BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 9 - Ajay Devgn returns to the big screen with Dhamaal 4, the fourth instalment in the popular comedy franchise directed by Indra Kumar. The film is set to release in cinemas on July 10 and has generated decent pre-release buzz among family audiences. Riding on the franchise's popularity and the genre's appeal, the film is expected to register a decent opening at the Indian box office. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Based on the current trend, Dhamaal 4 is expected to collect 12-14 crore net on its opening day in India. As of 8 PM on Thursday, the film has recorded 5 crore+ gross in advance bookings (with block seats) for Day 1, with final pre-sales expected to close at around 6 crore+ gross. These numbers are almost identical to the booking of Akshay Kumar's Welcome To The Jungle before its release. Despite similar advance sales, the box office trajectory of the two films is slightly different. Welcome To The Jungle went on to open at 15 crore+ net (19 crore net with previews), largely because its paid previews generated positive word of mouth before the official opening day, resulting in a surge in spot bookings from morning shows themselves. Dhamaal 4 does not have the benefit of paid previews, making its opening more dependent on Friday's audience response. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Nevertheless, the film still has the potential to exceed expectations. Comedy entertainers traditionally rely heavily on spot bookings and walk-in audiences, especially in mass circuits and smaller centres. If the initial audience reactions are positive, Dhamaal 4 could witness a strong jump in evening and night shows, giving it a realistic chance of touching the 15 crore net mark on its opening day. Positive word of mouth will be the key factor in determining whether the film can outperform its current projections.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

For fans of Thalapathy Vijay, the journey toward his final cinematic outing has been a long and somewhat turbulent one. After months of uncertainty and legal discussions, there is finally a concrete update regarding his 69th film, titled Jana Nayagan. This project carries immense weight as it is expected to be his farewell to the silver screen before he transitions fully into his political career. The latest development comes in the form of the official censor certificate, which has cleared the way for the film to reach theaters after a significant delay. The film has been awarded an A certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification, which is a notable departure for a Vijay starrer. Typically, his films aim for a wider family audience with a U or U/A rating, but the A rating suggests that director H. Vinoth has opted for a more intense and raw approach to the storytelling. This likely aligns with the film's reported genre as a political action thriller. According to the certificate details, Jana Nayagan has a runtime of 183 minutes, which translates to a total duration of approximately 3 hours and 3 minutes. For a political drama, this length suggests an expansive narrative that will likely touch upon several serious themes. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) It is worth noting that while an Adults Only rating is rare for the actor now, this isn't the first time in his career. Back in 2002, his film Bagavathi also received an 'A' certificate from the CBFC due to its high-octane and graphic action sequences. At that time, the theatrical version was cleared with seven cuts to moderate specific murder scenes. Interestingly, the film had to undergo a much more rigorous process later to obtain a 'U' certificate for television, requiring 32 cuts that heavily reduced or deleted various violent sequences. To understand how significant this certification is, we have to look at the hurdles the production team faced over the last several months. Jana Nayagan was originally intended for a major festival release in January, but it got stuck in a prolonged battle with the censor board. The disagreement reportedly involved several key scenes and dialogues that the board found sensitive. This led the producers, KVN Productions, to approach the Madras High Court to resolve the deadlock. After nearly seven months of legal back-and-forth, the certification was finally granted on July 9, 2026, marking a major victory for the makers. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The technical and creative team behind the film is equally high-profile. Directed by H. Vinoth, the film features music by Anirudh Ravichander, who has become a staple for Vijay’s recent blockbusters. The cast is a massive ensemble featuring Pooja Hegde and Mamitha Baiju in lead roles, alongside Bobby Deol, who is expected to play the primary antagonist. Other seasoned actors like Prakash Raj and Priyamani are also part of the project, adding further depth to the political landscape the movie aims to portray. Reports suggest the film is a reimagined version of the 2023 hit Bhagavanth Kesari, tailored to fit the current political image of the lead star. Now that the legal and administrative blocks have been cleared, the release machinery has started moving rapidly. Confirmation has already been sent to overseas distributors to prepare for a grand release on July 24. This date is seen as an ideal window to maximize the film's reach globally before the domestic rollout. Distributors in major markets like North America, the UK, and the UAE are reportedly readying their schedules for what is being touted as one of the biggest Tamil releases of the year. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Beyond the domestic expectations, there is a massive historical record on the line in the international markets. With his previous two releases, Leo and GOAT, Thalapathy Vijay has already secured consecutive 5 million dollar overseas opening grossers. If Jana Nayagan manages to hit that same benchmark, he will become the first Indian actor to achieve a hat-trick of 5 million dollar openers. This is a milestone that even other major pan-Indian stars have come close to but haven't quite clinched. For instance, Prabhas registered back-to-back 6 million dollar openers with Salaar and Kalki, but that streak ended with RajaSaab. Similarly, Jr NTR saw consecutive 5 million dollar openings with RRR and Devara before that run was broken by War 2. This leaves the door open for Vijay to potentially create history and claim this unique record just as he prepares for his final bow. As Jana Nayagan moves toward its premiere, the focus will be on how the audience reacts to this more mature, adult-rated version of their favorite star. For Vijay, this film is more than just another commercial release; it is a statement and a bridge to his future endeavors. With the certificate now in hand and a release date locked, the final countdown for this political thriller has officially begun.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 9 - Sidharth Malhotra's much-awaited folk thriller Vvan: Force of the Forest has officially shifted its theatrical release date and will now arrive in cinemas on September 25, 2026. The move comes as a strategic decision by the makers to avoid the crowded late-August release window, which was set to witness a high-profile three-way clash with Shraddha Kapoor's Eetha and Yash's pan-India action spectacle Toxic. Vvan, which stars Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia in the lead, was previously scheduled to release on August 28, 2026. However, with Toxic now locked for August 26 and Eetha also coming on August 28, the makers have opted to push the film by nearly a month to secure a cleaner release window and maximise its box office potential. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Directed by Deepak Mishra, Vvan is positioned as a rooted folklore-based thriller backed by Balaji Motion Pictures, TVF Motion Pictures, and 11:11 Productions. The film marks Sidharth Malhotra's return to the big screen in a genre that blends mythology, mystery, and supernatural elements, making it one of the most anticipated Hindi releases of the year. The new release date gives Vvan a significantly better opportunity at the box office by avoiding direct competition for screens and premium formats. With Toxic expected to dominate the Pan India market upon release and Eetha carrying strong anticipation of its own, the September 25 slot offers Vvan a more favourable theatrical runway ahead of the festive season.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

The Welcome franchise has established itself as one of the most resilient comedy brands in Indian cinema over the last two decades. The journey began in 2007 with the first film grossing roughly 119.50 crore worldwide, followed by Welcome Back in 2015 which earned approximately 168.70 crore. Together, the first two installments brought in a combined worldwide gross of 288.20 crore. Now, with the third part, Welcome To The Jungle, the franchise is expanding significantly, already pushing the collective total well past the 460 crore mark globally. Featuring a massive ensemble led by Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal, this film has managed to sustain interest by leaning into the nostalgic value of the brand. Looking at the Day 13 box office numbers, which fell on its second Wednesday, Welcome To The Jungle collected a net of 2.35 crore across India. This represents a 21.7 percent drop from the previous day’s net of 3.00 crore. While mid-week dips are expected for big-budget entertainers in their second week, the film maintained a presence across 6,372 shows during the day. This brings its total India net collection to 122.90 crore and its total India gross to 146.10 crore. When we look at the cumulative footprint, these numbers have been achieved through a massive scheduling of over 1.13 lakh shows since its release. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The international market has provided a steady cushion to the overall totals. On its thirteenth day, the film added 0.50 crore from overseas territories, taking its total overseas gross to 31.45 crore. According to data tracked by Venky Box Office, the film earned 37,000 dollars (approx. 31 lakh) in North America on Tuesday, pushing its total in that region to 1.51 million dollars (approx. 12.65 crore). When we combine the domestic and international figures, the total worldwide gross collection for Welcome To The Jungle currently stands at 177.55 crore. The major national cinema chains provides a detailed look at urban audience engagement. PVR led the contributions with approximately 4,700 tickets sold for a gross of 12.90 lakh. INOX followed with about 3,100 tickets and a gross of 7.20 lakh, while Cinepolis accounted for roughly 1,650 tickets with a gross of 3.60 lakh. Collectively, these chains sold approximately 9,450 tickets, contributing around 23 lakh to the day's earnings. The overall occupancy for the Hindi 2D version stood at 11.92 percent on Wednesday, with night shows showing the best footfalls at 16.08 percent. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Regional performance remains fairly consistent across the major hubs. The National Capital Region recorded an occupancy of 11 percent across 670 shows, while Mumbai saw slightly higher engagement at 12 percent from 421 shows. Cities like Bengaluru and Pune also hovered around the 11 to 12 percent mark. Digital engagement on BookMyShow also remains visible, with 30,940 tickets booked on Wednesday following a high of 54,120 on Tuesday. This brings the total number of tickets sold on the platform to approximately 21.93 lakh so far. Amidst this theatrical run, director Ahmed Khan has shared some significant updates regarding the future of the franchise. In an exclusive conversation with Koimoi, the filmmaker officially confirmed that Welcome 4 is already in the development pipeline. While his immediate priority is launching his son Azaan, he mentioned that the next part of the Welcome series will be his subsequent project. Ahmed Khan also hinted at having a packed schedule with multiple event films in development with producers like Firoze Nadiadwala and Sajid Nadiadwala. The confirmation of a fourth part, coming just as the third installment crosses major domestic milestones, suggests that the producers are keen on maintaining the momentum of this comedy universe. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) With its worldwide gross approaching the 180 crore mark, Welcome To The Jungle has managed to scale higher than the original 2007 film and is closing the gap with the second installment. The focus for the coming weekend will be on how much further it can push its totals before new releases arrive. For a franchise that relies heavily on ensemble energy and family-friendly humor, the current trajectory indicates that there is still a significant appetite for this brand of entertainment on the big screen.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, July 9 - After the massive success of Chhaava and a potential big success of the upcoming film Eetha, director Laxman Utekar is reportedly setting the wheels in motion for his next directorial venture. According to the latest industry reports, the director has approached Hrithik Roshan to headline an ambitious new film, although the project is still in its early stages and no agreement has been finalised yet. As per a Variety India report, Laxman Utekar recently narrated the script to Hrithik Roshan, who is said to have responded positively to the concept. However, the superstar is yet to make a final decision, as he is currently occupied with multiple commitments. If everything falls into place, the project will mark the first-ever collaboration between the actor and the acclaimed filmmaker. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Laxman Utekar has emerged as one of Bollywood's most successful directors in recent years with films such as Luka Chuppi, Mimi, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, and the blockbuster historical drama Chhaava. He is currently awaiting the release of Eetha, a biographical drama starring Shraddha Kapoor, before moving on to his next feature. Meanwhile, Hrithik Roshan has an exciting slate ahead. The actor is currently focused on the pre-production of his directorial debut, Krrish 4. He will be next seen in Rajinikanth's Jailer 2 as he has already shot his cameo on June 22 and June 23 in Chennai. While reports of his collaboration with Laxman Utekar have generated considerable buzz, the project may take some time to start as Hrithik also has a movie with Hombale Films.

BY CHRISTA LINCY

The Dhamaal franchise has been a staple of Hindi comedy for years, known for its slapstick humor and an ensemble cast that usually brings chaos to the screen. As Indra Kumar prepares to release the fourth installment, Dhamaal 4, tomorrow on July 10, there is already significant news regarding the future of the series. According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, the makers are so confident in the latest film that they have ended it with a direct hint of a sequel. A source mentioned that a specific sequence at the end of the movie indicates that Dhamaal 5 is already in the offing, promising another madcap entertainer for the fans. Directed by Indra Kumar, Dhamaal 4 sees the return of the franchise core members including Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Sanjay Mishra, and Jaaved Jaaferi. To keep the dynamic fresh, new faces like Esha Gupta, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Anjali Anand, and Ravi Kishan have been added to the mix. The film is produced by a large team including Ajay Devgn and Bhushan Kumar, and the industry is keeping a close eye on how this ensemble will perform at the box office. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Looking at the advance booking numbers, the film is showing a decent buildup for its opening day. So far, the all-India advance booking gross stands at 1.13 crore, excluding block seats. If we include block seats, that figure jumps to approximately 3.33 crore. A total of 44,659 tickets have been sold across 7,626 shows for the first day. Most of the sales are coming from the standard 2D format, which has contributed nearly the entire gross amount, while premium formats like 4DX are just beginning to see some movement. As we reach midday on July 9, the performance in national cinema chains is showing steady growth leading into tomorrow's release. Based on the latest tracking, PVR has sold approximately 7,100 tickets for a gross of 29.30 lakh. INOX follows with about 3,550 tickets and a gross of 10.95 lakh, while Cinepolis has added roughly 1,030 tickets for a gross of 3.35 lakh. In total, these major national chains have already accounted for approximately over 11,000 tickets and a combined gross of around 43 lakh as the film enters its final countdown before hitting theaters. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The momentum on digital platforms like BookMyShow also indicates a rising interest as the release date nears. On July 7, the platform saw 6,170 tickets booked, which significantly increased to 21,260 tickets on July 8. This brings the total tickets sold on the platform to approximately 27,430 so far. More recent tracking shows that between 11 am and 12 pm today, another 2,100 tickets were sold, bringing the total since 9 am this morning to 5,220 tickets. This hourly acceleration is a good sign for the film's spot bookings tomorrow. Regionally, the National Capital Region and Mumbai are the primary drivers for the advance bookings. NCR has recorded a gross of 21.48 lakh across 948 shows, a figure that goes up to 66.68 lakh if we include block seats. Mumbai follows with 19.47 lakh from 744 shows, reaching 41.32 lakh with block seats. While real occupancy in these major hubs currently stands at 2 percent, both cities have already seen one almost full show and several filling fast statuses. Hyderabad is performing slightly better in terms of engagement with a 5 percent occupancy across 230 shows, earning 6.18 lakh. Interestingly, Chennai reports the highest occupancy at 14 percent despite having a smaller window of 59 shows, contributing 2.37 lakh. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In other markets, Ahmedabad has grossed 4.26 lakh across 438 shows, while Jaipur and Bengaluru have collected 3.85 lakh and 3.33 lakh respectively. Other cities like Pune, Kolkata, and Surat are currently seeing more modest movement, with gross totals ranging from 1.50 lakh to 2.90 lakh. Although overall occupancy levels are mostly around 1 percent right now, the presence of filling fast shows across multiple regions indicates that demand is starting to pick up. With the news of a fifth installment already being teased, the makers of Dhamaal 4 seem to be leveraging the strong franchise recall across these major urban centers.