score well in Mumbai circuit and should be around 50 crore nett by the end of the weekend.

THE ODYSSEY scored a very good first weekend of 56.75 crore nett which is by far the highest collection for a Hollywood release this year. In fact it will become the highest grossing Hollywood film in a day or two as it beats the collections of OBSESSION, though with SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY around the corner, the record that THE ODYSSEY sets will probably not last that wrong.

In Week 1, the film beat the collections of the last Christopher Nolan film, OPPENHEIMER, released in 2023 by around 8 crore nett as that film collected around 49 crore nett. The target will also to beat the lifetime of that film which was 130 crore nett. If Monday shows normal or better trend, it should get there comfortably. Also it has the premiere formats to drive the film for at least a month.

The film was best in South with good support from Mumbai, Pune and the NCR area while the mass markets were less which is expected. THE ODYSSEY had dubbed formats which was the case with OPPENHEIMER.

The collections of THE ODYSSEY over the first weekend are as follows.

Friday - 16,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 20,75,00,000 apprx

Sunday -  20,00,00,000 apprx

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The Hollywood film, THE ODYSSEY, directed by Christopher Nolan is a SUPER HIT film as it has a superb second Friday as collections look to be around 6.75 crore nett. This will take the film to over 92 crore nett in eight days and it will cross the 100 crore nett mark on its second Saturday which will be a first for Hollywood in 2026.

The collections of the film had a good jump on Friday as they gained around 20% from the previous day. The last film from Nolan, OPPENHEIMER, did 130 crore nett in India and THE ODYSSEY could surpass that in two weeks flat. The business could slow down from the third week with the release of SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY. But the 150 crore nett mark is a given and it will be the third Friday which will determine the lifetime range.

Actor Apara Mehta, known for her role in the TV serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, recently opened up about her equation with her estranged husband, actor Darshan Jariwala.

Recalling the conversation that changed the course of their relationship, she told Hauterrfly, “It was our wedding anniversary, and I was in the USA. I called him and he said, ‘We really need to talk.’ After I returned, he just said, ‘We need to separate because I’ve fallen out of love with you. I do not like you anymore, and you are the ugliest woman I’ve come across in my life.’”

Reflecting on how she processed those words, the 65-year-old said, “I simply left for my shoot. Later, I thought, ‘What did Darshan just say? He couldn’t have meant it.’”

Apara further revealed that Darshan eventually moved out of their home, but their bond has remained cordial over the years. “He just left home one day, but the doors are always open. He’ll never find anybody like me, and I’ll never find anybody like him. We can still complete each other’s sentences,” she shared.

Apara and Darshan, who tied the knot in 1980 and have a daughter, actor Khushali Jariwala, have been living separately since 2003, though they are not legally divorced.

Kritika Kamra, Atul Kulkarni and Navjot Gulati

On Friday, a day before Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister, sent his resignation letter to Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, the atmosphere at Shivaji Park buzzed with energy. 

Despite a heavy police presence around the venue, crowds poured in from all directions, clutching placards and backpacks, determined to make the government hear them. Blending into the crowd were actors Atul Kulkarni, Kritika Kamra, Manav Kaul, Geetanjali Kulkarni, and Makarand Deshpande, along with filmmakers Navjot Gulati and Hardik Mehta.

“The energy was beautiful and the young people of this country have shown how a protest is done,” shared Kamra, reflecting on how well-organized the movement had been.

“It felt safe and everyone was united. It was crowded but everyone was prepared. People were kind, helpful, and willing to cooperate. Young people were giving away tricolour wristbands [to everyone].” 

Kaul, who distributed water bottles to protesters, shared, “This is the time to let the young people’s loud and clear voices be heard.”

As students began dispersing, several people spotted Atul folding his hands and thanking the police personnel for doing their duty throughout the day. Students joined him and applauded the officers, blurring the line between the police and the protesters.

With the Assam flood toll at 62 and over 7 lakh people still affected, actor Bhumi Satish Pednekkar has urged citizens to support relief and rehabilitation efforts in the state. Bhumi shared a video on Instagram appealing for donations of food, mattresses, sanitation supplies and other essentials.

Speaking to us, she says, “At this point, large parts of the country have come together for a unified voice. A lot of other important things across the country are not getting a platform, and one of those things is the Assam floods.”

The actor says she became aware of the scale of the crisis after being contacted by someone involved in relief work. “That’s when I realized how disastrous the entire situation is... dead bodies are floating… and the amount of cattle that has been swept away in the flood.”

Calling for citizen-led support, she adds, “Of course we have our Army on ground, and the government is doing what they can do. But I really appeal to all citizens… the way they came together last year for the Punjab floods via citizen-led initiatives, people going on boats to distribute food, we need to come together for this too.”

Actor-producer Suniel Shetty has many memorable roles to his name on screen, but the role that has shaped him the most is the one he has played off screen — that of a parent. On Parents’ Day today, Suniel reflects on how becoming a father changed the way he looked at responsibility and the choices he made as an actor.

“When I became a father, I carried this image of an actor very responsibly. I made sure that I didn’t do films that I was gonna be embarrassed about tomorrow. Success and failure are not an embarrassment. It’s the roles that you do and that you regret is what embarrassment is all about, and that’s why I chose films which had national pride in it; pride of the uniform,” he says. Last year, Suniel stepped into the shoes of a father on screen too, as he played actor Khushi Kapoor’s dad in Nadaaniyan.

Speaking about being a parent to his children — actors Athiya Shetty, 33, and Ahan Shetty, 30 — Suniel believes that the responsibility of parenthood never truly ends, no matter how old children become.

“As a parent, you always have your children’s comfort in the back of your mind driving your decisions. So whether it’s career, health, or parenting, that is something that will always be a concern,” he says, adding, “That is the beauty of parenthood, the beauty of being a mom, dad, grandma or grandpa.”

For the 64-year-old, watching his children carve their own paths has been a source of pride. Athiya began her career as an actor in 2015 but chose to step away from the profession to focus on her family after marrying cricketer K L Rahul in 2023 and welcoming their daughter, Evaarah Vipula Rahul last year. Ahan, meanwhile, had a challenging start to his acting journey with Tadap (2021), but found renewed success this year with Border 2.

Suniel shares, “I’m very happy with the way they’ve conducted themselves, the way they’ve projected themselves and the impact that they have on people and kids their age. But that concern, love, and that feeling of wanting everything to be fairy tale-like for your children, that is something that’ll never change.”

At 38, Swara Bhasker no longer separates her life as an actor from her identity as an outspoken citizen. She moved our interview forward so she could join Friday’s student-led education protest, a cause that, for her, begins at home. “This protest is very relevant to my family,” she says.

Bhasker grew up in Delhi between two forms of public service. Her father, C Uday Bhaskar, served in the Indian Navy for nearly four decades, while her mother, Ira, taught film studies at Delhi University and JNU for 43 years. “My mom always believed education should be public, government-funded, subsidised or free,” she says.

In fact, in 2017, many academics challenged the creation of the National Testing Agency, questioning why teachers were losing oversight of entrance examinations to a system driven by contracts and tenders.

Bhasker later studied English Literature at Miranda House and Sociology at JNU, trained in Bharatanatyam, and worked with N K Sharma’s Act One and the Indian People’s Theatre Association. “I have seen the guru-shishya parampara, modern Indian education and the progressive cultural movement,” she says. “I feel very blessed to have been a student in India.”

When Bhasker left Delhi for Mumbai in 2008, she imagined a career shaped by films rather than politics. Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara remains the benchmark. “Because I was a literature student, I had studied Othello, and then I saw what Vishal Bhardwaj had done with it. It was brilliant.”

Her love affair with cinema, however, began much earlier. “I always say Chitrahaar ruined my life,” she laughs. “My dad got cable installed, but I failed a maths test the next day, so he cut it in two days. I was obsessed with Chitrahaar and Superhit Muqabla. I wanted to be in that world.”

As films such as Raanjhanaa, Nil Battey Sannata and Veere Di Wedding raised her profile, her political voice grew louder. Bhasker insists there was never a conscious decision to become outspoken. “There was never one moment when I started being vocal,” she reflects.

“I came to Bombay during the Congress government and the Anna Hazare movement. India has a really vibrant culture of protest. So many actors used to write and tweet and give their opinion. It was just normal, part of being a citizen in a democracy. It was not an act of bravery. To share your thoughts or say this is the truth, all of this became an act of bravery only after 2014.”

After a series of posts following the 2014 general election – in which she’d pointed to the country’s socio-political fractures—triggered months of online abuse, she says the threats never altered her convictions. “You fight for what you love. I love this country, and I love the version of this country envisaged in our Constitution.”

Her outspokenness has come at a professional cost, from the backlash over her open letter on Padmaavat to her opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act. Bhasker says many colleagues choose silence after seeing what she has faced.

“A lot of my friends would say, ‘Let your art speak.’ But how can art speak when you haven’t left any space for it to be created? Honey Trehan did create art, Satluj, but it didn’t even last two days on Zee5 and wasn’t even allowed a theatrical release. There’s so much censorship. Even when I wrote that open letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, more than one big director told me I shouldn’t have done that.”

She is unsurprised that Bollywood rarely takes political risks. “A producer is ultimately a businessman. I don’t expect great acts of bravery from commercial cinema. Bollywood has always maintained good relations with whichever government is in power.”

Bhasker’s advice to those finding their voice is, thus, rooted in collective action rather than celebrity. “The only way you can speak up and be safe is if everyone speaks up. But people should not depend on actors. Celebrity worship has ruined our politics and our films. Celebrities are products of marketing, money and glamour. They will grow a conscience when society grows that conscience.”

She is equally uncomfortable being placed on a pedestal herself. “Don’t make me your hero. Someday I will probably let you down because I am human. Don’t attach those kinds of hopes to anyone.”

Now balancing motherhood with a quieter phase on screen, she is completing The Illicit Dreams of Mrs Phalani, in which she plays 16 characters. She has also made peace with the labels attached to her. “I fought that activist tag for many days, then I said, ‘Give it to me. I am not going anywhere.’ I just hope I’m remembered as a person who had good and clean intentions and integrity.”

For music lovers, legendary lyricist Anand Bakshi's songs have been the soundtrack to love, heartbreak and hope. But for his son, Rakesh Bakshi, those lyrics became deeply personal during one of the most difficult phases of his life. During The Art and Poetry Day, a tribute to Anand Bakshi, that was held at Subhash Ghai’s acting institute, Rakesh recalled how his father used his own words to help him heal after a painful divorce.

"My father had written around 3,000 romantic songs, but he was not a romantic," Rakesh says with a smile. "Whenever people asked Anand Bakshi if he was a romantic person, his response was always the same: 'Meri zindagi mein bilkul romance nahi hai. Agar hota toh main shayad aise gaane likh nahi pata. What you don't have is what you express'."

Among all his father's compositions, Rakesh says Bade Achhe Lagte Hain remains his personal favourite.

Rakesh's relationship with his father's lyrics took on a new meaning after his divorce. "I was devastated," he recalls. "For nearly two months, I kept listening to Daddy's song, 'Mujhe teri mohabbat ka sahara mil gaya hota, agar toofan nahi aate, kinara mil gaya hota'. I would play it 15 to 20 times every day and just weep."

Watching his son sink deeper into grief, Anand Bakshi decided it was time to pull him back to reality. "He came to me and said, 'Beta, I know you've been through a separation and pain. Tumko yaad hai maine ek gana likha tha?' Then he reminded me of one of his own verses: Hum tum kitne paas hain, kitne duur hain chaand sitaare... Sach poochho toh maan ko jhoothe lagte hain yeh saare."

Confused, Rakesh asked his father what the lines really meant. "He told me, 'Beta, tumko jo chhod ke chali gayi hai, woh uss suraj-chaand ki tarah hai. It belongs in the sky—don't chase it. What is real is what is around you: this earth, these rivers, the rain, your mother, your brother, your sisters, your childhood friends and your work. You've turned away from all of them. Always remember this antara.'" 

For Rakesh, that conversation transformed the way he looked at loss. The lyricist who gave Indian cinema some of its most enduring songs on love had, in his quiet way, also written a philosophy for living—one that helped his own son find his way back after heartbreak.