WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE has finished its run barring a lakh or two more to come with a little over 130 crore nett. The third week was always going to be the litmus test due to the release of DHAMAAL 4 which caters to the same audience with minor regional variances. The film got badly hit as much of its potential audience post the second week went to DHAMAAL 4.

That third Friday was the big hurdle it could not go through as it added less than 8 crore nett post the second week which is something a film like PATI PATNI AUR WOH DO manages to do due to limited competition. So, WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE could have added much more but it was not to be. The film got made with budget constraints and had many issues and would have turned out to be a HIT with a better release date. However, nothing could have been done about the release date.

It was a race against time to get the film ready and the film had to be released in the first half of the year due to the digital deal. So, despite it being a packed period, the date could not be changed. The others around maybe could make changes but WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE had to come. Still the film is a Semi Hit and a good success.

The collections of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE are as follows.

Week One - 92,04,00,000

Week Two  - 30,51,00,000

Week Three  - 6,00,00,000

Week Four - 1,49,00,000

Week Five - 42,00,000

Week Six - 7,00,000

DHAMAAL 4 has managed to stay afloat in the fourth week as it collects 5.50 crore nett which is a drop of 70% from the last week but you take that with the release of SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY. The film collected well over the weekend and got a good bump up on Tuesday due to the discounted rates.

The film now stands at around 156.50 crore and should finish at around 160 crore nett as it will get in another week before the releases of AWARAPAN 2 and BATWARA 1947 next week. This week there is not much competition with the main film being OHH MY DOG though it should do better than small Hindi films over the last few weeks. The film had paid previews on Thursday.

DHAMAAL 4 has reached around 52 crore nett in Mumbai but this is still less than TOTAL DHAMAAL as that did 56 crore nett. However, the all India total will surpass TOTAL DHAMAAL by around 10 crore nett. As compared to the last DHAMAAL film, the Delhi/UP circuit has done much better as has East Punjab.

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 Four - 5,50,00,00,000 apprx

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DHAMAAL 4 will be the fifth highest grossing film in the comedy genre and probably the second if we take out the ones which came on a holiday period. HOUSEFULL 4 and GOLMAAL AGAIN were on Diwali and GOOD NEWWZ was New Year. The Diwali period is particularly beneficial for a comedy genre film. It is beneficial for all but a little extra for a comedy film that works.

HOUSEFULL 5 is actually the highest outside a Holiday period but that film was an underperformer due to costs and falling short of the earlier film in the franchise. Despite comedy being among the 4/5 main genres, it only came into its in the 90's as before that there were not many comedy films made as they had their limitations. Today they have limitations as well because the biggest ones are at 200 crore nett only that too in holiday periods. At the same time, it is one of the safest genres as can be seen with results of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE and DHAMAAL 4.

The list below are the top ten films in the comedy genre not including the ones which rely on the horror factor which is a factor that can take comedy to the bigger collections. Once the horror is sold then it becomes more of a horror film than comedy. The one in last position in the list is READY and this one is actually the biggest comedy genre film released post 2000.

1. Housefull 4 - 205.60 crore 

2. Golmaal Again - 205.50 crore 

3. Good Newwz - 196.33 crore 

4. Housefull 5 - 162.07 crore

6. Total Dhamaal - 150.07 crore

7. Dream Girl - 139.37 crore

8. Badhaai Ho - 134.46 crore

9. Welcome To The Jungle - 130.75 crore 

10. Ready - 120.72 crore

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY has recorded the eighth highest box office collections ever in India over the first four days and this includes all films released in the country and all the versions they were released in. The first four days have been counted. So, for some films it is a Thur - Sun period while for others its a Fri - Mon period and obviously it favours the Thur - Sun film.

The ones below which are Fri - Mon are BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONLCUSION, RRR, SALAAR and ANIMAL. There is also PATHAAN which was Wed - Sat. Hence, falls out of the top ten with a 260 crore (GBOC) total in the first four days. All these films are multiple language releases and this includes SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY. The highest figure for a film released in a single language only is TIGER 3 with 192 crore (GBOC).

The previous four day record for Hollywood was AVENGERS: ENDGAME with 225 crore (GBOC) and SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY has beaten that by a margin though ENDGAME had its four day period from Fri - Mon. PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE is the top film and will remain the top film for some time unless some South Indian film can challenge the Hindi figures of the Allu Arjun-starrer and that is a huge task now.

The media in the West has been told its the sixth highest but actually its eighth unless some of the totals for the Indian films are being accounted for three days only. Being the eighth highest is no small achievement either though.

Below are the top ten collections for the first four days and are like for like. They don't including any previews for any film and are all GROSS box office collections and not NETT collections.

1. Pushpa 2 - The Rule - 560 crore

2. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion - 450 crore

3. Dhurandhar The Revenge - 430 crore

4. KGF - Chapter 2 - 425 crore

5. RRR - 385 crore

6. Kalki 2898 AD - 345 crore

7. Jawan - 330 crore

9. Salaar - 288 crore

10. Animal  - 282 crore

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SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY has seen a good hold on Monday as it collects around the 23 crore nett mark. The drop is a little more than 50% from the Friday but its been a long extended weekend and Hollywood films do drop more on Monday as compared to the Hindi films.

This now takes the film to 275 crore nett and the extended first week should go to around 335 crore nett. Another 60-65 crore nett will see it become the highest grosser ever for Hollywood but this was a given after its second day collections. Its more about how high it can take the benchmark for a Hollywood title.

Wherever the figure goes there will be AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY coming at the end of the year and its pretty certain that will go even higher especially as the craze will be huge and on top that Xmas Holiday period is probably the best Holiday period for a Hollywood film. For SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, the chase is going to be 500 crore nett and a lot will depend on where the second week lands.

The collections of SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY are as follows.

Thursday - 60,00,00,000

Friday - 48,00,00,000

Saturday - 68,00,00,000

Sunday - 76,00,00,000

Monday - 23,00,00,000 apprx

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SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY has smashed all initial records for Hollywood but the Monday collections are well short of AVENGERS: ENDGAME. That film had collected 30 crore nett while here for SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, its around 23 crore nett. Despite this shortfall on Monday, the film is still around 86 crore nett better off compared to ENDGAME.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME added around 220 crore nett post its first weekend and going by the Monday comparison, this would not look possible for SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY but the box office is slightly different today as weekends contribute much more and films tend to run for longer. Most importantly those Thur - Fri holds are better today.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME held so well post the first weekend but the drops came at the end of the week and the second week was 77 crore nett only. SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY should easily beat this figure and will be targetting a 100 crore nett plus second week even though Monday is 25% less than ENDGAME.

The daily comparison for SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (2026) and AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019) is as follows.

Spider-Man - 60,00,00,000

Spider-Man - 48,00,00,000

Endgame - 53,52,00,000

Spider-Man - 68,00,00,000

Endgame - 52,08,00,000

Spider-Man - 76,00,00,000

Endgame - 53,05,00,000

Spider-Man - 23,00,00,000 apprx

Endgame - 30,17,00,000 

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SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY had another very good day on Tuesday as it collected in the range of 21 crore nett. The drop is around 10% from the previous day and this takes the collections to 296 crore nett and will cross the 300 crore nett mark today. Thus, it will become the third Hollywood releases to do so after AVENGERS: ENDGAME and AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER.

The film will fall on Wednesday as the Wednesday has become mini test as to how the box office works today due to the discounted rates on Tuesday. A good hold on Wednesday can make a big difference but its getting harder and harder. SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY did not go to discounted rates on Tuesday as that would be mad to but still whether you do or not collections tend to drop on Wednesday as a larger chunk of the weekday audience (as compared to before) probably plans for Tuesday now.

The first week is probably looking at collections around 330 crore nett (8 days) depending on where the collections land on Wednesday. Then it will be about the second Friday if it is to chase down the 500 crore nett and for that it will probably have to get a 100 crore nett second week at the very least.

The collections for SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY till date are as follows.

Thursday - 60,00,00,000

Friday - 48,00,00,000

Saturday - 68,00,00,000

Sunday - 76,00,00,000

Monday - 23,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 21,00,00,000 apprx

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SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY saw a drop in collections on Wednesday which is a little more than expected but its still a good collection. The film collected 15 crore nett apprx which takes the film to 311 crore nett. The first week is now looking at a 324-325 crore nett total instead of 330 crore nett.

The business on Friday should hold steady as the drop has come on Wednesday and Thursday may also see a drop but then Friday should hold well. The film is a BLOCKBUSTER and going to be the highest Hollywood grosser ever but this drop on Wednesday may make the 500 crore nett mark a tough ask.

A lot will depend on the weekends from here as it will be the Saturday and Sundays from here that can show those higher figures its needs to reach the 500 crore nett. A more realistic figure at the moment would be 450-475 crore nett but the second weekend can change that.

The collections for SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY till date are as follows.

Thursday - 60,00,00,000

Friday - 48,00,00,000

Saturday - 68,00,00,000

Sunday - 76,00,00,000

Monday - 23,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 21,00,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 15,00,00,000 apprx

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SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY smashed all records for Hollywood films as it collected 327.50 crore nett over its extended eight day first week. The seven day collection was 313 crore nett and this smashed through the 258 crore nett record of AVENGERS: ENDGAME.

The film has seen a drop in collections over the last two days of the week which is expected though maybe its a little more than it should be but it should hold steady on the second Friday. The last day of the week is actually less than what AVENGERS: ENDGAME did on the same day. But the difference will come on the second Friday where it will do much better than what ENDGAME did.

The target is 500 crore nett and it will need a 100 crore nett second week at the least to to stay in the race for that. The 400 crore nett will also be a first for Hollywood as AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER fell a little short but that could be covered by the end of the second week. If it does not reach 500 crore nett then Hollywood will surely reach this mark with AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY in December as that film is likely to be a bigger craze than SPIDER-MAN.

Thursday - 60,00,00,000

Friday - 48,00,00,000

Saturday - 68,00,00,000

Sunday - 76,00,00,000

Monday - 23,00,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 21,00,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 17,00,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 14,50,00,000 apprx

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The last month or so has proved to be very good for Hollywood as THE ODYSSEY is a SUPER HIT film and SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY is likely to get to the 500 crore nett plus mark and be among the the most watched Hollywood films ever in India. It is sure to be among the top five in the 100 years plus history of cinema in India.

The film had a huge second weekend as it collected around 83 crore nett and a total of 415 crore nett till Sunday. The film also hit the 500 GBOC mark by the end of business on Sunday. The film has crossed the second week business of AVENGERS: ENDGAME in the weekend itself and by the end of the week, the film should be sitting at around 450 crore nett. The film did outstanding business on Saturday and Sunday this week and that should be the trend going forward as well with both days going to higher levels.

THE ODYSSEY has seen a very steady run now into its fourth weekend as it reaches 165 crore nett adding around 10 crore nett in its fourth weekend. The 200 crore nett mark is probably out of reach but it is among the top ten Hollywood grossers ever in India and it has easily beaten the collections of OPPENHEIMER, the last Christopher Nolan film which collected 130 crore nett.

The Tamil film, JANA NAYAGAN, fell heavily in the second week as it collected around 20-21 crore nett with a bulk of this coming from Tamil Nadu. The first week had collected 140 crore nett which was an eight day first week. So now, the film has reached around 161 crore nett and the biggest Tamil film this year is KARUPPU which did 180 crore nett.

Despite it only needing another 20 crore nett to beat KARUPPU, its still an ask going on this trend and how frontloaded these films are. The main difference is that JANA NAYAGAN is more than double the cost of KARUPPU. As a result, these box office collections are not good enough. There are external factors like the film has been delayed and an online leak but content is also an issue for its core audience going by these collections.

The Hindi version of the film JAN NETA is also very poor as it collected 11 crore nett over the extended first week and the second weekend is hardly 1 crore nett. The film got a good release in the Hindi circuits and the first week is fine but it was lights out as soon as SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY released. Here the content problem was from the trailer itself as it looked a dull film.

Its been disaster results this year for the dubbed films from the South which have managed to get good releases. PEDDI did 18 crore nett while THE RAJASAAB got 17.50 crore nett. And now JAN NETA will close at around the 13 crore nett figure. Its all about TOXIC for the dubbed category this year and its another film where Hindi has to collect due to the costs of the film.

When the teaser of ‘Prahaar’, which sees Rajkummar Rao step into the shoes of renowned prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, dropped in late June, the makers announced an August 7 release. With the first 10 days of August having gone by, we’ve heard that director Avinash Arun’s feature is now eyeing a September 4 outing. But with that window comes competition.

‘Mirzapur: The Movie’, which marks the big-screen transition of Prime Video’s popular crime drama ‘Mirzapur’ led by Pankaj Tripathi, has already locked September 4 as its release date. An insider said, “That makes the decision tricky for the makers of ‘Prahaar’. ‘Mirzapur’ has three seasons of streaming history behind it and an established fan base. The question within trade circles is how much of that digital fandom will convert into a paid theatrical audience.”

The makers of ‘Prahaar’, which focuses on Nikam’s high-profile case against terrorist Ajmal Kasab after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, are expected to announce the new release date soon. A source shared, “They are looking at a September window. They will announce in a week or so after they gauge the response to ‘Mirzapur’ trailer.”

Ravi Kishan may not have set out to become the internet’s latest obsession, but social media had other plans. The actor and Member of Parliament has lately found himself at the centre of a meme frenzy, with his expressions, dance moves and distinctive dialogue delivery on podcasts and interviews becoming fodder for countless viral posts. From ‘Pehchaan or Paisa? Paisaan! Money follows… my braatheer’ and ‘Hmmmmmm… better do it!’ to ‘Jaldi, the late!’, Kishan’s every move seems to be finding a new audience online.

We caught up with Kishan, who, in his inimitable style, sums up the phenomenon simply: “I don’t do it… it happens, brother!”

He shares, “Yeh kuch alag hi khel chal raha hai, yeh pagalpan hai! Shravan month is on and when Mahadev showers his blessings, this happens. It has never happened before for anyone in this country.”

For Kishan, perhaps the most surprising part is that none of this was planned. “The best part is that this is happening organically. Even the BJP handle, Delhi Police and Maharashtra Government have made memes. I am personally following it all and dropping a ‘like’ as well,” he says.

The 57-year-old credits Gen Z for it all: “No one has discovered me before. Gen Z has accepted me as their own. I really want to thank them and salute their creativity.”

Kishan believes the connection goes beyond the memes and viral clips. “Out of love, they call me Lord Ravi, God Ravi, today’s Osho and whatnot! They love real people; they connect with my imperfections, which makes them feel I am one amongst them. Everyone makes mistakes, so do I and I accept it as well. Main dil se bolta hoon aur meri sacchai logon ko pasand aa rahi hai,” he ends.

With the trailer of director Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana already generating buzz, actor Chetan Hansraj, 54, sees the project as a defining chapter in his career. The actor, who plays Raja Mali, the maternal grandfather of Ravana, says the experience has been unlike any other in his career.

Speaking about his role and working alongside actor Yash (who plays Ravana), he says, “Raja Mali is an important character that went down in history, and my scenes with Yash are pure fire. He is such a delight on screen, and these two characters complement each other wonderfully. It was huge for me.”

The actor also reveals that his association with the film expanded beyond Raja Mali. “After my part was wrapped, I was offered six motion-capture characters, including one of Ravana’s brothers and a demon,” he reveals.

At a time when a large number of audiences prefer to watch films on OTT , the actor says that Ramayana is made for a big-screen experience. “It’s for IMAX, at least the silver screen. Watching it on small screens and mobile phones kills half the effort,” he says.

After the trailer launch, social media erupted into comparisons with previous adaptations of the Hindu epic such as Adipurush (2023) and Ramanand Sagar’s TV series, debating CGI and demon creature designs.

Addressing the debate, Hansraj says, “We have the best action directors from Hollywood and Bollywood, and technicians on board, like Terry Notary... Makers today want to give the best cinematic experience, and that’s a vision we should understand. People who once see it on the right medium will forget all these comparisons, I am sure.”

On Sunday, singer Sonu Nigam shared a video of himself crooning late singer Mohammed Rafi’s Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki (Dulari, 1949) while lying on an operating table undergoing surgery. The unusual moment left fans concerned and wondering what had happened. Nigam now tells us that the surgery was related to a recurring growth on his left ring finger.

“It’s been happening for some time. I had a surgery four months back to remove it, but it has come back again. I think it’s got to do with my arthritis,” he shares.

Explaining how he ended up singing during the procedure, the 53-year-old says, “Dr Nilesh Satbhai is an admirer of mine and he was playing my songs during the surgery. There were some songs playing without vocals, so I just started singing. It happened organically. They enjoyed it and said it has never happened that a patient is singing for the doctors while they operate.”

Nigam says he was the one who suggested that the doctors record the moment: “I told them they could record it as a memory if they wanted.”

Despite the health setback, the singer says he has no plans to slow down. “After the surgery, on Thursday, I went for the launch of my song Chunni. So I have been on the move even after the surgery, and I am not on a break.”

Actor-filmmaker Mohanlal had to cancel his show in Sydney on Saturday night after failing to secure his Australian visa in time.

In a video message posted by the organisers on Saturday, the actor expressed regret over missing the show, saying he did not know how to explain the situation. Speaking in Malayalam, he said, “I don’t know how to express my grief. I am in a very sad situation. It has been almost 50 years since I entered the film industry. Perhaps, I am the actor from India who has performed in the most number of shows.”

The 66-year-old added that he was unaware of what had caused the delay in the visa process. “For the first time in my life, I did not get my visa. I don’t know how it happened. It could be a technical or clerical mistake or an AI-generated issue. I am taking all the blame on myself. I am telling you that it is my fault. I am very sorry about it,” he said.

Kayal Events, the organizers, also posted a note on Instagram announcing that the event had been postponed. They clarified that Mohanlal’s visa had not been rejected and remained under consideration by the relevant authorities.

They added, “All other artists are already in Sydney but the event cannot proceed without the main artist. Further details, including the new event details and ticket holder options, will be updated.”

For Grammy-nominated artiste Raja Kumari, India has always held a special place in her heart. In the Capital on Friday for Dhaagon Ki Sargam, a National Handloom Day event by the Ministry of Textiles and the FDCI, the rapper-singer opened up about her roots, craft and her love for local street food.

Dressed in an embroidered silk ensemble with schoolgirl braids and metallic charms, she shared, “You can put a modernist twist on an Indian aesthetic, and it still feels rooted.” For Kumari, handloom isn’t just for sarees. “Seeing it styled with jeans today shows how versatile it is. It cements how incredible our textile history has always been, and I’m so happy to see this renaissance,” she said.

Born in California to a Telugu family, Kumari’s decision to build her career in India was set in motion early on. “My father left India in the ’70s for the US. I’m a result of the American dream, but my dream was always to come back,” she reflected, citing the film Swades (2004) as a turning point. “Living in America, I was upcycling my mother’s old sarees to recreate India,” she said.

The 40-year-old also shared that navigating the two worlds shaped both her perspective and music. “In America, they’d say, ‘You’re not American, you’re Indian’, while in India they say I’m not Indian enough. But the rest of the world only sees an Indian girl. It’s about standing in that power.”

With a decade in the industry behind her, her advice to rising musicians is simple, stop copying the West: “We tend to ‘copy-paste’ whatever works once, but young artists need to tell genuine stories. The West is actually looking to the East to find purpose.”