TOXIC (Hindi) collected 4.50 crore nett on Tuesday as the rejection of the film meant pretty much a flat Tuesday despite the discounted ticket rates. The first week collection has come to 131.50 crore nett. This is the third highest first week collection of the year after DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE and BORDER 2 but the issue is nothing much is to come from here on.

This next two days might add another 6 crore nett for an extended first week total of around 137 crore nett. 150 crore nett will be tough from here as the film will see another let down on Friday when MIRZAPUR THE MOVIE arrives. The film will see better numbers in the likes of Bihar, Odisha and CP Berar when compared with other films released this year. However, that's mainly down to the first day. In Odisha, it will probably have a similar figure to BORDER 2.

The all India business of all the versions is 214 crore nett apprx over the first week with limited contribution from all the southern states. The extended first week will fall short of 225 crore nett and from there, it will be just some collections for the Hindi and Kannada version. But this will not be enough to take it to 250 crore nett.

The collections of TOXIC (Hindi) are as follows.

Wednesday - 53,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 18,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 14,75,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 4,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 4,50,00,000 apprx

With ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-ups’ in theatres now, Yash is giving undivided attention to his next ambitious release, ‘Ramayana: Part 1’. While the Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash-starrer has generated enough buzz, we’ve heard that the two male leads plan to take their epic to fans across India through special interactions.

According to an industry insider, Kapoor — who plays Lord Ram — will spearhead a fan meet-up in Delhi on October 31, while the South star will host the Bengaluru leg on November 1.

“The idea is to create a pan-India connect. Ranbir and Yash will lead the interactions in their respective cities,” said a source.

The team is also said to be planning a summit in Hyderabad, potentially a day before the Nitesh Tiwari-directed venture’s India release on November 8. Details of the event are still being worked out.

The source added, “The exact format has yet to be finalized, but over 4000 people are expected to attend. The makers want to ensure the film travels to the South belt. That said, the official première of ‘Ramayana’ will be in Mumbai.”

Put Mithun Chakraborty, Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, and Jackie Shroff in one frame, and you can expect an action extravaganza. That’s exactly what Baap promises. Now, producer Ahmed Khan has also woven in an element of dance in it.

While the movie’s principal shoot was wrapped up in April 2025, mid-day has learnt that Khan and director Vivek Chauhan recently filmed a music video with the four leading men and Johny Lever.

Think of it as a stylised promotional track that will highlight the heroes’ action set-pieces from the movie.

A source from the creative team revealed, “A peppy dance number featuring the four actors, and another track celebrating their camaraderie were to be shot last year. However, only the latter was filmed in the jungles of Mizoram and in Film City, Mumbai. The dance track was finally shot in June. A set depicting a mill was created at Madh Island for the purpose.”

Considering Baap is high on stunts designed by action directors Parvez Shaikh and Ravi Varma, Zee Studios as well as Khan felt portions of it should be incorporated in the single. The source added, “It’s intercut with different action set-pieces. For instance, one sequence has Sunny and Sanjay fighting on top of a Boeing plane; it may make the cut.”

For Khan, it was wonderful to see the four stars shake a leg together. “It was great fun to have the true action heroes dancing and doing dialoguebaazi,” he told mid-day, while the director added, “Seeing these macho icons together in one frame is a cinematic feast!”

Actor Rashmika Mandanna is set to resume shooting today after taking a month-and-a-half-long break following a hip injury she suffered on the set of her action thriller Mysaa in July.

Revealing how the injury happened, she tells us, “The tendon in my hip bone snapped while shooting a song. I felt the snap but continued shooting till I couldn’t lift my right leg. The next day, I visited the hospital and got an MRI. I was my happy self so the doctors didn't suspect an injury. The doctors were then surprised that I managed to walk up to the hospital all by myself. They told me my pain receptors are messed up!” She adds, “I have to be careful once I resume.”

Although doctors cleared her to return to work within a week, Rashmika chose to resume in just a day. She says, “I’m resuming the shoot for Ranabaali in Hyderabad because it’s up for release soon and I have 10 days of shoot left. I have two other films to shoot after that; I have my months planned, and I’m getting anxious looking at my calendar.”

The break gave her time to catch up on sleep, spend time with family, read and solve puzzles — things she says she’ll miss once she is back to her packed schedule. It also allowed her to spend quality time with her husband, actor-producer Vijay Deverakonda, for the first time since their wedding in February this year.

She shares, “We didn’t get to see each other for three months after the wedding; we would just speak on the phone. This was the universe’s way of saying, calm down, I will keep you at home now. This is the most time we have spent together and it was strange but nice. He likes watching serious shows and K-dramas are my thing, so now we watch both. I have managed to convert him already.”

Vijay, she says, would like more such downtime, but without the circumstances that brought it about. “Vijay says, ‘Let’s have more of this, but next time without an injury!’” she laughs.

She adds that time flies when one is spending precious moments with family. “It didn't feel like I was unwell because I don't like to depend on anyone to help me. I cant just be on the bed, waiting for someone to help me get off it. I like to believe I'm fit to do things by myself. So I had a good time making memories with the family."

As actor Swara Bhasker continues to face backlash for her remarks about the depiction of jauhar in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat (2018), the film’s co-writer Prakash Kapadia has come out in defence of the scene, citing deep research and historical accuracy.

“We made the film according to our research and what is written in history books,” says Kapadia, who co-wrote the film alongside Bhansali.

He adds, “Every person interprets the film differently. What we showed including the jauhar scene was the reality of those times, it cannot be changed now. The situation was that of ‘do or die’. Woh log (the male warriors) kesariya kar ke utare thhe.”

In Rajput tradition, Kesariya refers to the men dressing in saffron (kesari) robes and marching into a battle to fight to the death when victory is impossible.

Reacting to Bhasker calling the portrayal “problematic”, Kapadia says that while he hasn’t been following Swara’s comments, the controversy feels unnecessary to him.

“It depends on the person’s mood, even if it’s a good film and you watch it with a bad state of mind you will find it bekaar. It’s also about intention; whether you are going as a viewer, or watching it to find something controversial, or to find negativity... With Padmaavat, people had raised objection even before watching the film and had protested on the streets. The same conversation is continuing years later, so what can I say, let people say what they want to."

Sonu Sood is walking the talk about being there for those in need. He reached Kathmandu on Tuesday to help the victims of the horrific Nepal floods.

Talking to HT City from ground zero, he says, “Yes I am here, at a place called Nuwakot, it’s among the most affected areas. Meeting those families, the survivors was heart-wrenching. We are trying to do a lot of relief work for them- from arranging food supplies, medical help to shelters. We have been to many camps, met families. We have noted down their details too.”

Sonu took to Instagram on Tuesday and shared a carousel of pictures where he is seen meeting the children who have survived the floods.

He wrote in the caption, “They lost their homes, their families, their childhood…but together, we will help them find a new beginning. Nepal, you are not alone.”

The actor, who had garnered immense goodwill for helping people during the Covid outbreak too few years back, adds as he speaks to us, “The situation on ground is not good. All the relief camps are full of heartbroken people, especially Nuwakot. The debris here are unreal. Whole houses have been buried under the slush. I visited the miracle green house too which has survived, and met the family living in it. A lot of people have lost their livelihoods. It is important for us to come together in this hour of need. If you find any details or connection to some survivor, try to help them. Our charity is doing their bit. You can also get in touch with us, we will do whatever we can.”

Akriti Kakar was 16, when she first met Palash Sen. She’d been chosen to open for Euphoria at a show in Udaipur; an opportunity that was thrilling and intimidating in equal measure for the singer. “I was a teenager who was in awe of The Palash Sen when I first met him. His humility made me believe he’s for real!” she recalls.

What stayed with her was not just meeting the frontman of a band she admired, but the warmth she received from the entire group. “They were so supportive and loving and encouraging to a 16-year-old girl who nobody knew about at that point.”

Over the years, that first impression only deepened. Akriti laughs that while she grew older, “he visibly grew younger and only cooler”. The admiration gradually turned into friendship, and eventually, a relationship she describes as that of a big brother, guide and friend.

For Palash, too, the relationship began with admiration. He remembers watching a very young Akriti perform at Euphoria concerts and being struck by not just her voice but the way she carried herself. 

“With Akriti, I think the respect came first,” he says. “She conducted herself with such dignity, poise, which is rare in these times. I was always such a fan of hers. She’s such a dynamic person, strong and brave, the way she has handled her life. I say, ‘Darr ke aage Akriti hai’. Duniya mein koi dar, koi cheez nahi hai aisi jo Akriti nahi overcome kar sakti.”

There is also plenty of laughter between them. Palash recalls that whenever they meet, it becomes a “laugh riot”.

That chemistry was particularly evident while shooting their latest music video Oh Jaanu. Their director would reportedly have to wait for the two to finish laughing before continuing the shoot. “I’m a very private person, but I’m just so comfortable with her, she is like a sister. I hold her in high regard, and I admire her as an artist,” says Palash.

Their professional equation has grown alongside their friendship. Akriti says, “Collaborating with Palash Da is a bumper lottery for multiple reasons. He’s a big bucket list tick mark for me! Having grown up on his iconic songs like Maeri and Kaise Bhoolegi Mera Naam, having him collaborate with me on this incredibly mental track is more special than I can possibly express.”

When she approached him for Oh Jaanu, his response meant as much to her as the collaboration itself: “If you’re doing it, I’m on. I trust you with your creative decisions, tu kuch achha hi karegi.” Their bond has also spilled beyond music. “Akriti recently gifted me idols of Shiva, Ma Durga and Vaishno Devi. I feel my house is blessed. Akriti keeps blessing me always, she’s such a pure soul.”

Mumbai: Amid the din created by big-budget Indian and Hollywood movies, several faith-based films that amalgamate personal stories with cardinal ideas of deities and saints have scored strong success at the box office. These include films such as Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate (Gujarati, 2025), Hanuman Ansh (Hindi, 2026) and Irumudi (Telugu, 2026), all of which were made on small budgets and feature faith-based but non-mythological stories.

Made on budgets ranging from Rs. 2 crores to Rs. 35 crores, these films have collected Rs. 45-Rs. 140 crores from the box office. Critically, some of the films have weathered stiff competition from big-budget movies such as Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-ups, Dhurandhar The Revenge and Hollywood spectacle films in India.

These films drive the importance of community experiences, faith and spirituality in bringing audiences to theatres, producers, distributors and exhibitors told ET.

A key aspect that binds these films is that they are not devotional in the traditional sense. They are about existential problems and how fundamental teachings of a saint, or a deity, help people to deal with these problems.

"These films weave faith into mainstream storytelling elements such as family, emotion, mythology and culture, thereby extending their appeal beyond believers," said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director of film production and distribution firm Karmic Films.

Irumudi is the story of an alcoholic father. On his daughter's request, he performs a 41-day Ayyappa Deeksha by abstaining from alcohol. After dealing with big challenges, he gets reformed. Laalo features an auto-rickshaw driver who is guided by Lord Krishna to come to terms with his past and mistakes. Hanuman Ansh tells the legendary stories that occurred in the life of the saint Neem Karoli Baba.

In India's vast cinematic history, there are many examples of successful faith-based films. Jai Santoshi Maa, which was released a few months before Sholay in 1975, stood up to the competition and collected close to Rs. 5 crore on a budget of Rs. 30 lakh.

"Faith has always been part of our storytelling. As the world becomes more uncertain and complex, people often return to faith for comfort and strength. That is also why films like Laalo, Irumudi and Deool Band 2 connect with audiences," said film producer Naveen Chandra.

According to a 2025 study by the Pew Research Centre, 82% of Indian adults describe religion as very important in their lives. Also, a 2026 study across 180 countries reported in the academic journal Wellbeing, Space and Society found that chances of people reporting stress nearly doubled in the past eighteen years. Audiences have appreciated the simplicity of these faith-based films, said exhibitors.

"These films have been made with the right intentions. Audiences who value culturally rooted stories rewarded it," observed Vishek Chauhan, chief executive of Roopbani Cinema, a single-screen theatre in Bihar.

Producers increasingly believe that faith-based films can be a sustainable genre given their favourable economics of low budget, no reliance on stars, community experience and high word-of-mouth communications.

TOXIC (Hindi) collected 123 crore over its extended five day weekend with dwindling collections every day as Sunday was the lowest day of the five days. This is despite the Raksha Bandhan period when collections are inflated in certain states. The film started off with such a huge 53 crore nett first day that you would think even on a worse case scenario it would get to 200 crore nett. That would have been a fair result.

Now with the coming falls it could be struggle to reach even 150 crore nett. The rejection is similar to what films like THUGS OF HINDOSTAN (2018) and ZERO (2019) faced. TOXIC, after a 50 crore nett plus opening day, will now be targeting a 5 crore nett Monday and considering how the weekend has gone, it would be no surprise if it does not get there. The fate of the film is worse in South as the home market of Mysore/Karnataka collected 47.50 crore nett including collections of the Hindi version. The rest of the southern states are even worse.

KGF - CHAPTER 2 did 135 crore plus lifetime in Mysore/Karnataka while KANTARA: A LEGEND – CHAPTER 1 was 190 crore plus. KGF - CHAPTER 1 did almost 100 crore and here its looking 60-65 crore nett end. For the biggest Kannada film in history, it will be less than both DHURANDHAR and DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE. Not to forget that Hindi films have limitations in Mysore/Karnataka.

The collections of TOXIC(Hindi) are as follows.

Wednesday - 53,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 18,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 14,75,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

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TOXIC had a disappointing weekend overseas but its not a huge surprise as Kannada films don't have much of a market and a lot is down to other versions to score. Here, it came down to Telugu version for initial and eventually Hindi version. Unlike India, the Hindi version was going to be dependent on the content as the craze was not like India and there is not much to say on the content now. The film got a big deal in terms of Overseas distribution rights but the risk is there being a Kannada film which has a far less audience than the other South Indian film industries.

The film collected $4 million overseas in five days and there will be nothing much coming post the weekend. The collections in India for the five day weekend were 200 crore nett apprx (241 cr GBOC) which gave it 278.50 crore for the extended five day weekend total worldwide. If we take the normal 3 day weekend, then the film stood at 210 crore apprx which is less than KANTARA: A LEGEND – CHAPTER 1 which managed 216 crore. KGF - CHAPTER 2 was a phenomenal 535 crore over the normal three day weekend.

The worldwide collections of TOXIC worldwide for its extended weekend for all versions are as follows. 

India - 241 crore (200 crore nett)

Overseas - 37.50 crore ($3.9 million)

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TOXIC (Hindi) went down further on Monday, as expected, with collections of 4.25 crore nett only. The film had pretty much crashed over the weekend and so, there was no hope for Monday. For the record, the total stands at 127 crore nett for six days. The first week will be around 131 crore nett and the extended first week will probably be around 137 crore nett.

This probably means that the film will fall short of the 150 crore nett mark. The results are like THUGS OF HINDOSTAN and BESHARAM, where the first day is 35% of the total business of the film. The film may not have done well in Hindi but the results are far worse in South as it collected 2 crore nett in Mysore/Karnataka and its all India total will be around 7 crore nett.

The collections of TOXIC (Hindi) are as follows.

Wednesday - 53,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 18,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 14,75,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 14,00,00,000 apprx

Monday - 4,25,00,000 apprx

Starting at 250 theaters and coming down to 25 in a week and now running in 1,200 screens in the fourth week, doctor-turned-debutant writer-filmmaker Dr Vishal Chaturvedi’s Hanuman Ansh on Neem Karoli Baba is doing wonders at the box office.

Calling it “magical, divine and driven by the audience,” he says, “At Rs. 1.7 cr, we just wanted the audience to watch and the investment to return but it did wonders (according to data Rs. 45 Cr only in India and counting). We have stopped looking at collections and counting the blessings, appreciation and love.”

Vishal is himself surprised with the “grace.” He says, “I guess what worked in the film primarily is Baba’s divine story (played by actor Shobhinaw Satyaa), music and the actors and makers who are very emotional about the subject. We hardly did any promotion and PR as we did not have any budget, but the audience played the role of PR with word-of-mouth and posting on social media. The audience have driven the film on their shoulders.”

He recalled how August 15 big releases hit them. “Due to the big films (Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2,) our shows were reduced to just 25 screens but they kept running well. The audience wanted to watch but there were no shows, so people travelled 200-250 kms and posted on SM. There were videos that even after the film ended, the audience were so emotional that they did not get up from their seats. Probably that all worked which no PR can do.”

They did bhandaras instead on PR exercise. After the shows were reduced, they did a road trip from Mumbai. “We went to Rajkot, Surat, Ahmedabad and even small towns where we met the audience, local media and cinema owners. We did not have funds, so we amplified it on social media, and it was boosted by content creators and users with very emotional reels. It organically became viral and shows increased,” he says.

The film has been shot in Chitrakoot and has used Braj, Awadhi and Bundeli language to connect with the wider audience, he says.

A Lucknowite, Vishal completed his MBBS from Gorakhpur in 2006 and in the same year was posted in Haldwani when he got introduced to Baba and went to his ashram in Kainchi Dham (Uttarakhand) where he became a bhakt.

“In 2011, I stopped medical practice and came into writing and assisting in film. I have also worked with Anubhav Sinha for a few years and have assisted in films Hurdang (2022), Dedh Bigha Zameen (2024) and some shows too. My medical profession helps me a scientific and skeptical approach,” says the writer of TV series Fauji 2.

He also runs a Hanuman Chalisa Club which has 12,000 members.

As per Sacnilk, after 25 days it has earned gross collections to ₹53.82Cr and net collections to Rs. 45.63Cr so far.

Currently riding high on the success of Operation Safed Sagar, actor Abhay Verma is looking to end his year on a professional high with the release of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer King, and he feels there couldn’t have been a bigger milestone. “I've got to work with Shah Rukh sir, Abhishek (Bachchan) sir, Rani (Mukerji) ma’am and all these personalities I have idolized. There's a temple in my heart and all these people reside in it,” he says.

Crediting Khan for being his source of inspiration, the actor says, “I saw dreams because of him. So, to come on the same screen with him was more than a dream. I didn't know it would come true so early, but just to be on the screen and make my work reach to Shah sir, it meant more than anything to me.”

Recalling a piece of advice that Shah Rukh Khan gave him, Abhay Verma shares, “Every word that comes off the legend's mouth just becomes legendary. I had asked him how did you choose your early films, to which he said, ‘Although the times were different, just work with people who love you and who you love’.”

The actor adds that it also complements his own philosophy as an actor. “I have taken my acting as democracy: to the people, by the people, for the people,” he says.

Reflecting on Khan’s approach on sets, Verma shares, “He just takes a chair, sits in the corner without disturbing anyone and sees how things are happening, how cinema is taking place. Even despite his injuries, or if he's feeling unwell, how he just gives everything, there's lots of learning from it.”

The actor also remembers a kind gesture by Bachchan during the shoot: “One day he was getting ready, and I told him that my family is in my van, so whenever he had two minutes, if he could let me know, I'll just bring them to him. He just stood up and walked to my van. He met my mom and said, ‘Hi, my name is Abhishek Bachchan and I'm working with your son in King’.”

Apart from King, Verma also has Laikey Laikaa and a film with Shanaya Kapoor in the pipeline, and with all his work, he hopes to break his ‘chocolate boy’ image.

“My biggest success would be that I break my image with every character that I play. I want my characters to live longer than me. I really don't want any image associated with me,” he ends.

Over a month after posting an impassioned video condemning the police crackdown on students protesting over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in the NEET-UG exams, Naseeruddin Shah has a new message for student protestors.

“I wish these kids all the best, and I wish them more strength,” the veteran actor told HT City on the sidelines of the launch of Mahmood Farooqui's memoir The Tihar Players, in the Capital on Sunday. Asked if he believes such protests could change the state of affairs, he said, “This kind of protest will definitely work.”

In his July video, Shah had compared Delhi Police personnel who lathi-charged students to American ICE agents, and also took a dig at A-list actors who chose silence during the protests. His message drew criticism from Kangana Ranaut and Piyush Mishra.

At the event, the 76-year-old praised a theatrical performance by former Tihar Jail inmates, saying, “Seldom have I seen this much truth in a performance, performed by those who have gained redemption.”

Over the years, Shah has mentored several actors in the Indian film and theatre industry. During an on-stage interaction with Farooqui, who held drama classes during his own prison time at the Tihar Jail, Shah said, “I find that many of my student actors struggle to shed their inhibitions even in simple exercises such as drinking from an imaginary cup, and the women resort to crying after reading an imaginary break-up letter from their boyfriends, mainly because they join these classes to get a job. But I’m sure you didn’t get this struggle in the jail."

He also recalled his own years at boarding school, likening that experience to being in jail. He recounted how punishments there were far harsher than what students face today. “The teachers today would be arrested,” he quipped.

A day after the trailer of Daayra dropped, Prithviraj Sukumaran says he is already aware of the comparisons being drawn between the Meghna Gulzar directorial and his own 2022 film Jana Gana Mana. But while the similarities may seem apparent from the trailer, the actor insists that the two films are fundamentally different. For him, the distinction lies in what happens after the central incident.

“You know what, for someone who assumes what this film is about from having seen the trailer, it is understandable that they might think these films are similar. But these films are very different from each other. I think the understandable assumption right now is that Daayra is about an incident. Daayra is not about an incident. Daayra is about what follows after the incident. The incident in itself is nearly a catalyst for the series of events that then form the narrative of the film. In one fashion, Daayra is very much a procedural and two different perspectives about the same procedure. Unlike Jana Gana Mana, it's not really about the incident. And even in terms of tonality, what the film speaks about, what the film is about, these two films are very different from each other.”

The film, which sees Prithviraj as police officer Raman Kumar opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Ajooni Kohli, also presented the actor with a character whose morality he did not necessarily have to share. In fact, that was precisely what attracted him to the part.

“That’s what I enjoy most actually. What really excites me as an actor is to be playing people that I do not agree with fully. And having said that, Raman is not somebody who I disagree with fully either. But what is interesting is also, as an actor, you need to be able to step back and look at the film as a whole. What is it that your character serves within the narration? So with Daayra, basically the filmmaker is presenting a debate and she is presenting both sides of the argument to you. And the film and the filmmaker is merely playing the mediator. I should be fully aware that I am an instrument as an actor to prop up one side of the argument. So even if I do not agree with all that Raman thinks and does, or if I completely agree with all that Ajooni thinks and does, I need to go about Raman’s character arc with complete conviction.”

That conviction, however, came with plenty of questions. Prithviraj admits that he had several arguments with Gulzar during the making of the film, particularly when his understanding of Raman came up against his own instincts.

“There were a lot of questions that I kept asking because there was this constant struggle in your mind as to why would he do that? Why would he say that? Why would he react that way? And the fact is that those arguments come about in your mind because you are at loggerheads with the character. And what really helps you at times like that is that you have a filmmaker, you have a director who is so crystal clear with what the character said, what she wants the actor playing the character to do, that she gives you very specific answers to your questions. And that really helped me. I am sure even Kareena will tell you the same thing, that there was never a single question from an actor on sets to which Meghna did not have a proper, clear answer.”

He credits Gulzar’s meticulous preparation for creating that clarity. The actor, who initially did not think he would be able to accommodate the film in his schedule, says the narration changed his mind.

“When I got a call to meet Meghna Gulzar, I told my manager that I will definitely meet Meghna because I am a big fan of her work, but this is most likely going to be me meeting her in person and very sadly telling her that as much as I would love to work with you, I don't think I am going to be able to do what you want to do right now. But Meghna actually didn’t even start off by asking me about when, what, etc. She just said, ‘I would like to tell you a story,’ and she just gave me a narration even before we started talking about when and how. I had no clue this was what she was making. When she told me the story and what she wanted to say and what she wanted to do with the subject matter, I was like, I really would like to do it. And I told her, right now I don’t know, but I am going to somehow find time to do this film because I think it would be a privilege as an artist to be part of something like this.”

That faith in Gulzar’s process was reinforced once he reached the set. Prithviraj describes her as one of the most studious filmmakers he has worked with, with an unusually elaborate pre-production process.

“Meghna’s test shoots, to quote an example, Meghna’s test shoots are more elaborate than some actual shoots I’ve been part of. Just for a test shoot, I remember we put up a set in Mehboob and we got all the actors in costume and we spent the whole day filming an entire sequence and it was just a test shoot. So I asked her why would you do this, because we anyway have to shoot the scene again, and it’s actually a very important scene in the film. And she had this wonderful answer. She said, ‘I don’t want anybody to feel like it’s their first day at shoot on my first day of shoot.’ I didn’t quite get it then, but then I realized when I actually landed up on day one of shoot that we were all just picking up from where we left off. And it’s that process that helps her finish these films in such tight scheduling. She shoots very, very fast. I don’t even remember a single day where we couldn’t finish our dailies. She has a very specific set of shots and she’s already shot the entire scene with her assistants, and she has screengrabs from the test shoot as a storyboard on a file on location. She’s that studious, and it really, really helps.”

Yet for all the preparation, Gulzar also gave her actors room to bring their own interpretations to the material. Prithviraj says that became one of the most rewarding aspects of working on Daayra.

“My agreement with Meghna was that I’ll do it one way that you want me to and I’ll do it one way that I want to, and she’s indulged me so much with this. Usually what Meghna does is before the actors arrive on set, she will actually play out the scene with her cinematographer so that he will have a rough idea about how the general light-up is. Then she’ll call the actors and make them move through these points that she has choreographed. I remember from day two she said, ‘Okay, with your scenes, I’m not going to do it. I’m just going to wait till you come and then you come and tell me how you want to move around, how you want to do the scene.’ When a filmmaker says that to you, immediately what happens to the equation is you start thinking there is a big responsibility on me now. There’s a big responsibility because the filmmaker is telling me, ‘I’m going to give you my text, I’m going to give you my scene and I’m going to ask you, how do you want to play this? How have you seen this?’ And what that does to you is every day when you go back home, you’re thinking of the next day’s scene because I know tomorrow morning when I go, Meghna is going to ask me where do you think Raman is going to be when he says this. And that sort of makes you such an integral part of the process of the character and the film. That was a joy doing that.”

The experience also speaks to how Prithviraj has evolved as an actor since becoming a filmmaker himself. He says directing has actually made it easier for him to surrender control when he is on another director’s set.

“Ever since I became a director, I’m just very easily able to switch off the filmmaker in me. I have to admit it was a bit of a struggle before that. Till I made my first film, I have had many instances where the filmmaker in me would just keep arguing with what is in my mind and what is being done and all that. But somehow I think ever since I have become a director and I’ve started making films, I now am so comfortable walking onto a set and then completely trusting the other person’s process and telling myself, enjoy the surrender. Just completely surrender as an actor to someone else’s vision, method, process, and your job as an actor is to make sure you facilitate that process. And I’m really comfortable doing that now. It is strange that it should happen after I’ve become a filmmaker, but I think the experience of having directed three films has taught me how to switch that on and off.”

For Prithviraj, surrender does not mean suppressing questions or opinions. It means recognizing that his own interpretation is not necessarily the only correct one. “There have been multiple instances where I’m on set and I feel like this is really not how I expected this film to pan out or this is really not how I expected this scene to be conceived. But I’m also experienced enough now to tell myself that just because this is not what you expected does not mean what is happening is wrong. You are here as an actor. You are here to support and facilitate someone else’s vision. Like I said, I have done this long enough to understand that my way is not the only right way. And there have been times I have gone wrong also. There have been times when I have been on sets and I have thought something is going very wrong and it has come out spectacularly right as well. So it’s the free-falling nature of your business and your work that keeps you going.”

That philosophy appears to have extended to his equation with Kareena. Rather than seeing Raman and Ajooni simply as opposites, Prithviraj views them as fundamentally similar people who have arrived at opposite ends of an argument.

“My view of Ajooni and Raman is that they are actually very similar kind of people but on opposite ends of the argument. Their belief system and their ideology might be very different, but the type of people they are, they are actually quite similar. It’s impossible to shake the belief system they have within them. It’s impossible to shake them and they are so steadfast in their belief and their conviction that the system around them, the society within which they exist, their interpersonal relationships, nothing, they are immune to all that as far as their belief is concerned. So it is so interesting that when you realize there is someone opposite you playing somebody very similar, standing for something so different. And of course, it helps that Kareena Kapoor is a brilliant actor. Daayra has a kind of screenplay where you are reading the script and then you are reading the other person’s scenes and you are hoping, I really wish she does it this way because that would make this scene where I am doing it this way so much more valid. And it is such a joy when you finally discover that the interpretations were so similar. I think it is a masterclass by Meghna on how to handle two actors playing two characters like these because I am sure it has happened because she has fed both Kareena and me exactly what she should. One of the greatest facets of Meghna is how she handles actors and makes sure, without you even knowing, that you end up doing exactly what she wants. I keep teasing her even when she says, ‘No, no, with you, you only do what you want.’ She is just pulling my leg. She is actually making me do what she wants, but she will make you do that in a way where you end up thinking, ‘Oh, I got my way.’”

Akshay Kumar’s alien thriller, Samuk, has added another international name to its technical crew. Chris Peters, who has worked as an art director on Marvel Studios’ upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday, has joined  director Kanishk Varma’s movie that, per the makers, “combines military realism, survival horror, and alien mythology”.

The film is currently being shot in Cardiff, Wales. As one of Hindi cinema’s rare alien thrillers, Samuk demanded a visually immersive world. Sources revealed that producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah and the director felt Peters would be the right person to design its on-screen universe.

A source close to the production told mid-day, “Samuk is being mounted on a big scale. Chris’s experience with large-scale international productions makes him a natural fit. The production design is integral to making the audience believe in this world. The team will shoot for the next two months in the UK.”

Peters joins an international crew that includes Oscar-nominated creature effects designer Alec Gillis, who is designing Samuk’s central alien, and British action director Luke Tumber.

Chris Peters’s previous projects include ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ (2022) and the ‘Wicked’ franchise.

One would think that a trip to Goa — that involves dons, drugs, and death threats — would be a once-in-a-lifetime affair. But the mad trio of Pratik Gandhi, Divyenndu, and Avinash Tiwary, who took the audience on a hilarious ride with Madgaon Express (2024), are ready for another round. Sources have told mid-day that director Kunal Kemmu will take Madgaon Express 2 on floors early next year. 

A source shared, “The three actors are kicked about returning to their much-loved characters. If things go as planned, the film will go on floors around February or March 2027. The pre-production is underway.” 

Kemmu, who wrote and helmed the 2024 surprise hit, has also penned the sequel. Word is that he locked the script a month ago.

According to an insider, Kemmu’s attempt is to organically create the world of Madgaon Express, with the lives of the three friends at the centre. “Kunal sees the sequel as a natural extension to the friendship and adventures of the trio,” said the source.

Kunal Kemmu’s ‘Vibe’, also starring Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava, will release on September 18. The film is led and helmed by Kemmu.

Eight films down, and ninth is on the cards. In July, mid-day had reported that Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan would reunite after Haiwaan for their ninth collaboration (Reunion party that goes on and on, July 1). Now, we’ve got more deets on the project. Turns out, their yet-untitled next is centred on the theme of wildlife conservation, with Kumar playing a character inspired by Jim Corbett.

When Priyadarshan is at the helm, the element of comedy is non-negotiable. The filmmaker has envisioned it as a comic thriller set in India of the 1960s. We’re told Kumar portrays a tiger hunter who eventually has a change of heart. The character is modelled on British-Indian hunter, naturalist, and author Corbett.

A source revealed, “Akshay’s character, a hunter and tracker, learns to read the forest long before becoming a famous hunter. He kills several man-eating tigers and leopards that terrorize his village. Later he becomes an advocate of wildlife conservation as he understands the devastating impact of poaching and deforestation, and realizes that preserving their habitat is important.”

The filmmaker will begin pre-production in October, intending to call action on the movie in January 2027. The source added, “After Haiwaan’s release, Priyadarshan and his team will go on a recce in the jungles of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The movie will be shot in a start-to-finish schedule in a forest.” The makers have yet to zero in on the female lead.

Born Edward James Corbett in Nainital, he was a hunter and tracker who killed several man-eating tigers and leopards in North India. Eventually, he became a passionate advocate for wildlife protection and helped establish India’s first national park in Uttarakhand. Originally called Hailey National Park, it was renamed Jim Corbett National Park in 1957 after him.

Mumbai: India's microdrama market is set for an overhaul, with the next phase of growth hinging on retention, engagement and sustainable monetisation rather than user acquisition, according to industry executives.

The category has already reached around 100 million users and more than 250 million app downloads. However, the count of active consumers paying for microdramas is far smaller, highlighting the gap between the headline user base and underlying engagement.

Lumikai has estimated 17 million paid users, while an industry official pegged the figure at five million at the most. The broader paying-user pool could be 15-20 million, including users whose subscriptions may have renewed automatically.

That gap is emerging as a key faultline in a market where platforms are focused heavily on acquisition through performance marketing. Advertising has yet to emerge as a meaningful second revenue stream, partly because of the format's short attention spans and brand-safety concerns around some content, a media planner said on condition of anonymity.

Executives expect the crowded market to consolidate around a handful of players, likely spanning three groups-standalone microdrama apps that build strong retention; large Indian OTT and short-video platforms with established audiences and technology; and global players, particularly from China and the US, with experience in more mature markets.

"I do think that, as in any business, there will eventually be three or four players that remain," said Neha Markanda, chief business officer at ShareChat.

"A few years from now, there will be two or three that remain. And those two or three will be the ones that have discovery, technology, content and cultural rootedness."

Pocket FM shut down its experimental microdrama app Pocket TV in June after a five-month beta, with CEO and co-founder Rohan Nayak stating in a LinkedIn post that the experiment showed retention, rather than acquisition, was the bigger challenge. He has also criticized aggressive user acquisition, dark patterns and auto-renewals for masking weak product-market fit.

Pratilipi co-founder and CEO Ranjeet Pratap Singh similarly warned that platforms risk prioritizing monetization over engagement. "Unfortunately, almost every startup today is essentially solving only for monetization, thanks to AutoPay, rather than retention and engagement," he said. "That is not sustainable."

The competitive landscape is already broadening. Amazon MX Player, JioHotstar, Zee Entertainment and Flipkart have entered the space, giving large consumer platforms an advantage through their existing audiences, recommendation systems and distribution infrastructure.

Flipkart, for instance, is integrating content from DoubleTap Films, the microdrama studio launched by Pratilipi, as it expands into entertainment.

Global competition could add another layer of pressure. China is five to six years ahead of India in microdramas, while the US and Southeast Asia are two to three years ahead, Singh said.

Lower production costs are another driver of the sector's rapid expansion. Singh estimates microdrama content costs at around 15-20% of long-form content, potentially allowing platforms to spend more on marketing and distribution. Those economics could continue to attract new entrants even as the established players compete for the same pool of engaged and paying users.

HANUMAN ANSH, a film released almost 3 weeks back, is a success and may prove a HIT film as collections picked up hugely in the third week. The film is based on a spiritual saint Neeb Karori Baba, and did nothing for two weeks as there was no awareness. However, a change in marketing is said to built up this awareness with the followers of the saint and there has been an insane pick up of collections. Its difficult to say where the followers will take the film but on the costs, its sure to do well.

The film did around 10 lakhs nett on the first day and around 90 lakhs in the first week and then 40 lakhs nett in the second week. The third Friday was 15 lakh nett and was nothing much there but then Saturday went to 85 lakhs nett. Sunday was excellent with 2.25 crore nett but the best day was still to come as Tuesday was an extraordinary 2.35 crore nett.

Despite the release of TOXIC, the film still managed to hold well and looks to have collected 1.50 crore nett on Wednesday which gives the film 9.75 crore nett till date with a lot more to come as TOXIC is not going to affect this film much. The film is doing best in Delhi/UP, East Punjab and Mumbai.

This devotional/religious angle seems to be really working at the moment as a Telugu film IRUMUDI is doing extraordinary due to this devotional factor as well in Nizam/Andhra though that is devotion with a commercial format while here with HANUMAN ANSH, its a true life story.

It may not be cinema in the true format whereas films like GUNGA JUMNA, SHOLAY or GADAR create sensations not only when they released but with the next generations as well. But the fact is this sort of content has an audience today and gets collections and that's the bottom line. Sometimes it can go to levels which are unthinkable and with limited investments. Obviously it will lead to forced devotion in films which may not even require it but that's how trends work.

Before the pandemic, this type of content did not find an audience and it basically shows there is a slightly different audience profile as compared to before the pandemic. There were so many devotional films based on saints or gods but practically all went unnoticed. 

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The devotional film, HANUMAN ANASH, based on the life of Neeb Karori Baba, is now going to another level and it collected more than 6 crore nett on its fourth Friday. The film had started with just 10 lakhs nett on day one and 90 lakhs nett in week one could go anywhere. To which level this breakout will go is an unknown. The fourth Friday is the second best of the year after DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE and it will be challenging the Ranveer Singh-starrer over the coming weeks. It will all depend on how many of the followers of the Baba go to the theatres to watch the film as now awareness is there and the word is spreading.

It is certain that 6 crore nett is not going by the highest day and it may well hit double digits on the weekend. The film will probably be competing with TOXIC soon as the trajectory here is up while for that film it is down. The collections so far are 18 crore nett but it will be hitting 50 crore nett in now time and god knows where it will go from there.

HANUMAN ANASH is a HIT and probably is sure to go up a notch or two and you never know even more when this sort of thing happens. The break out reminds of those smaller budget blockbusters of yore which started their journey with a few thousand and went on to do multiple crores. The film is lesser in the South and East but the other circuits are outstanding especially North India.

The collections of HANUMAN ANASH till date are as follows.

Week One - 90,00,000 apprx

Week Two - 45,00,000 apprx

Week Three - 10,50,00,000 apprx

Friday - 6,25,00,000 apprx

AWARAPAN 2 had a good second week collecting 29 crore nett though the last two days got hard due to the release of TOXIC. The drop in the second week is 74% but that does not matter much considering the huge first week of the film. The last two days of the week have curtailed its run but TOXIC now will not be much of a force and it remains to be seen if AWARAPAN 2 can recover somewhat.

There is the Raksha Bandhan period over the weekend which the film can take advantage of as showcasing should get better as TOXIC is falling. The film stands at 141 crore nett after 2 weeks and if it is to reach 150 crore nett, a lot will depend on what it can do this weekend though realistically 150 crore nett looks tough. If there was no TOXIC, then the film would have got there.

Still the film is the third biggest HIT of the year after DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE and BORDER 2 and lifts the standing of Emran Hashmi and Disha Patani. It also shows that initials come without the big budgets. There is the sequel factor here which gets credited the initial but there was no sequel factor with EK DEEWANE KI DEEWANIYAT and TERE ISHK MEIN. This means that this type of film holds heavy appeal especially in the northern and central belts.

The collections of AWARAPAN 2 till date are as follows.

Friday - 5,25,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 8,50,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 8,75,00,000 apprx

Monday - 2,25,00,000 apprx

Tuesday - 2,75,00,000 apprx

Wednesday - 75,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 60,00,000 apprx

BATWARA 1947 had a dull second weekend as it collected a little more than 2 crore nett takings its ten day total to 31 crore nett. The film will fall short of the 35 crore nett mark mark and finish with lifetime business of 33 crore nett.

The collections of BATWARA 1947 are as follows.

Friday - 50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 75,00,000 apprx

Sunday - 85,00,000 apprx

TOXIC (Hindi) saw a drop in collections on Thursday as it collected 21.50 crore nett which is a drop of 60% from the first day. The normal drop would have been around 40% and you take 45% as there was a strong Eid effect in parts. But going down by 60% is just too much and it makes it a struggle from here. Despite the negative reports you would have though the Hindi version still would manage to get to the AVERAGE mark at least due to the initial. However, with this drop, that does not look the case now.

There is Raksha Bandhan on Friday which should help collections but advances were heavily down and though it should gain some ground in current its unlikely the collections can reach the levels of Thursday. The eastern markets of Bihar, West Bengal and Assam held better on the second day with drops in the 50-55% range but it hardly makes a difference. The main circuits of Mumbai and North both dropped over 60%.

The home market of Mysore/Karnataka dropped more than Hindi and that will probably be the trend in the other Southern markets. Mysore/Karnataka collected 21.50 crore nett (including Hindi contribution) on day one and second day is 8 crore nett apprx. The all India collections of the film were 95 crore nett on day one and the second day will probably be 33 crore nett apprx for a two day total of 128 crore nett.

The Hindi version stands at 75 crore nett after two days but the film is going to be mainly about the first day as after that it all looks bad. The only winner from the film will be Yash due to the initial the film took while less said about the film the better as not many films fall like this.

The collections of TOXIC (Hindi) are as follows.

Wednesday - 53,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 21,50,00,000 apprx

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TOXIC (Hindi) dropped around 15% on Friday and the drop could have been more but it got saved by Raksha Bandhan as some circuits held up with a similar number to the day before while others saw a falls of 20-25% which is probably the real trend. But the holiday period aided the film. This takes the film to 94 crore nett over the first three days.

It is the third best weekend of the year after DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE and BORDER 2 but the trend of the film is just not there and there is not much hope post the weekend. The collections are fine as per the expectations of film as 90-100 crore nett after three days is a good result but that's because it was not expected to open over 50 crore nett. Now when the 50 crore nett has come, then it should be doing more than 94 crore nett.

The film will get the benefit of Raksha Bandhan over the weekend and collections should hold from here and probably take it towards a 135-140 crore nett. After that. its going to be tough. The only positive is going to be the huge initial where in many circuits its actually the record holder if we take the sequels.

In the industry it maybe seen in some quarters its down to the sex or suggestive sex and that zone does not and never has worked at these record breaking levels. The film has a scale and action and the hero is a draw post KGF - CHAPTER 2 especially in areas where most of the bigger Hindi film stars struggle and that is why the film got a huge first day.

Still due to the cost, the opening day has not proved good enough due to the falls after. It never had to do anything special post the first day. Just a normal trajectory would have seen the film through but the content faced total rejection from the public.

The three day collections of TOXIC (Hindi) are as follows.

Wednesday - 53,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 18,50,00,000 apprx

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TOXIC (Hindi) dropped again on Saturday as the evenings made no ground whatsoever as the film was not much down from the previous day in the morning and with Saturday you would expect it to make ground. However, it was the opposite as the gap got wider from the previous day. It could be down to how Raksha Bandhan is playing out. Today its a little ahead in most chains but has Sunday evening to come. Not that it matters much if it collects 12 or 16 crore as the result will be the same. The film will not add much post the weekend.

The rejection is such that there is hardly any benefit of Raksha Bandhan. The collections are better in the Hindi mass circuits but by minimal amounts. The contribution from the national chains was less on day one due to the rampage in mass circuits and its actually gone down further after the first day. The film stands at 109 crore nett apprx after four days and the extended weekend will be 125 crore at the very best. The film is worse down South where it is a total disaster and its ditto in Overseas.

The collections of TOXIC (Hindi) are as follows.

Wednesday - 53,50,00,000 apprx

Thursday - 22,00,00,000 apprx

Friday - 18,50,00,000 apprx

Saturday - 14,75,00,000 apprx