BY CHRISTA LINCY

The final countdown for Jana Nayagan, arriving in North India as Jan Neta, has begun, and the numbers prove that Thalapathy Vijay’s box office pull remains in a league of its own. Despite reports from industry trackers suggesting that a leaked version of the film has already been viewed by over 1.20 crore people, the frenzy for the theatrical experience hasn’t dipped an inch. It is a rare testament to Thalapathy's swag that even a massive digital leak couldn't derail the hype. Now, with just two days left for the premiere, the film is set to take over 2,500 screens nationwide. Interestingly, show timings reflect the massive demand, with FDFS screenings starting as early as 6:00 AM in several regions for Jan Neta, while audiences in Tamil Nadu will begin their celebrations with 9:00 AM shows. The total all-India advance booking gross has already crossed the ₹10.35 crore mark, excluding block seats. When we include blocked seats, that figure jumps significantly to ₹15.09 crore. Most of this heavy lifting is coming from the Tamil version, which has sold over 4.17 lakh tickets across 5,091 shows, generating ₹10.22 crore on its own. The Telugu version is showing some early traction with ₹12 lakh in sales, but the real story is the massive divide between the home turf and the northern markets. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) If we look specifically at the Hindi 2D version, the performance so far is incredibly modest. In major regions like the National Capital Region and Pune, real occupancy is currently sitting at zero percent across a handful of shows. In NCR, the gross is just a few hundred rupees, and even in cities like Nagpur, where 20 shows are listed, the ticket sales are still in the early hundreds. Jamnagar is a small exception with a three percent occupancy rate, but overall, the Hindi market has yet to wake up to the Jana Nayagan wave. This suggests that while Vijay is a global superstar, the film is currently relying almost entirely on its core fan base in the south. In the national chains—PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis—the film has sold approximately 7,200 tickets for the opening day. PVR is leading this segment with about 5,100 tickets, followed by INOX with 1,600 and Cinepolis with around 500. While these numbers might seem low compared to the overall Tamil total, they represent a solid foundation in the premium multiplex segment. Interestingly, the Tamil version in these chains shows a healthy occupancy rate of over 19 percent, while the Telugu version, Jana Nayakudu, is starting much slower with under 300 tickets sold in the same chains. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The demand for the film has created an extreme price disparity between different cities. In Chennai, ticket prices are strictly regulated, capped between ₹54 and ₹190. Despite these low prices—or perhaps because of them—the demand is astronomical. The iconic Mayajaal Multiplex reportedly sold out all 48 of its opening-day shows within minutes of the bookings opening. Compare this to Bengaluru, where fans are paying a premium, with recliner seats in some venues soaring as high as ₹2,500. This stark difference highlights the incredible fan fervor that exists regardless of the price point. On BookMyShow, the film is performing exceptionally well, officially securing a spot in the top five pre-sales rankings for recent releases. With over 5.01 lakh tickets sold on the platform two days before release, it sits just behind blockbusters like Coolie (1.34M), Leo (1.28M), Jailer (636K), and The GOAT (565K). The daily growth on the platform is particularly impressive; after a quiet start on July 16th with about 11,770 tickets, the sales exploded on July 19th and 20th, with over two lakh tickets being booked each day. This late surge indicates that the hype is peaking at the perfect time. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Overseas, the numbers provided by Venky Box Office show a steady interest in the North American market. The USA premiere advance sales have reached $229,621 (approx. ₹1.92 crore) from 257 locations. When you look at the total North American picture, the figure stands at $350,000 (approx. ₹2.93 crore). While this is a strong number, industry trackers note that it is currently trending about 60 percent lower than the original release of the actor's previous film. Texas and California are the strongest contributors in the US, with Texas alone bringing in $55,000. As expected, the Tamil language version accounts for $224,000 of the total sales, while the Telugu version has contributed about $5,400.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

Following a massive surge during its second weekend, Dhamaal 4 has now transitioned into a more stable weekday rhythm, earning ₹3.25 crore on its second Monday. While this marks a 74.5 percent decline from the ₹12.75 crore haul recorded on Sunday, the drop is less about a lack of interest and more about the film finding its floor after an exceptionally high-flying weekend. Coming off the back of such a hefty growth spurt, this Day 11 performance provides a clear look at how the comedy is consolidating its position despite the heavy competition from new releases. The second weekend performance of Dhamaal 4 stands out even more when you consider the competitive landscape it had to navigate. The film managed to hold its ground despite the massive Odyssey wave, which saw the Hollywood spectacle snatch away nearly all premium formats and IMAX screens across the country. Even with these high-value screens occupied by the international blockbuster, Dhamaal 4 showed remarkable resilience, climbing from ₹5.50 crore on Friday to ₹10.25 crore on Saturday, and peaking at ₹12.75 crore on Sunday. This surge has pushed the total India net collection to ₹127.75 crore and the India gross to ₹152.20 crore across more than 1.11 lakh shows. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Dhamaal 4 managed to draw audiences in, particularly on Sunday. However, the transition to Monday shows a clear shift in momentum. In the national chains—PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis—the film sold about 4,500 tickets on Monday. When you compare this to the over 56,000 tickets sold in these same chains on Sunday, the impact of the weekday shift becomes very evident. Ticket sales on BookMyShow also reflect this trend, with the film recording 53,070 bookings for its second Monday. While this is a significant step down from the 190,330 tickets booked on Sunday, Dhamaal 4 still holds a respectable position in the record books. It currently occupies the 10th spot for the highest second Monday ticket sales in the 2025-26 period, sitting just behind Housefull 5. More impressively, when looking at 2026 releases, the film ranks 4th, trailing only behind major hits like Dhurandhar 2, Border 2, and Bhooth Bangla. To date, the total number of tickets sold on the platform has surpassed the 22.50 lakh mark. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In terms of occupancy, the film maintained an overall rate of 11.58 percent on Day 11. Looking at the regional breakdown, the National Capital Region and Mumbai led the way with 830 and 709 shows respectively, both maintaining an overall occupancy of around 12 to 13 percent. Bengaluru also showed decent interest with 13.3 percent occupancy across 188 shows. As expected, the night shows performed the best across almost all major regions, with cities like Ahmedabad and Mumbai seeing occupancy jump to 15 percent in the late hours. On the global front, the film has now reached a worldwide gross of ₹174.20 crore. The India gross stands at ₹152.20 crore, while the overseas markets have contributed ₹22.00 crore so far. According to data from Venky Box Office, the film has been performing steadily in North America, where it earned $71,000 (approx. ₹59 lakh) this past Saturday, bringing its total in that region to $934,000 (approx. ₹7.80 crore). On Monday specifically, the overseas gross was approximately ₹0.50 crore. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The big question now is whether Dhamaal 4 can surpass the highest-grossing film of the franchise, Total Dhamaal, which finished its run with a worldwide total of ₹232.18 crore. Currently, the fourth installment needs over ₹58 crore to reach that milestone. A key factor in this comparison is the overseas performance. Total Dhamaal was heavily boosted by international markets, where it collected over ₹48 crore in its lifetime. Dhamaal 4, currently at ₹22 crore overseas, has a significant gap to bridge if it wants to match that international appeal. In summary, Dhamaal 4 is having a respectable run. While it is no longer operating at peak weekend levels, its ability to stay in the top 10 for ticket sales during its second week suggests it still has some gas left in the tank. The coming weekdays will be crucial in determining if the film can maintain a steady enough pace to eventually challenge the franchise record set by its predecessor.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Chennai, July 20 - The countdown for Thalapathy Vijay's swan song Jana Nayagan has begun as the film continues to post solid booking numbers ahead of its theatrical release. The film has already amassed strong pre-sales across India after full-fledged booking started on July 19, reaffirming the massive anticipation surrounding Vijay's final film. The bookings have been consistently growing with each passing day, putting the film on course for one of the biggest openings of 2026. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) As of 9 PM on July 20, the political actioner has sold tickets worth around 13 crores gross for the opening day, including around 6 crores gross in the home state, Tamil Nadu, while worldwide sales are around 27 crores. However, while the overall advance booking figures are excellent, the booking trend has been slightly different from what a section of the trade had anticipated. Many industry insiders expected shows to sell out almost instantly, considering the historic significance of Vijay's farewell film. There are even projections that Jana Nayagan can challenge for the biggest domestic opening in Tamil cinema. Instead, the bookings have grown steadily rather than explosively, with occupancy improving day by day instead of witnessing immediate sell-outs, even though there are a couple of theatre chains which are witnessing near sold-out screenings. The current trend indicates that Jana Nayagan is likely in the 50-60 crore gross range opening, which itself would be an extraordinary achievement. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Jana Nayagan First Day Advance Booking Report The excitement around the film, however, is real, and the final number may still exceed expectations. With a couple of days remaining before release, and last-minute ticket sales yet to come, there is still room for the film to gain further momentum. Directed by H. Vinoth, Jana Nayagan stars Thalapathy Vijay alongside Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Prakash Raj, Priyamani, Gautham Vasudev Menon, and Mamitha Baiju. The film is set to hit theatres on July 23 and marks the end of Vijay's acting career. While it may not be rewriting booking records in the manner some expected, the film is nevertheless heading towards a phenomenal opening, with all eyes now on whether strong spot bookings can push it even closer to the all-time domestic opening benchmarks. Raavanamavan daa for a reason 🔥#JanaNayaganFromJuly23The Hon'ble Chief Minister @actorvijay @TheKVNofficial @KvnProductions #HVinoth @hegdepooja @anirudhofficial @thedeol @_mamithabaiju @Jagadishbliss @LohithNK01 @RamVJ2412 @TSeries pic.twitter.com/zTC6EegRkj— KVN Productions (@KvnProductions) July 20, 2026

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 20 - The first trailer of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part 1 may not have been released online yet, but it has already generated tremendous buzz following exclusive screenings for filmmakers, members of the media, and industry insiders. Those who attended the special preview have taken to social media to share overwhelmingly positive reactions, describing the film as one of the most ambitious cinematic spectacles ever attempted in Indian cinema. The early response has been particularly glowing for Ranbir Kapoor's portrayal of Lord Ram, with many praising his composed and graceful screen presence. Yash's Ravana has also emerged as one of the biggest talking points, with viewers describing his look and intensity as menacing and impactful. The film's grand scale, production design, and cinematography have received widespread appreciation, while the background score by A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer has been hailed as one of the trailer's standout elements. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Several filmmakers and industry personalities have also shared their admiration for the trailer. Director Atlee praised the visuals and performances, calling Yash "unbelievably lethal" as Ravana and Ranbir Kapoor "stunning" as Lord Ram. Many members of the media who attended the screening echoed similar sentiments, describing the trailer as "goosebumps-inducing," "divine," and a visual spectacle that sets a new benchmark for Indian filmmaking. While the response has been overwhelmingly positive, a few attendees pointed out that certain visual effects shots could benefit from additional refinement before the film's release. However, these observations have largely been overshadowed by the praise for the film's scale, performances, and technical excellence. With the online trailer yet to make its official debut, the enthusiastic word-of-mouth from the industry's first screening has significantly heightened anticipation, making Ramayana: Part 1 one of the most eagerly awaited Indian films in recent memory. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) #JaiShriRam... Watched the trailer of #Ramayana in 3D, and there's just one word to describe it: SPECTACULAR.This 4-minute trailer – called #PrathamSankalp – leaves you absolutely mesmerised... The presentation, scale, visuals, VFX, and the background score are simply… pic.twitter.com/2tLQPp8PUq— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) July 20, 2026 Absolutely blown away by the #Ramayana trailer! What a vision by @NamitMalhotra sir and what incredible craft from @niteshtiwari22 sir.@TheNameIsYash bro looks unbelievably lethal, Ranbir Kapoor bro is stunning, and @Sai_Pallavi92 is ethereal. Every frame feels grand, fresh,…— atlee (@Atlee_dir) July 20, 2026 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) WAIT FOR ITWATCH IT TO BELIEVE ITWORTH THE WAIT 3 DAYS TO GO - 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💥💥💥💥💥💥🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿 #Ramayana— Himesh (@HimeshMankad) July 20, 2026 A lot to talk about #Ramayana trailer but can't share details until July 24 because it's on embargo! But I can tell you one thing that it definitely raises the bar of Indian cinema by several notches. Visuals are like a dream on big screen. All of us who have grown up…— Filmy Gautam (@filmygautam) July 20, 2026

BY SACNILK TEAM

Here is the Tamil movie Anbe Diana box office collection which is a Comedy Family Romantic film. This film is directed by Pari Elavazhagan and produced by ,Era Saravanan,Yuvaraj Ganesan. ## Anbe Diana stars , Pari Elavazhagan, Ramya Ranganathan, Chetan Kadambi, Roja Selvamani, Cell Murugan, Parithabangal Gopi in key roles. ## Anbe Diana Review ## Anbe Diana Review: What Public Has To Say About This Movie ## Anbe Diana Box Office Collection Day Wise | All Language DayIndia Net Collection Day 1 [1st Friday] ₹ - Cr * may earn Total ₹ - Cr ## India Net Collection ₹ - Cr ## Worldwide Collection ₹ - Cr ## Overseas Collection ₹ - Cr ## India Gross Collection ₹ - Cr ## Anbe Diana Budget: ₹ 1 Cr * Approx ## Anbe Diana Verdict: Coming Soon ## Anbe Diana Screen count ## India: - * expected ## Overseas: - * expected ## Worldwide total: - ## Release Date: 17th July 2026 ## For more and the latest news about Kollywood Box Office Collection, Stay tuned to us.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 20 - Christopher Nolan has once again delivered a global box office phenomenon. The Odyssey has taken the worldwide box office by storm with a staggering $264 million opening weekend, including $124.5 million from North America and $139.6 million from international markets. The spectacular debut marks the biggest global opening of Nolan's career and one of the strongest launches of 2026. India has played a major role in the film's success story. The epic fantasy adventure collected around 73 crore gross ($7.5 million) in its opening weekend, making it Christopher Nolan's highest-grossing opening weekend ever in the country. The film had opened with around 21 crore gross (17.40 crore net) on its first day before witnessing excellent growth over Saturday and Sunday, driven by strong occupancy across IMAX and premium-format screens. Here, every major box office record broken by The Odyssey. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Biggest Worldwide Opening Of Christopher Nolan's Career Outside Batman Films With $264.1 million in global ticket sales, The Odyssey has delivered the biggest worldwide opening weekend of Christopher Nolan's career, outside Batman. The film surpassed The Dark Knight Rises to score the second biggest start for Nolan, behind The Dark Knight Rises ($292 million). Biggest Domestic Opening For Christopher Nolan Outside Batman Films The film earned $124.5 million in North America during its opening weekend, setting a new career-best for Nolan outside the Batman films and the third biggest opening overall. Biggest Global Opening Of 2026 For A Live-Action Film No live-action release this year has opened bigger worldwide than The Odyssey. The film has comfortably crossed pre-release projections and established itself as the biggest theatrical event of the year so far. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Biggest International Opening For Nolan With a $139.6 million opening weekend, The Odyssey scored the biggest debut for the maverick filmmaker internationally, beating The Dark Knight Rises's $131 million launch. Christopher Nolan's Biggest Opening Weekend In India The film's 73 crore opening weekend has set a new benchmark for Nolan in India, surpassing the opening weekend numbers of Oppenheimer. It also ranks among the biggest Hollywood opening weekends ever in the country, highlighting Nolan's immense popularity with Indian audiences. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Biggest Non-Indian Opening of 2026 In India With a $7.5 million (73 crores gross) opening weekend, The Odyssey has delivered the biggest debut for a foreign film of 2026 at the Indian box office, beating Evil Dead Burn. Biggest Opening Day Of Nolan's Career In India The Odyssey began its Indian run with approximately 21 crore gross (₹17.40 crore net), overtaking Oppenheimer to register the biggest opening day of Christopher Nolan's career in the Indian market. Historic IMAX Performance Filmed entirely using IMAX cameras, The Odyssey has rewritten premium-format records. IMAX contributed $52 million globally during the opening weekend, making it only the second film to score a $50+ million debut in the premium format.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 20 - Ajay Devgn's Dhamaal 4 continues to enjoy a superb run at the Indian box office, delivering a solid second weekend despite competition from Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. The comedy entertainer has held really well after a strong opening week, with family audiences continuing to drive collections across the country. The film's impressive hold has cemented its position as one of the biggest Hindi hits of the year. The Indra Kumar directorial collected an impressive 28.50 crore net in its second weekend, taking its 10-day India net collection to approximately 124.50 crore. The outstanding weekend performance underscores the film's strong word-of-mouth, as it recorded healthy growth on both Saturday and Sunday after a steady second Friday. With this, Dhamaal 4 has comfortably crossed the 100 crore milestone and remains one of the strongest performers in theatres. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The film has also continued its decent run overseas, taking its worldwide gross collection to around 170 crore in just ten days. The comedy franchise has once again struck a chord with audiences, translating its popularity into impressive global box office numbers. The film has already emerged as one of the highest-grossing Hindi comedy films of the year. From now on, Dhamaal 4 is well on track to achieve another major milestone. If it maintains a steady hold during the weekdays, the Ajay Devgn-starrer is expected to cross the 200 crore worldwide gross mark by the next weekend. With no immediate threat to its target audience, the film is poised to continue its successful run at the box office.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 19 - Director Christopher Nolan has once again expressed his admiration for Indian cinema, this time highlighting S. S. Rajamouli's RRR as a landmark film that demonstrated the industry's ability to connect with audiences across the globe. During his visit to India for the promotions of The Odyssey, the Oscar-winning filmmaker said RRR proved that Indian films have the scale, emotion, and storytelling power to transcend language and cultural barriers, reinforcing the country's growing influence in world cinema. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Speaking about the film's impact, Nolan praised RRR for resonating with viewers worldwide through its universal themes and spectacular cinematic presentation. He noted that the success of Rajamouli's epic reflects the immense creative potential within Indian filmmaking and believes the industry is well-positioned to continue expanding its global footprint as international audiences increasingly embrace stories from different cultures. Nolan also spoke about India's unique movie-going culture, calling it one of the greatest film cultures in the world. He recalled being deeply impressed by the passion of Indian audiences during his earlier visits and said that the enthusiasm for cinema is unlike anything he has experienced elsewhere. According to the filmmaker, this vibrant theatrical culture gives Indian filmmakers a strong foundation to create ambitious films that can succeed both domestically and internationally. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Hearing Christopher Nolan speak about Indian cinema & RRR is a moment we’ll cherish beyond words.From one storyteller’s universe to another… thank you sir. #RRRMovie pic.twitter.com/zNkyYoQQXB— RRR Movie (@RRRMovie) July 19, 2026 Released in 2022, RRR became a global phenomenon, earning widespread acclaim from critics, filmmakers, and audiences across the world. The film went on to create history at the Academy Awards, with "Naatu Naatu" becoming the first song from an Indian film to win the Oscar for Best Original Song. Nolan's latest comments further underline the lasting international legacy of RRR and the growing recognition of Indian cinema as a major force in global filmmaking.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 18 - Christopher Nolan has achieved a new milestone in India as The Odyssey registered the biggest opening day of his career at the Indian box office. The epic fantasy adventure collected 20.75 crore gross on its first day across all languages, surpassing the opening-day collections of the filmmaker's previous blockbuster Oppenheimer (17.50 crore gross) in the country. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The strong debut also ranks among the biggest Hollywood openings ever in India and marks the best start for an international film in 2026. The record-breaking opening was fueled by excellent bookings, packed IMAX shows, and strong occupancy across premium multiplex chains. Christopher Nolan's popularity among Indian audiences, combined with the film's large-scale visuals and positive early word of mouth, translated into impressive footfalls from the very first show. The original English-language screenings led the business with around 16.50 crores gross, while dubbed versions also contributed to the overall tally. With this performance, The Odyssey has overtaken the opening-day numbers of Nolan's previous films, including Oppenheimer, Tenet, Interstellar, and Dunkirk, making it the director's highest opener in India. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The film's performance further reinforces India's growing importance for premium Hollywood releases, particularly those designed for the IMAX experience. The film now heads into its weekend with strong momentum. Given the overwhelmingly positive audience response and sustained demand for premium-format screenings, The Odyssey is expected to post an excellent weekend total, even as it faces competition from domestic releases. Worldwide, The Odyssey scored $40 million through Thursday (Friday numbers not included), including 17.60 million from domestic (North America) previews. The movie is projected to score $110+ million in North America and $120+ million internationally, for the worldwide opening weekend of $230+ million, which will be the biggest non-Batman opening for Nolan.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 18 - Christopher Nolan's film is often treated more as a global event than a standard movie release, and The Odyssey, the most ambitious film of the director's career, is certainly living up to that reputation. For months, the buzz surrounding this project has been building, fueled by Nolan's commitment to large-format practical filmmaking. As the film finally made its debut on July 17, it is not just the technical scale that is making headlines, but the critical and commercial reception as well. With a staggering 95 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, it has officially become the highest-rated film of Nolan's career, surpassing iconic masterpieces like The Dark Knight and Memento. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) To give you some context on how impressive this critical acclaim is, the film currently sits above Oppenheimer and Dunkirk in the director's filmography rankings. This level of praise is undoubtedly a driving force behind the strong turnout we are seeing in India. As for the box office, the film has had an excellent start in India, scoring Nolan's biggest opening with around 21 crores in gross, beating Oppenheimer's 17+ crores gross start. Overall, the worldwide opening day is around $100 million. The Odyssey is eyeing growth on its second day at the Indian box office. For context, the movie sold around 140K tickets in three national chains on the opening day, while second-day sales were around 150K in PIC (PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis). If the momentum continues throughout the day, it will be aiming for 25 crore gross day. As of 9 AM on Day 2, the movie has already scored 1.75+ crores gross, indicating a solid day at the box office. The day 2 started on a strong note, with 25% occupancy in the English 2D version. The movie is once again strong in South Indian states, where overall morning occupancy is around 35%. The IMAX version is super strong. After a 5+ crore gross opening day, the film is heading to score a bigger day in the premium format. Eventually, the movie clocked approximately 26.50 crores gross on its second day, taking 2-days total to 47+ crores gross (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) #TheOdyssey is an absolute cinematic masterpiece, where #ChristopherNolan holds your attention from the first frame till the last. The filmmaker packages multiple genres in one film - from love story, and family drama, to action, emotion, adventure, and mythology - and all of… pic.twitter.com/OafDINbItj— Himesh (@HimeshMankad) July 16, 2026 CinemaScore is in for #TheOdysseyASame as Oppenheimer and entire Dark Knight trilogy.RT aud score holding strong at 97%. Moviegoers have spoken! pic.twitter.com/kctYtJBJk7— Gitesh Pandya (@GiteshPandya) July 18, 2026 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) #TheOdyssey in #IMAX Review - Magnificent ! Rating : 4/5Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus The Odyssey is an outstanding cinematic experience. A must see in IMAX to get that big screen format feel of a technically brilliant film. The writing, actors along with technical team… pic.twitter.com/nAwJmxfVsh— Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) July 17, 2026

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 18 - The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards were announced on Saturday, celebrating the finest Indian films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during 2024. Article 370 emerged as one of the biggest winners of the ceremony, taking home the prestigious Best Feature Film award, while its lead star Yami Gautam won her maiden National Award for Best Actress. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Among the other major honours, Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) and Mammootty (Bramayugam) shared the Best Actor award, while Sudipto Sen was named Best Director for The Kerala Story. The award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment went to Kalki 2898 AD, recognising the sci-fi epic's impact both critically and commercially. Several regional films and technical achievements were also recognised across multiple categories, highlighting the diversity of Indian cinema. Notable winners included Srikanth as Best Hindi Feature Film, Lucky Baskhar as Best Telugu Feature Film, Raayan as Best Tamil Feature Film, and Bramayugam, which picked up multiple technical honours in addition to Mammootty's Best Actor win. The awards once again showcased outstanding performances and filmmaking excellence from across the country. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) 72nd National Film Awards 2026 - Winners List Category Winner Best Feature FilmArticle 370 Best ActorKartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion), Mammootty (Bramayugam) Best ActressYami Gautam (Article 370) Best DirectorRajkumar Periasamy (Amaran) Best Supporting ActressRopashree Varkady (Mithya), Sachana Namidass (Maharaja) Best Supporting ActorSanjay Mishra (Bhakshak) Best Feature Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentKalki 2898 AD Best Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental ValuesCaptain Miller Best Debut Film of a DirectorSwatantrya Veer Savarkar Best Children's Film35 Chinna Katha Kaadu Best Child ArtistRiddhiman Banerjee, Tapomoy Deb, Gitashree Chakraborty, Arundev Pothula & Athish S Shetty Best CinematographyShehnad Jalal (Bramayugam) Best Screenplay (Original)Sukumar (Pushpa 2) Best Screenplay (Adapted)Yogesh Deshpande (Swargandharva Sudhir Phadke) Best Dialogue WriterVenky Atluri (Lucky Baskhar) Best Production DesignNitin Zihani Choudhary (Kalki 2898 AD) Best Action DirectionAnl Arasu (Maharaja) Best Make-Up ArtistP Ravi Kumar (Committee Kurrollu) Best Costume DesignDeepali Noor & Sheetal Sharma (Pushpa 2) Best Music DirectionShashwat Sachdev (Article 370) Best Background MusicGV Prakash (Amaran) Best LyricsManoj Muntashir (Maidaan) Best Male Playback SingerAbhay Jodhpurkar – "Gharat Ganpati" (Navasachi Gauri Mazi) Best Female Playback SingerVaikom Vijayalakshmi – "Angu Vaana Konilu" (ARM) Best ChoreographyVijay Ganguly (Stree 2) Best Sound DesignManas Choudhury (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3) Best EditingR Kalaivannan (Amaran) Best Assamese FilmJuiphool Best Bengali FilmChalchitra Ekhon Best Hindi FilmSrikanth Best Kannada FilmMithya Best Malayalam FilmFeminichi Fathima Best Marathi FilmMukkam Post Bombilwadi Best Odia FilmLahari Best Tamil FilmRaayan Best Garhwali FilmDholi Best Telugu FilmCommittee Kurrollu Best Gujarati FilmMaaran Best Manipuri FilmSunita Best Konkani FilmMog Asum Best Tulu FilmIMBU Special MentionDhanush (Captain Miller) & Suren G (Meiyazhagan)

BY CHRISTA LINCY

The highly anticipated Hollywood epic, The Odyssey, has made a thunderous debut at the Indian box office, proving once again that high-concept international cinema has a massive footprint in the domestic market. On its opening day, the film collected a net of 16.10 crore rupees across a wide release of 8,413 shows. This strong start has pushed the total India gross collections to 19.22 crore rupees on day one itself. The narrative's scale and visual ambition seem to have resonated deeply with the Indian audience, particularly in the urban centers where premium screens are driving the revenue. The digital footprint of the film is perhaps even more impressive than the raw collection figures. On the popular ticketing platform BookMyShow, The Odyssey recorded a total of 611.53K tickets sold for its opening day. This was a combination of a very strong pre-sale period, which accounted for over 340,000 tickets, and a massive Friday surge that added another 271,530 tickets. These numbers place the film in elite company, ranking as the fourth-highest Hollywood opener in terms of Day 1 ticket sales on the platform. Here is how the top five Hollywood openers currently stand in terms of BookMyShow Day 1 sales: Deadpool & Wolverine: 842K Avatar: Fire and Ash: 840K The Conjuring: 814K The Odyssey: 612K Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning: 487K (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The trajectory of these pre-sales provides a fascinating look at how the buzz for the film intensified as the release date approached. While the initial weeks of June saw a steady but modest interest, the momentum shifted gears significantly in mid-July. The final three days of the pre-sale period were particularly explosive, with daily bookings jumping from roughly 36,000 to over 114,000 tickets just before the Friday premiere. This surge highlights how the marketing campaign successfully converted general awareness into definitive ticket sales in the final stretch. Here is the detailed daily breakdown of the pre-sale journey on BookMyShow: 8 June: 12.7K 20 June: 8.24K 29 June: 5K 30 June: 5.1K 1 July: 5.52K 6 July: 5K 7 July: 5.4K 9 July: 5K 10 July: 10.46K 11 July: 18.2K 12 July: 20.3K 13 July: 23.01K 14 July: 36.91K 15 July: 63.81K 16 July: 114.84K Final Pre-Sales: 339.49K (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) A closer look at the performance in national chains reveals that the film dominated the multiplex environment. According to the daily advance and performance data, the top three chains—PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis—accounted for a significant portion of the opening day gross. The total gross from these national chains stood at approximately 9.5 crore rupees from roughly 163,600 tickets sold. PVR led the charge with about 89,400 tickets sold, generating a gross of 5.3 crore rupees. INOX followed with nearly 52,700 tickets contributing 2.9 crore rupees, while Cinepolis added approximately 21,500 tickets with a gross of 1.3 crore rupees. The average occupancy across these chains was a healthy 20.20 percent over 3,745 shows. The Odyssey wave is particularly evident when comparing it to other recent Hollywood releases. By selling over 612,000 tickets on its first day, it comfortably outpaced the opening of Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning, which recorded 487K tickets. This suggests that the film has successfully transitioned from being a niche interest to a mainstream phenomenon in India. The sheer volume of shows—over 8,400 across the country—indicates that distributors had high confidence in the film's appeal, a gamble that appears to have paid off given the 16 crore plus net opening. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) As the film enters its first weekend, the momentum is expected to build even further. With very little competition in the high-spectacle genre right now, The Odyssey has a clear path to dominate the premium formats like IMAX and 4DX. If the word-of-mouth remains as strong as the initial ticket sales suggest, we could be looking at one of the highest-grossing Hollywood films of the year in India. The next few days will be crucial to see if the film can maintain its 20 percent plus occupancy rates as it expands its reach beyond the major metros.