BY CHRISTA LINCY

Kantara: Chapter 1, the highly anticipated prequel to Rishab Shetty’s 2022 blockbuster Kantara, is officially slated for release on October 2, 2025, as confirmed by the filmmakers at Hombale Films, dismissing all delay rumors. Directed and headlined once again by Rishab Shetty, the film takes a bold mythological turn, exploring the spiritual and ancestral origins of the lore introduced in the original film, set around 300 CE during the Kadamba dynasty. ##Backed by a massive budget and shot on an epic scale—including war sequences featuring over 3,000 people and 500 skilled fighters—the project has undergone extensive preparation, with Shetty training in horse riding, Kalari, and sword-fighting. The buzz surrounding the film has been immense, amplified by a fiery promotional campaign, including a fire-themed logo unveiled in partnership with PVR INOX, and first-look posters of new characters like Rukmini Vasanth as Kanakavathi and Gulshan Devaiah as Kulashekara. ##In a major musical collaboration, Diljit Dosanjh is set to record a special track for the film at YRF Studios, Mumbai, aimed at expanding the film’s North Indian appeal as part of its pan-India strategy. The soundtrack and trailer—expected to drop on September 20, 2025—are expected to play a key role in widening its cultural reach. ##With the digital rights reportedly sold for ₹125 crore, multi-language distribution (Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, and English), and national attention growing by the day, Kantara: Chapter 1 is positioned not just as a sequel, but as a spiritual epic brimming with action, folklore, and divinity—poised to become one of India’s biggest cinematic events of 2025.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

OG, the much-awaited gangster action thriller, stars Telugu cinema icon Pawan Kalyan in the lead role as Ojas Gambheera, or simply "OG"—a feared underworld don returning from exile. The film marks the Telugu debut of Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi, who plays the menacing antagonist Omi Bhau, setting up a high-stakes confrontation between two powerful characters. Directed by Sujeeth, best known for Saaho, OG promises a stylized, high-octane narrative set in the gritty underworld of Mumbai. The supporting cast includes Priyanka Arul Mohan, Arjun Das, Prakash Raj, Sriya Reddy, and a special appearance by Neha Shetty. Backed by DVV Danayya’s DVV Entertainment (of RRR fame), the film features cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran and Manoj Paramahamsa, with a pulsating score by Thaman S. ##The film has generated massive buzz, both domestically and overseas. Its teaser, titled “Hungry Cheetah,” was released on Pawan Kalyan’s 54th birthday (September 2) and immediately went viral for its slick visuals and intense tone. Fan enthusiasm reached a fever pitch when a single ticket for the Nizam region was sold in an auction for a staggering ₹5 lakh, showcasing the unmatched devotion of Pawan Kalyan’s fan base. In the U.S., the movie has already broken pre-release records, earning over $82,000 from just 46 premiere shows—weeks before its theatrical release. The production budget has ballooned to an estimated ₹240–₹250 crore, making it the most expensive film of Pawan Kalyan’s career. Delays due to his political commitments (as Deputy CM of Andhra Pradesh) only amplified the hype, with fans tracking every schedule update and teaser drop. ##Despite these delays, OG is now set for a pan-India theatrical release on September 25, 2025, in multiple languages including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. The movie has already clocked over ₹150 crore in pre-business in Telugu-speaking states alone, putting it in the league of other mega-films like RRR and Pushpa 2. Adding to its commercial promise, Netflix has acquired the OTT rights for a record ₹92 crore, with streaming expected roughly four weeks post theatrical release. With its stylish direction, intense character arcs, and massive production scale, OG is poised to be a landmark entry in the gangster-action genre—and one of the biggest Telugu releases of 2025.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, September 11 - The Indian box office is about to witness a storm from an unfamiliar friend as Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is all set for a massive opening. The film, directed by Haruo Sotozaki, is arriving with historic levels of anticipation among fans of Japanese animation, and advance bookings confirm that India is gearing up for a massive opening. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has cleared the film with a U/A certificate and a runtime of 2 hours and 35 minutes. This makes it accessible to younger audiences as well as families, giving the film an additional boost beyond the core anime fandom. As per reports, it will be released on over 1700 screens nationwide by Sony Pictures. Bookings for Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle have been phenomenal, already grossing over 25 crores before release for the opening weekend. For opening day alone, the pre-sales are around 12 crores gross, which is one of the highest this year. With a few hours still left for the release, the final opening day sales could be 14-15+ crores gross, which is huge. Though the pre-sales of Infinity Castle are huge, animation still has a limited reach beyond fandom in India. But given how past films have fared with these sorts of bookings, the animated saga is expected to open in the range of 18-20 crores gross in India. It is already the biggest non-Hollywood grosser in India, even before the first show begins. The film will be released in the original Japanese along with dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and English, expanding its reach across regions. With early morning shows starting as early as 5 AM, as well as the midnight shows in some cities, the demand is clearly unprecedented for an anime film in India. Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, September 11 - Yash Raj Films' spy action thriller Ek Tha Tiger (2012), starring superstar Salman Khan, is returning to theatres. Directed by Kabir Khan, the film is the foundation stone of YRF's blockbuster Spy Universe. Originally released in August 2012, Ek Tha Tiger was a massive success and went on to become a blockbuster at the worldwide box office. With 320 crores worldwide, it was the highest-grossing Indian film of 2012 and the second-highest-grossing of all time at that time, behind Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots (350 crores worldwide). According to the latest reports, the much-loved film is set to return to theatres with a special re-release, giving audiences a chance to revisit this iconic blockbuster, while also offering audiences who missed it during its original run in 2012 the opportunity to experience the film in cinemas for the first time. The date, however, has not been revealed yet. Starring Salman in the title role as Tiger, and Katrina Kaif as the female lead, alongside Ranvir Shorey, Roshan Seth, Girish Karnad, and Gavie Chahal, the film follows an Indian intelligence agent, codenamed Tiger, who is sent to Dublin to observe a professor suspected of sharing nuclear secrets with Pakistan. While on the mission, Tiger falls in love with the professor’s caretaker, Zoya, who harbours a secret of her own. Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Hyderabad, September 11 - The much-awaited sequel to Nandamuri Balakrishna's blockbuster Akhanda has been delayed, but the anticipation for the film shows no signs of slowing down. Directed by Boyapati Srinu, Akhanda 2 is now aiming for a grand worldwide release in the first week of December, in multiple languages. In 2025, the sequels failed to justify the massive expectations, except for a few, and despite that, the trade is supremely confident in Akhanda 2. Not just theatrical ambitions, the film has managed to strike a massive post-theatrical streaming deal with Netflix, possibly without a Hindi version. According to the latest Telugu media reports, Netflix has acquired the streaming rights of the movie for 80+ crores, which is the biggest for Balakrishna. It is not reported whether the streamer has bought the rights for all languages or just for the South Indian versions. Akhanda 2 is expected to have a full-fledged release in Hindi version, meaning an 8-week theatrical window, which is beyond Netflix's agenda. Produced by 14 Reels Plus and Sarke Studio, Akhanda 2 was supposed to be released on September 25, but the makers recently announced that due to the extensive post-production, it has been postponed. There is Pawan Kalyan's highly-awaited OG on September 25, so the trade believes it was the right decision to move back the release of the sequel. The big success of Akhanda (2021) has boosted the box office prospects of Akhanda 2, which is expected to open with massive collections all around. If word of mouth also turns out to be positive, then it is sure to become the biggest blockbuster of NBK. Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, September 11 - The Indian audience is yet to be done with the homemade Mahavatar Narsimha, there comes another animation phenomenon called Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle, which is about to set the Indian box office on fire with record-breaking numbers. The Japanese animated dark fantasy action film based on the "Infinity Castle" arc of the 2016–20 manga series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge, Infinity Castle is in rampage mode, and has already become the highest-grossing non-Hollywood title in India with opening day pre-sales only. As per the latest trade report, the film has sold tickets worth over 10 crores gross for the opening day alone, and is heading towards around 15 crores gross. With this, it has beaten the collection of Suzume and Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which grossed around 10 crores in their respective lifetime runs in India. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, however, is looking to score much higher numbers. To understand the craze for the movie, Sony Pictures India has scheduled midnight and early morning shows on the public demand, which is a rarity for an animation film in India. On the ticketing platform, Book My Show, the movie has already sold over 500K tickets for all days, which indicates one of the biggest opening weekends for a non-Indian film this year in the country. The pre-sales of this animated blockbuster are better than any other foreign film this year, ahead of the recently released horror-thriller The Conjuring: Last Rites, which scored to record-breaking 61 crores opening weekend, after 21 crores opening day in India. Infinity Castle will be aiming to top the Last Rites, considering the pre-sales phenomenon. Directed by Haruo Sotozaki, the movie is scheduled to release on September 12 in the original Japanese language, along with the dubbed versions of English, Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil. Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Bengaluru, September 10 - Kannada star Rishab Shetty's folk action thriller Kantara: Chapter 1 is gearing up for a grand worldwide release on October 2nd, amid huge anticipation. Serving as the prequel to the 2022 blockbuster, the upcoming saga has been mounted on a far bigger scale and budget, with the makers leaving no stone unturned to deliver a larger-than-life cinematic spectacle. As the release date of the film approaches, the makers have partnered with top distribution studios for a grand worldwide release. Apart from theatrical ambitions, the film's post-theatrical deal has also been locked in one of the all-time biggest prices for a South Indian film. According to a report by Pinkvilla, Amazon Prime Video has acquired the post-theatrical streaming rights of Kantara: Chapter 1 for a staggering 125 crore for all languages. This is said to be the second-biggest streaming deal for a Kannada film after KGF: Chapter 2 and positions it among the costliest digital acquisitions for any South Indian title to date. This is a groundbreaking streaming deal for a Kannada film, which is possibly the biggest Pan-India movie after KGF: Chapter 2. The buzz for it is excellent across the country, and the makers are confident of its Pan-India success. Meanwhile, the trailer of the film will be launched on September 20, which, the makers reportedly believe, will be enough to increase the buzz multifolds. Directed by Rishab Shetty and produced by Hombale Films, the movie stars Shetty in the lead role alongside Rukmini Vasanth and Gulshan Devaiah. Set in pre-colonial coastal Karnataka, the film will explore the ancient roots of the Bhuta Kola ritual and the mythological lore surrounding divine land guardianship. Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, September 10 - Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has commenced shooting for Battle of Galwan, and recently met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi to seek assistance for the smooth progress of the same. The film, directed by Apoorva Lakhia, has faced several logistical challenges in obtaining permissions to shoot in the sensitive Ladakh region. According to Bollywood Hungama, the meeting, which lasted for about 45 minutes, proved crucial in clearing hurdles that were threatening to delay the project. The production team had been concerned about losing the narrow Ladakh shooting window, which could have derailed their schedule. Salman's direct approach to the Defence Minister ensured that the issues were taken up at the highest level. During the discussion, Rajnath Singh assured Salman Khan that the government would extend full support in facilitating the shoot. However, he placed a very clear condition - the film should not defame China. It is said that the Defence Minister stressed on the importance of maintaining diplomatic sensitivity, especially at a time when New Delhi and Beijing are working towards stabilising bilateral ties. Salman Khan reportedly agreed to this condition without hesitation. He clarified that the Battle of Galwan is not conceived as an anti-China film but as a tribute to the bravery of the Indian Armed Forces. The actor assured Singh that the film would focus on honouring the sacrifices of Indian soldiers and would instil national pride without disturbing diplomatic relations. The movie is directed by Apoorva Lakhia and is currently being shot in Ladakh. It will be released in the first half of 2026. Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Bengaluru, September 10 - After the mega blockbuster success of Kantara (2022), Hombale Films is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a record-breaking worldwide release for Kantara: Chapter 1. The much-awaited prequel to Rishab Shetty's blockbuster has locked some of the biggest distribution giants across key territories, from domestic to overseas, setting the stage for a truly global rollout. In Kerala, the Rishab Shetty directorial and fronted will be distributed by actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran's Prithviraj Productions, continuing the successful collaboration between the two banners. For North India and Nepal, AA Films has come on board, ensuring a strong presence in the Hindi-speaking markets. The studio had also distributed Hombale's Kantara and KGF films in dubbed Hindi versions. In the Telugu states, the Nizam territory will see Mythri Movie Makers Release, driving the film's reach. On the overseas front, Phars Film will handle the entire overseas release, while the UK market will be taken care of by LWE and DreamZ Entertainment. In North America, the film will be released by Prathyangira Cinemas, and in Australia and New Zealand, Dream Screens International will distribute the film. The makers will announce a couple of more distribution territories in the coming days. With such an impressive distribution network, Kantara: Chapter 1 is positioned for one of the widest releases ever for a Kannada-origin film. Expectations are sky-high as fans worldwide gear up to witness the epic saga unfold on the big screen. Produced by Hombale Films, the movie stars Rishab Shetty in the lead role alongside Rukmini Vasanth and Gulshan Devaiah. In the film, the story delves deeper into the origins of the mythological tradition and ancestral conflict introduced in the first movie. It is scheduled to release on October 2nd in multiple languages. Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Kochi, September 10 – Kalyani Priyadarshan's superhero spectacle Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is proving to be a once-in-a-generation box office phenomenon in Malayalam cinema. The Dominic Arun directorial has shattered all expectations by entering the 200 crore worldwide box office club in just 13 days. After opening to rave reviews, the film has maintained extraordinary momentum both domestically and internationally. In Kerala alone, the movie is drawing record footfalls, while in overseas markets like the Middle East, North America, and Europe, it continues to post stunning numbers. Crossing the 200 crore milestone is a rare feat for Malayalam cinema, and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra has done it with remarkable speed, becoming the second fastest to do so after Mohanlal's Empuraan. Overall, it is the fourth Malayalam film ever to breach this milestone, after Empuraan, Thudarum, and Manjummel Boys. As has been reported earlier, the trade believes the film has the potential to go much further, with family audiences and youngsters flocking to theatres in large numbers even after weekends. With no major competition on the horizon, the movie is expected to extend its dream run well into its third week and beyond. It is still a long way to go, but Lokah stands a genuine chance to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film by crossing Empuraan (267 crores), while also having an outside opportunity to become the first Mollywood film to reach 300 crores worldwide. The success of Lokah marks a watershed moment for regional cinema, showing how strong storytelling backed by visionary filmmaking can transcend linguistic and geographical barriers. This has opened new doors for Malayalam cinema, and particularly for the superhero genre. As the first chapter of what promises to be an ambitious franchise from Dulquer Salmaan's production, Chandra has set the stage for even bigger box office fireworks in the future. Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Hyderabad, September 10 – A new era in Indian animation cinema has officially begun. After the mega blockbuster success of Hombale Films and Kaleem Production's Mahavatar Narishma, and the upcoming films in Mahavatar Cinematic Universe, Sithara Entertainments, in collaboration with Srikara Studios and Fortune Four Cinemas, has announced its ambitious animated feature film Vayuputra, based on Lord Hanuman. Directed by Karthikeya 2 fame Chandoo Mondeti and produced by Naga Vamsi S and Sai Soujanya, the project promises to be a pathbreaking visual spectacle, blending Hindu history with cutting-edge 3D animation. The makers released two first-look posters, showcasing Lord Hanuman in a never-before-seen animated avatar. From the soul of our history, from the pages of our Itihasas,Comes the story of an Immortal Legend! 🔥🔥#VAYUPUTRA ~ Not just a film, but a sacred spectacle. 🕉️A @ChandooMondeti FilmProduced by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi & Sai SoujanyaExperience the epic in 3D Animation ~ in… pic.twitter.com/gD9FdDOewy— Sithara Entertainments (@SitharaEnts) September 10, 2025 The central poster depicts the mighty warrior, lord Hanuman, standing tall against a burning city, his silhouette embodying strength and divinity. Another poster features a detailed, intricately designed idol of Hanuman, highlighting the craftsmanship and artistic vision of the film's creative team. There has been no voice cast announcement yet, but the makers confirmed that Vayuputra will hit theatres on Dussehra 2026 and will be released in multiple languages, including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. The film will be presented in 3D animation, aiming to deliver a truly immersive experience on the big screen. Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, September 10 - The much-awaited official trailer for Jolly LLB 3 has just dropped today, September 10, 2025. Starring Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi in the titular roles, the trailer was launched in Kanpur and Meerut, as fans decided through a quirky social media vote. Directed by Subhash Kapoor, the trailer of this courtroom comedy ramps up the fun as two Jollys go head-to-head in legal mayhem. Meanwhile, Saurabh Shukla returns as the exasperated Judge Tripathi, hilariously caught in the crossfire. As the trailer shows, the film is based on the farmers' issue, where Akshay's Jolly seems to be on the wrong side. The trailer stays true to its humour, which has been the core of the franchise, while fighting for the social cause. Produced by Star Studio18 and Kangra Talkies, Jolly LLB 3 stars Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi alongside Amrita Rao, Huma Qureshi, Boman Irani, and Annu Kapoor, all reprising their roles from the first and second films. It is scheduled to be released in theatres worldwide on September 19, in the hope of becoming a box office success. Stay tuned...