The teaser of Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, released in February, sparked backlash over its bold scenes, but lead actor-producer Yash is standing by director Geetu Mohandas’ vision, calling it a rare “female gaze” in action cinema.

Speaking to American content creator and host Sabeen Faheem at CinemaCon earlier this month, Yash acknowledged that large-scale action films in India have “historically” been led by male directors, adding, “A gangster film with a female gaze is something very new and refreshing.”

He also praised Geetu’s storytelling, saying, “Her thoughts are very clear… The way a woman presents desire, romance or sensuality is entirely different. I’ve realized that in this journey.”

The controversy intensified after the introducing Raya video, especially a graphic scene involving a bomb, car and cemetery, drew criticism and even a complaint from the National Christian Federation.

Responding to the outrage, Geetu addressed it with a cryptic post on her Instagram that read, “Chilling while people figure out female pleasure, consent, women playing systems, etc.”

Toxic is scheduled to hit the theatres on June 4.

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai, 80, has announced that Taal 2, a sequel to thew 1999 cult classic featuring Akshaye Khanna, Aishwraya Rai Bachchan and Anil Kapoor is on cards. “Uska poora script hum almost complete kar chuke hain aur abhi hum soch rahe hain yeh sahi samay hai, maybe we should make it,” he tells us.

Talking about the lasting appeal of Taal, he adds, “Uss film ki jo energy hai… aaj ke Gen-Z bhi mujhe bol rahe hain Taal banaiye.” Still, he remains cautious: “The easier the subject seems, the more difficult it is.”

Ghai also underlines that casting will be crucial, noting, “In order to make it, purity is very important,” recalling how Aishwarya and Akshaye brought freshness to the original.

At the same time, another Ghai classic is being revived with a darker twist, a sequel to Khal Nayak (1993). Titled Khalnayak Returns, actor Sanjay Dutt, 66, unveiled the film’s first look on Friday and wrote on Instagram: “Kuch kahaani khatam nahin hoti… woh dobara shuru hoti hai.”

The sequel marks a significant shift, with Ghai giving Dutt the rights to take the story forward. The actor, who has long been attached to the film, has shared that the idea of revisiting Khal Nayak first came during his time in jail, in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Reflecting on that phase, Sanjay said, “In jail, nearly 4,000 inmates said they’d watch a sequel.” He even had them write ideas: “Each gave a one-page story… it took time to read all.” Later on parole, he showed them to Ghai, who said, “It should be made.”

Singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo is wary of the label that now defines his career’s second innings, arguing that the term “politician” is often associated with “evil”.

The Rajya Sabha MP from the All India Trinamool Congress, who recently released a remix of classic hit Inteha Ho Gayi, says, “I hate being called a politician because a politician is often used as a term to define ‘evil’... In Bollywood films, when you wish to have a villain who can commit any heinous crime, just make him a Politician like Jameer Jamali (character in Dhurandhar films) and he will justify all event and do them neatly too.”

With the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections wrapped, the 55-year-old says he wants to be seen as someone who delivers on the ground. “I call myself a public representative who loves to get the job done as per the direction of your boss,” he says, adding, “Politics isn’t a thankless job, if you work honestly, people do thank you.”

Speaking in on celebrities entering politics, he believes star power has limits. “Star status can make you win your first election… but if you behave like a star and don’t perform, you’ll lose the second very badly,” he says.

Drawing a parallel with his musical roots, he adds, “Singers and public representatives are both prepaid, the audience pays first, and performance comes later.”

What does it really take to build a life and a career together? On the Bombay Times Lounge, the lovable couple, Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh, strip it down to the basics: trust, humour, and knowing when to step back. As they gear up for their next, Raja Shivaji, the two talk about partnership, individuality, and everything in between. Watch the full episode, which is now live, on the Bombay Times YouTube channel.

Riteish: When we first met, we saw each other as friends. And that friendship bloomed into a love story. The good thing about our relationship is that we always think of growing together, with each other. It’s been an incredible journey so far.

Genelia: From the beginning, even before we got married, we didn’t give our relationship any tags. We never sat down and discussed… We will do this now, or after marriage, or this is where we are headed. We just enjoyed every day. For the longest time, Riteish would tease me with other people, and I would tease him with others.

Genelia: I give Riteish a lot of credit for that because he’s someone who respects you as an individual. I might have a thousand opinions, he doesn’t have to accept them, but he will listen to them without imposing his views. We work together as co-actors and producers, but we have clearly different profiles — he looks into the creative aspects, and I am responsible for the logistics.

Riteish: When you are working with your partner, the most important thing is your relationship with your partner. You have to figure out what your partner is good at, what you are good at, because you cannot be a control freak. Knowing each other as friends or husband-wife is a different thing, but when it’s about working together, it’s a different ballgame. So, we have found a balance and that’s really important for all couples who want to work together.

Riteish: Ten years into my career, my father (Vilasrao Deshmukh) asked me, “You’re doing so much in Hindi films, what about Marathi films?” Until then, I hadn’t thought about it. That was the trigger. We started our journey with our banner Mumbai Film Company about 13 years ago, and we have produced 7 films, all Marathi films and we take immense pride in that.

Riteish: There is a certain beauty in our regional cinema. I truly believe that while we are moving really fast towards the West, somewhere, we need to hold on to our roots, culture and language. We need to find our folklore and go back to the stories of our grandparents, to understand our value system which is embedded in our culture. And that culture is translated to us through language. The best way to help any language is through arts, be it poetry, cinema, theatre or literature.

Genelia: Yes, I did films in other languages, long before it (pan-India movies) was a thing. And what I took away from it was that you get to tell so many more stories and understand so much about different regions and cultures. It’s beautiful for an actor because eventually, acting is about experiences. If you’re getting to do different kinds of roles in different languages of your country, then why not do it?

Riteish: In Hindi films, I get to choose from the films that have been offered to me. And in Marathi films, from the inception stage, I get to choose what kind of films I want to make. So, yes, the choices I make as an actor in Hindi films are far different from the choices I make as a producer or an actor in the films that we produce in the Marathi film industry.

Genelia: Yes! He just kept saying that this is something you love, right? You’ve got to do it. He didn’t even listen to me. He told me, “You have to do this.”

Riteish: I believed that she was perfect for the role in Ved. More than anything else, I told her… I think what you love the most is being in front of the camera. Parenthood, motherhood, it has a certain time and you are doing those roles. You are Genelia — the wife, the mother, the daughter. Now you need to go out there to meet the Genelia that you were — that is very important. The Genelia that you are is the person on the set, in front of the camera and you need to meet her.

Genelia: Yeah, totally! My younger son (Rahyl) is Riteish Deshmukh. We always say that no one can beat Riteish at his sense of humour and wit, but if one person can, it’s chhotu. I will share a funny story here - Riteish was in charge of the kids at home one day. Our younger one did something naughty. So, Riteish told him, “Go, stand in the corner and put your hands down.” He’s looked at Riteish defiantly for five seconds, and quickly put his hands up.

Riteish: That’s Genelia genes!

Riteish: I think our industry has a lot of goodness that is not often spoken about. Everyone will have different experiences, but so many people have been good to me that I feel I should be good and pay it forward — that’s a philosophy I’ve always lived by. It doesn’t take much to smile and greet people. When I’m on a set, I make it a point to greet every department — it really doesn’t take much. It’s important to show gratitude to everyone, because while their contribution may seem small in the bigger picture, they are out there giving their 100%.

Location partner: Luuma House

For decades, Indian cinema has had a rape script with three roles. A lecherous villain, a woman violated, and a hero who arrived just in time to avenge her. That template is cracking with a new crop of films and shows where the perpetrator grows up listening to poetry about women’s empowerment, speaks English, and belongs to your family.

‘Chiraiya’, a new web series that has ruffled feathers in India’s ever-growing manosphere, puts a face to that. In a reputed joint family in Lucknow, a sari-clad Kamlesh — the elder bahu — asks a question that old cinema never had to answer. “As women, we’ve been taught to never cross the rekha like Sita, and we’d be safe. But what if we aren’t safe inside the rekha itself?”

Her question follows an event that rarely makes it to popular culture: her sister-in-law being subjected to marital rape, an act not yet criminalized in India.

The show’s afterlife online has seen one of the rape scenes turned into a meme in incel circles online, where it is used to argue that ‘modern women’ are okay with increasing their ‘body count’ before marriage but quick to label sex within marriage as rape.

Beyond these rage-bait debates, however, the show is emblematic of how a string of recent shows and films are tackling rape, moving beyond helpless victims, macho male saviours, and neat definitions of justice. They are taking on ‘hushed’ issues like marital rape, and also examining systemic failures, legal hurdles, and the everyday-ness of perpetrators — a far cry from voyeuristic tropes, torn blouses, and villains laughing as women beg ‘bhagwan ke liye mujhe chod do’.

‘Chiraiya’ director Shashant Shah says moving beyond villains was a “conscientious” decision, as is placing the story of rape in a liberal, middle-class family. Arun, who commits marital rape on multiple occasions, is shown as an English-speaking younger son of a progressive father, who writes evocative poetry about women’s empowerment — but fails to stand up for his bahu.

“We wanted to show education has nothing to do with how women are getting treated, and it’s not something that happens in lower-strata societies,” he adds.

Assamese short film ‘Xoudaamini’ takes a similar approach. It begins where most films tend to end — with an intercaste couple eloping and marrying. But instead of a happy ending, the marriage unravels when the husband, in a drunken state, forces himself on his wife.

Priyanka Sohoria, the film’s director, says the story was born out of personal experiences of women in her family. In ‘Xoudaamini’, the woman leaves home after the incident, along with her son.

“After watching it, many women reached out to me and said they had gone through something similar, but couldn’t leave,” Sohoria adds. “That’s why such stories are important — to show other possibilities.” Released on YouTube for free, the short film has amassed nearly three lakh views.

The National Award-winning Malayalam film ‘Aattam’, too, avoids depicting the act itself, and instead focuses on what follows within a ‘liberal’ theatre group. The accused, a colleague, is defended by peers, while the survivor faces questions in a space she once considered safe.

This move away from stereotyped villains towards familiar, everyday perpetrators has implications beyond cinema, says Nikunj Kulshreshtha, assistant professor at Jindal Global Law School.

In a study of 4,485 Hindi films between 1980 and 2022, he analyzed markers commonly associated with rape victims, such as whether the victim was educated, her relation with the perpetrator, whether she struggled physically, and her dressing.

“I found that these films were not only pushing the image of an ideal rape victim, but also the ideal offender,” says Nikunj, pointing to the long-standing depiction of rapists as visibly deviant men with criminal pasts or addictions.

“Such depictions impact how the judiciary views offenders, and often damage the credibility of victim narratives, as a lot of people have difficulties in believing that a boy from a good family could be a potential sexual offender,” he adds.

Along with the changing depiction of victims, the hero too is being reimagined. In older films such as ‘Shahenshah’, ‘Damini’, and ‘Insaf Ka Tarazu’, rape often functioned as a plot device to trigger a male protagonist-led revenge arc. While such narratives persist in some recent blockbusters like ‘Dhurandhar 2’ and ‘Maharaja’, a growing number of filmmakers are moving away from it.

In Anubhav Sinha’s ‘Assi’, a courtroom drama centred around a gang rape where Taapsee Pannu plays a fierce lawyer, there are no dramatic victory speeches or cathartic endings. Instead, there’s a call for reflection, with the movie title alluding to the NCRB data of over 80 rapes happening every day in the country.

“I was not interested in creating a hero, or making this incident the podium the hero stands on. I also didn’t want to blame a single perpetrator, or even the police or the judiciary in isolation,” Sinha says. “Maybe the onus rests on us. There’s a lot left to be desired in the way we raise our boys. On the other hand, from a young age, we ask girls to keep quiet and ignore small acts of harassment.”

‘Chiraiya’ too resists a cliched saviour saga to focus on imperfect allies and female solidarity. At its centre is Kamlesh, who initially struggles to recognise marital rape but gradually educates herself and stands by her sister-in-law, acknowledging that women often pass on and perpetuate patriarchal norms, too.

“I wanted to focus on this aspect of sisterhood because even today, a lot of women feel that they don’t have anybody to go to when something like this happens to them,” Shah says.

More recent narratives are also widening the lens. Oscar-nominated crime drama ‘Santosh’ examines caste bias and corruption in the investigation of a Dalit woman’s rape and murder, while the sequel to the successful ‘Dhurandhar’ briefly touches on sexual violence against men — as a way of exerting masculinity and power — often ignored in mainstream depictions.

“It’s more about looking inward. I’m fighting with my own misogyny every day,” says Sinha, recalling how he grew up in a household where he would get his plate of food before his sister.

Unlearning such “small” acts, he argues, is crucial in battling ‘rape culture’. “We have to understand that it’s not a group of men gleefully fantasizing about rape. It’s the normalization of sexual objectification. Rape is probably the by-product of that…both on and off the screen.”

New Delhi: A Mel Gibson-model of faith-based filmmaking is gaining traction among Indian religious traditions. Ten Jagadgurus, including Shankaracharya of Hariharapura Sachidananda Saraswati Mahaswami, along with representatives of major dharmic traditions, travelled to Athens to support a film series on Hindu gods.

The idea draws inspiration from Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ, which saw massive church backing. Gibson reportedly invested $30 m of his own funds after failing to find producers, with the film eventually earning $612 m globally.

In India, a similar model was seen with Chaar Sahibzaade, an animated film by Baweja Studios made on a budget of Rs. 15 cr that earned Rs. 70 cr worldwide, aided by support from gurudwaras.

Building on this approach, spiritual leaders from Shaiva, Advaita, Dvaita, Shakta, Swaminarayan, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh and Yoga traditions have come together to support an eight-film series on Indian gods.

The event also saw the formal announcement of The Chronicles of Devi: Chapter 1 - Mahishasura, the first in the series, to be made by filmmaker Manu Kumaran and Harman Baweja of Baweja Studios.

According to the filmmakers, the stories are being developed under the guidance of the Bharatiya Santa Maha Parishad.

The project is being positioned as more than a conventional film venture. Instead of relying on traditional promotions, the team plans to reach audiences through temples, ashrams and spiritual networks in India and across the global diaspora.

BHOOTH BANGLA did good business in paid previews as it clocked up figures in the 3.25 crore nett range. It was shows post 9 pm only but it had good occupancy especially in Mumbai circuit (both Maharashtra and Gujarat). The opening on day one is also good enough taking into account the film had paid previews which would have taken some of the initial opening day business into paid previews.

The film needed a double digit opening and it would have hit that mark if the film never had paid previews and now it is certain to get there if we include paid previews. But it remains to be seen if the opening day itself can get there. It would be a good result if the film can get 10 crore nett on day one after these paid previews.

It would actually be the best opening result for an Akshay Kumar starrer in recent times as films like HOUSEFULL 5 and JOLLY LLB 3 were established franchises where expectations were higher. This is an original film. So, the initial is a positive and its about going on from here. The initial means that if the film has merits, it will do well and that should be the target of every film which has a star in it. There have been so many films in the last few years that could not even work if they had some merit due to the initial.

BHOOTH BANGLA is likely to be a more Mumbai circuit film which could be seen from the look of the film and generally films directed by Priyadarshan from a GARDISH or VIRASAT in the 90's to the GARAM MASALA or BHOOL BHULAIYAA in 2000's were Mumbai circuit heavy. Its looks the same here as the circuit again has a heavy contribution in paid previews and remains to be seen if the other circuits can do better over the weekend.

BHOOTH BANGLA is a start of a crucial period of 3 months for the industry which will see many of these medium sized films release and its the result of these films which will shape up sentiment in the film industry in the near term. BHOOTH BANGLA is a positive start to the period with these initial results.

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BHOOTH BANGLA had a good opening day as it collected around 11.50 crore nett and adding the paid previews, the total goes to around 15 crore nett which is a solid start for the film. The opening day is a little less than JOLLY LLB 3 but that was the third film of a successful franchise while here its an original film. Also counting paid previews, the figure is higher than JOLLY LLB 3. So, if this film did not have paid previews, then the opening day collections itself would no doubt been better than JOLLY LLB 3.

The film had a decent trailer but no music to really support and todaym double digits is the target when scale and music is missing. The film is the third best opening (including PP) for an Akshay Kumar starrer after SOORYAVANSHI and HOUSEFULL 5 but those are far far bigger films in terms of hype and scale. In real terms this 15 crore (inc PP) reads better than the 22 crore nett of HOUSEFULL 5.

The film has done better in Mumbai circuit which is due to the feel and look of the film. Next best seems to be Mysore and it will be for the same reason. The film is a little less in the North but that was always going to be the case as where the look helps in Mumbai, its a negative for the North. Now its about going on from here and consolidating the initial over the weekend.

The opening of BHOOTH BANGLA is a positive sign for the film industry which should give some hope for the films to come over the next months. The opening days are so important in today's scenario when collections are a struggle. A film failing after the audience has given it a chance is not much of a concern but being dead on arrival which the industry has witnessed many times post pandemic is the killer.

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BHOOTH BANGLA had a very good Saturday as it collected 18 crore nett, taking an excellent jump of almost 60% on its second day. The film now stands at 33 crore nett after two days and previews and should comfortably cross the 50 crore nett mark for the weekend. The film is doing very similar business to JOLLY LLB 3 though both Friday and Saturday are a little less than that film.

This can change on Sunday as JOLLY LLB 3 was affected by the cricket and although there is IPL, its is different from and India v Pakistan match. JOLLY LLB 3 fell short of 20 crore nett on Sunday but hopefully here, BHOOTH BANGLA will cross that figure. The film remains best in Mumbai and Mysore while other areas are doing good to decent business. Mumbai circuit is 11.50 crore nett in two days with good contributions from both Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The weekend is done which should be enough to ensure the film is a success unless Monday really goes down which it should not looking at this Saturday trend. The wait is now can the film show better than the normal holds over the weekdays to emerge a HIT. The disappointment of Jolly LLB 3 was in the weekdays and if this can do better, it will emerge a HIT film. The open field is such for the next four weeks that even a 50% drop on Monday can do the trick.

Friday - 11,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 18,00,00,000 apprx

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BHOOTH BANGLA has done good business over its first weekend as it collects 54 crore nett plus over its first three days and paid previews. The film showed very good growth on Saturday and followed up with another solid 20% jump on Sunday. The figures compare well with JOLLY LLB 3 which did 50 crore nett. Here, it is 51 crore nett for the normal three day weekend, not counting the paid previews.

The Sunday figure ensures the film will emerge a SUCCESS at the very least and its just about whether the film can go on to become a HIT. If the film can hold 50% of its collections of Friday, it will be in running and if its better than that, then the chances are good to emerge a HIT due to the open period.

The film has done better in places like Maharashtra and Gujarat but that has always been the trend for films directed by Priyadarshan no matter what the genre. Its just not Priyadarshan but practically all the directors from the South since the 80's who directed Hindi films show better performances in Western India apart from Sandeep Reddy Vanga, which puts him at a different level.

The growth is there for BHOOTH BANGLA in the North and East on Saturday and Sunday but its likely the film will depend on Maharashtra and Gujarat in the long term while it was the opposite for JOLLY LLB 3 which scored better in North India.

Friday - 11,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 18,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 21,50,00,000 apprx

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BHOOTH BANGLA has collected good figures in Overseas as well as India with collections of around $2.75 million (INR 25 Crore). This compares well with JOLLY LLB 3 which did business of $1.75 million. BHOOTH BANGLA did have paid previews on Thursday but it was a minimal contribution and even if we take them out, its still well ahead of JOLLY LLB 3.

The film collected over $1 million in US/Canada and Gulf was very good with and $800k total. The big two films this year, BORDER 2 and DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE, did not release in Gulf. So, this is actually the first big release in this market this year. BHOOTH BANGLA is double of O'ROMEO, which had the best collections in Gulf this year but that is hardly a target considering the dull reception to that film.

The worldwide collections of the film 91 crore for the weekend including paid previews. JOLLY LLB 3 was 83 crore without paid previews. If we take the paid previews out, it has a total of 85.50 crore which would be seventh best for an Akshay Kumar starrer. HOUSEFULL 5, SOORYAVANHI and MISSION MANGAL are the films with a 100 crore plus worldwide weekend.

The worldwide collections of BHOOTH BANGLA till date are as follows. 

India -   66 crore (54.50 crore nett)

Overseas -  25 crore ($2.75 million)

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BHOOTH BANGLA held well on Monday as it collected 6 crore nett plus with the drop on the right side of 50% thanks to better areas like Gujarat, CI and Rajasthan. This is enough to ensure the film is a success but if the film could have got up towards that 7 crore mark, then the HIT mark would be easy pickings. Now, its about where the film goes from here.

There are discounted rates on Tuesday which will give the film a lift but its just for one day and because of this Wednesday becomes a crucial day for the film. Basically its the Wednesday and the second Friday which will determine whether the film becomes a HIT. The collections of the film till date are 60.50 crore nett and that 75 crore nett mark should be crossed for the first week.

The film is doing better JOLLY LLB 3 till date as the hold on Monday in terms of trend is better and the collections is also better. JOLLY LLB 3 had a higher first day but on Sunday and Monday, BHOOTH BANGLA is ahead. Sunday was down to a big India v Pak match when JOLLY LLB 3 released but there was no such thing on Monday and BHOOTH BANGLA is ahead fair and square. Now its just about maintaining these better holds for the next few weeks.

Friday - 11,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 18,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 21,50,00,000 apprx

Monday - 6,15,00,000 apprx

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BHOOTH BANGLA showed a jump in business on its first Tuesday thanks to the discounted rates. The film collected around 7.25 crore nett which takes its five day total to 68 crore nett. JOLLY LLB 3 collected 71 crore nett for the first week. So, it will cross that figure by the end of business tonight. The film goes into that crucial period over the next three days which will probably determine where it will finish up.

There will be a drop on Wednesday as Tuesday has inflated figures due to the discounts but it will be about how far lower is it compared to Monday. The first week which should come out at around 77-78 crore nett which depending on the next days but this figures compares well with the first week of JOLLY LLB 3.

The film remains best in Maharashtra/Gujarat though Delhi/NCR is doing better now as compared to the first day or paid previews. Overall though, this will be a Western India film whereas JOLLY LLB 3 was a North India film. The period is better as JOLLY LLB 3 basically had a two week run as it got curtailed in week three by two major holiday release. A better first week and a longer open run should mean comfortably better business than JOLLY LLB 3 but Northern markets tend to hold better than Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The collections of BHOOTH BANGLA till date are as follows.

Paid Previews - 3,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 11,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 18,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 21,50,00,000 apprx

Monday - 6,15,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 7,25,00,000 apprx

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BHOOTH BANGLA did well on Wednesday as it collected 5.50 crore nett which is a drop from Tuesday due to the discounted rates. When compared to Monday, it is down only 10% which is a good hold. The total collections of the film stand at 73.50 crore nett apprx after five days and it should manage a total of 78.50 crore nett for the first week.

The trajectory of the film remains higher than JOLLY LLB 3 but the test will be Friday as there is a little competition. So, the collections have to hold in the range of Thursday. There is the English film, MICHAEL, which has very good advances but there are mainly down South which should not affect BHOOTH BANGLA much as the horror comedy has limited collections in the South.

The collections of BHOOTH BANGLA till date are as follows.

Paid Previews - 3,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 11,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 18,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 21,50,00,000 apprx

Monday - 6,15,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 7,25,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 5,50,00,000 apprx

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BHOOTH BANGLA had a good first week with collections of 78.50 crore nett as the weekdays held up well with Thursday finishing up at 5 crore nett which is only 20% less than the Monday collection. The film could have done a little better on Monday as that if that drop of 46% was more towards 40%, it would have made a difference and it would have ensured HIT status.

The film is a bonafide success but still remains to be seen if it can hold up well enough to become a HIT. A Friday collection similar to Thursday can keep it on the right trajectory. It is an open week and there are higher ticket prices on Friday compared to Thursday which will give it a good chance to collect similar to Thursday. Above all, there is appreciation in some parts of the country. There is the new Hollywood film MICHAEL which will see good collections but not in the areas where BHOOTH BANGLA is scoring.

The target in week two at the very least is to be better than JOLLY LLB 3 which should happen. BHOOTH BANGLA has fared best in Mumbai circuit with both Maharashtra and Gujarat doing well. The collections in Mumbai circuit will be around 27 crore nett. 

The collections of BHOOTH BANGLA till date are as follows.

Paid Previews - 3,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 11,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 18,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 21,50,00,000 apprx

Monday - 6,15,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 7,25,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 5,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 5,00,00,000 apprx

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BHOOTH BANGLA had good hold on its second Friday as collections were pretty much the same as the day before. The film collected a sold 5 crore nett which is a 56% drop from the first day. The film will emerge a HIT if this trend holds for the next couple of weeks. The film is a bigger success than JOLLY LLB 3 and looks in that SEMI HIT/HIT range at the moment but if holds continue, it will be a HIT as will go to 150 crore nett or close.

The total collections of the film are 83.50 crore nett till now and it will be flirting with 100 crore nett by the end of the weekend. The film continues to do well in Gujarat and its a long time since Gujarat has been an out performer for a Hindi film. Its actually hard to say why this audience has appreciated the film more. It was a comedy strong circuit but so many have not performed well in the last five years which made you doubt comedies in the circuit.

Overall, wherever it finishes now, its a very good result for the industry and Akshay Kumar. For the industry because it needed this type of film with a relatively low production budget to put up collections just to improve sentiment and confidence and this film will do the trick. A film like DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE does not change sentiment as its seen as something maybe one or two directors can only do. Hence, it changes nothing for the vast majority.

For Akshay Kumar, its a positive result, as he is having many releases in the year and if they keep on doing 100-150 crore nett, then he is in a great position. This figure was higher pre pandemic but now 100-150 each with four releases is probably a bigger achievement than 150-200 crore nett each before the pandemic. This is because of the shift of business to the bigger scale and budget film.

There was dodgy period but that looks like past now with the results of the last four films, KESARI CHAPTER 2, HOUSEFULL 5, JOLLY LLB 3 and now BHOOTH BANGLA which will be a bigger in terms of success than the other three and on top, there is no sequel tag like the others.

The collections of BHOOTH BANGLA till date are as follows.

Paid Previews - 3,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 11,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 18,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 21,50,00,000 apprx

Monday - 6,15,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 7,25,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 5,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 5,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 5,00,00,000 apprx

DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE saw a good jump on its fourth Tuesday thanks to a holiday for Ambedkar Jayanti and Vaisakhi. The film collected 6.25 crore nett taking its fourth week total 42 crore nett with two days of the week to go. There will be a drop today. So, it should add another 6-7 crore nett for a 48-49 crore nett fourth week total.

This overall total for the film is now a huge 960 crore nett which is way ahead of the 780 crore nett of DHURANDHAR part 1. DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE is the third biggest blockbuster this century after GADAR (2001) and BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION (2017) and now it just remains to be seen what happens this Friday when competition arrives for the first time in the form of BHOOTH BANGLA.

The film has benchmarks it can achieve like a 1000 crore nett all India total and 300 crore nett in Mumbai circuit and these depend on what happens this Friday. The film is also looking to become the first film from the industry to hit 100 crore nett in Nizam/Andhra including its dubbed versions. ANIMAL had done 85 crore nett with a better contribution from dubbed versions. Here, Hindi is way better but dubbed is less till date.

The collections of DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (Hindi) are as follows.

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 23,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 25,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 12,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 13,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 4,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 6,25,00,000 apprx

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DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (Hindi) has collected a phenomenal 1592 crore worldwide till date making it the first Hindi film to cross 1500 crore worldwide. The previous best was DHURANDHAR with 1240 crore. Here its looking a 1650 crore plus close which would mean 400 crore more than DHURANDHAR worldwide. 

The overseas has seen records set in US, Canada and Australia with the UK record in sight as it has crossed £4.3 million. It needs another £75k to beat the £4.38 million of PATHAAN. This would be a phenomenal achievement for the film considering the dynamics of this circuit.

The film will also have a 70 crore plus worldwide total from its other versions. So, its like that it will end up collecting 1725 crore end in all versions. This way, it will end up beating PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE but less than BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION. PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE was 1625 crore and BAAHUBALI 2 was 1800 crore. However, in all versions, it is a film from the Hindi industry film industry which leads by a margin and that is DANGAL with collections of 2020 crore.

DANGAL remains the only film in India which has crossed the 2000 crore mark but for DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE its that 1650 crore coming in its original format which stands stall and makes it the bigger than DANGAL.

The worldwide collections of DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE till date are as follows. 

India -  1166 crore (963.25 crore nett)

Overseas -  426 crore ($46 million)

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DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE had another extraordinary week as it collected 49 crore nett in week four which now takes the film to an insane 966 crore nett. It is third highest fourth week of all time after DHURANDHAR which had an out of this world 95 crore nett and the dubbed PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE which got 51 crore nett. CHHAAVA at 41 crore nett and STREE 2 at 31 crore nett make up the other two in the top five.

This film faces competition for the first time with BHOOTH BANGLA. So, it remains to be seen where the film lands today and its just about if the total is high enough to keep it on target for the 1000 crore nett mark. Normally you would expect a similar figure to Thursday but the competition alters that scenario.

There does look a drop in the morning but things change easily by evening for holdover Fridays especially for ones which have been appreciated like this one. The film has added around 60 crore nett in languages which takes the total to all formats to 1025 crore nett and here it will fall short of the 1125 crore nett apprx of PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE.

The collections of DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (Hindi) are as follows.

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 23,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 25,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 12,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 13,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 4,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 6,25,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 3,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 3,00,00,000 apprx

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DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE had a strong hold on its fourth Friday despite the release of BHOOTH BANGLA as it dropped only 20%, collecting around 2.50 crore nett. The film now has a high ratio from the bigger chains as it will be around 65% over the weekend but that is expected this long into the run. The overall total is now 969 crore nett.

The growth will be huge on Saturday as the film may even have chances of doubling up from these lower level of collections. The film remains superb in all the main cities be it Mumbai, Delhi or Bengaluru. The latter is on an extraordinary run as it collects more than Mumbai city and Delhi city.

The film is now getting very close to the figures of PUSHPA 2 - THE RULE in some of the mass circuits like Rajasthan, CI and even Odisha and it could overtake by the end of the run. BHOOTH BANGLA was the main competition it was going to face and the film will remain in cinemas for the next months or so and finish with a total of 1000 crore nett apprx.

The collections of DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (Hindi) are as follows.

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx 

Saturday - 23,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 25,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 12,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 13,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 4,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 6,25,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 3,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 3,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 2,50,00,000 apprx

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DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE has become the highest grossing film in United Kingdom of all time and despite all the records the film has smashed, this is probably the biggest one and also the toughest one. Since the market opened up in the mid 90's and globalization, it has been a tough ride in United Kingdom for patriotic films as slowly around 50% of the audience became non Indians with the Pakistani/Bangladeshi community making a huge share of the box office. Hence, pro India patriotic movies did not hold much appeal for this audience.

It was not always the case though as pre video, it was patriotic films like PURAB AUR PACHHIM (1971) and ROTI KAPADA AUR MAKAAN (1974) dominating the charts. But that was because at the time, it was the Punjabi/Gujarati communities from India or East Africa which had migrated to the UK and they formed the audience.

Traditionally, the United Kingdom has been the biggest market for Hindi from the mid 60's till around the mid 2000's but then slowly these loyalty cards from the biggest chains started to gain traction and business stagnated as watching a film with a loyalty card meant only a one third contribution of the ticket value.

It seems better now as pre pandemic that £3 million mark looked a dream but now five films have crossed the £3 million and two have even crossed £4 million. Also, when a film like DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE can set a new high, there will be potential to go even higher. The plus for DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE is that the DHURANDHAR's first part got huge appreciation from the South Indian audience and this audience would have compensated for some of Pakistani/Bangladeshi crowd for the second part but this is unlikely to happen for many other films.

The all time top ten grossers in United Kingdom are as follows.

2. Pathaan (2023) £4,381,000

3. Saiyaara (2025) - £3,220,000

4. Dhurandhar  (2025) - £3,048,000

5. Jawan (2023) - £3,025,000

6. Dhoom 3 (2013) - £2,710,000

7. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) -  £2,662,000

8. My Name Is Khan (2010) - £2,630,000

9. Dangal (2016) - £2,563,000

10. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) - £2,510,000

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DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE had an excellent fifth week with collections around 18 crore nett which is a drop of 65% from the previous week mainly as there was a big release like BHOOTH BANGLA. Taking that into consideration and the fact that the film already had a huge 950 crore nett plus total in the board, it does actually make it a strong hold.

The fifth week collections will be the fifth highest of all time with the first part of DHURANDHAR leading the way at 42 crore nett. The overall total of the film stands at 985 crore nett after five weeks. The film is heading for a finish of 1000 crore nett plus as the film continues to do well in the metros, especially Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune.

The film also has a record in terms of dubbed business for a Hindi film. The film has gone past the 60 crore nett mark in dubbed versions with the Telugu version leading the way with 40 crore nett. This is a huge total from dubbed versions as the film does not have names attached to it for any of the southern markets. Obviously expectations were there that it could break out but that is just a problem of understanding as Hindi films do a lot of business in Hindi in the South. So, what happens with some of their films in Hindi dubbed is not going to be replicated by Hindi films in dubbed formats. Altogether. South India will be clocking up a 200 crore nett total and that is huge.

The collections of DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (Hindi) are as follows.   

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx 

Saturday - 23,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 25,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 2,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 4,25,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 4,75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 1,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 2,00,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 1,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 1,50,00,000 apprx

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DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE continued to do well on its sixth Friday as it collected pretty much similar to the Thursday and the film could be heading for another double digit week. There are four other films to do this and DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE could be the fifth film. Despite an insane initial, the film has continued its momentum into week six and is competing with films which were pick up films.

This film also seen no offers or cinema days or any of that the other stuff which has been going with the bigger grossers to push box office collections. Actually, there has been no need to as it was known before release that it be be biggest shock of all time if something went wrong here as it the ready audience of DHURANDHAR which had 3.50 crore plus admits. DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE stands at 986 crore nett till now.

The collections of DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (Hindi) are as follows.   

Friday - 20,00,00,000 apprx 

Saturday - 23,00,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 25,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 6,75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 6,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 2,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 4,25,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 4,75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 1,50,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 2,00,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 1,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 1,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 1,35,00,00,000

Actor Annu Kapoor has finally addressed the controversy surrounding his ‘dudhiya badan’ remark about actor Tamannaah Bhatia last year that was widely perceived as distasteful.

The comment dates back to an interview in October, where he discussed Tamannaah’s performance in the song Aaj Ki Raat from Stree 2 (2024). At the time, he had said, “Mashallah, kya dudhiya badan hai!” adding, “Apne gaane se, aur apne badan se, aur apne dudhiya mukhde se humare bachchon ko sulati hain.”

Responding to the backlash in a recent interview with YouTuber Siddharth R Kanan, he said in Hindi, “If I had said ‘milky body’ in English, there wouldn’t have been an issue. But saying it in Hindi became a problem,” adding, “Even if I have noticed someone’s body, I appreciate the physique, but I do not desire her.”

He clarified, “If she asks me whether I said it, I will say yes, I did. If you felt bad, I will touch your feet. If a 71-year-old man touches her feet, what will she say? Nothing, because I am not doing it with any wrong intention.”

Legendary actor-comedian Johny Lever is all set to lead filmmaker Farhad Samji’s next film, playing a fictionalized version of himself. Interestingly, as a mark of respect and tribute to the iconic artist, stars such as Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan have decided to do a cameo for free.

They have both given one day’s time for their parts. The makers are also reportedly planning to rope in more stars for a solid ensemble for the film.

While Johnny is currently shooting in Ooty for other projects, shooting for this project is underway in Mumbai. Johnny is currently juggling between this film, Welcome To The Jungle, and Golmaal 5. While he remains unreachable, we catch up with his daughter, comedian Jamie Lever.

Jamie tells us, “I speak to him when he comes back from work every day, and he is very excited about this project. He says that he is doing something very unlike himself and has to unlearn everything he knows so far to deliver this role. It is definitely something new, a very different branch of comedy than what he is known for so far.”