Vivek Agnihotri Announces Dates For Pre-Release Screenings Of 'The Vaccine War'

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 17 - Emraan Hashmi has locked his next big-screen outing after the latest blockbuster Awarapan 2. The actor will headline Gunmaaster G9, an action entertainer directed by Aditya Datt, with the makers officially announcing November 27, 2026 as the worldwide theatrical release date. The film brings together Emraan, Aditya and music composer Himesh Reshammiya once again, nearly two decades after their earlier collaborations. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Gunmaaster G9 stars Emraan Hashmi, Genelia Deshmukh and Aparshakti Khurana in key roles. The film is being produced by Deepak Mukut, Sangeeta Ahir and Hunar Mukut and presented by Soham Rockstar Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. With action at its core, the project is expected to showcase Emraan in another action-oriented avatar following his return to the spotlight with Awarapan 2. The reunion of Emraan Hashmi, Aditya Datt and Himesh Reshammiya is one of the major talking points surrounding the project. The trio previously collaborated during the peak of Emraan's career in the 2000s, making their return together particularly interesting for audiences who remember their successful musical-action collaborations. Himesh will once again be responsible for the music, adding a strong nostalgic element to the new film. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The film also marks another collaboration between Soham Rockstar Entertainment and Himesh Reshammiya after the musical successes of Sanam Teri Kasam and Genius. While Sanam Teri Kasam has developed a strong cult following over the years, its recent theatrical re-release also demonstrated the enduring popularity of its music among audiences. For Emraan Hashmi, Gunmaaster G9 comes at an interesting point in his career. Following Awarapan 2, which is currently playing in theatres with a blockbuster collection, the actor is continuing to explore action-driven projects, and the November release gives the film an important theatrical window toward the end of the year. With Genelia Deshmukh and Aparshakti Khurana joining him, the makers are looking to package the film as a commercial action entertainer. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) #GunmaasterG9 is locked, loaded and ready to fire up the big screen on 27th November. And this time, it’s not just bullets firing. It’s romance, music and action coming to steal your heart.#G9 #GunmaasterProduced by @DeepakMukut #HunarMukut @sangeetaahirPresented by… pic.twitter.com/PDS3of8H6Z— Emraan Hashmi (@emraanhashmi) August 17, 2026

BY SACNILK

Batwara 1947 arrived in theaters during a high-stakes holiday weekend, but it quickly became clear that the film was struggling to find its footing against the Awarapan 2 wave. While the clash was expected to be competitive, the Emraan Hashmi-led sequel dominated the multiplexes from the opening show, leaving little room for Sunny Deol's latest period drama to breathe. For many younger viewers, this was supposed to be a re-introduction to the man who defined patriotic cinema with Gadar, yet the market data shows that the audience preference leaned heavily toward the urban thrill of its competitor. Even with a significant holiday boost on Saturday, the film could not escape the shadow of the weekend's primary blockbuster, resulting in an opening that feels underwhelming when compared to the record-breaking numbers seen elsewhere. The film concluded its opening weekend with an India net collection of ₹26.50 Cr, which highlights the struggle it faced in a crowded market. Even with the star power involved, these domestic net earnings place the movie as the 10th highest-grossing Bollywood opening weekend of 2026. When compared to the massive benchmarks set by Sunny Deol's recent hits like Border 2, it is evident that this release is performing on a significantly smaller scale, failing to draw the same volume of audiences across the country. 1. Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge - ₹290.94 Cr 2. Border 2 - ₹121.00 Cr 3. Awarapan 2 - ₹81.75 Cr 4. Dhamaal 4 - ₹65.00 Cr 5. Welcome To The Jungle (Welcome 3) - ₹60.00 Cr 6. Bhooth Bangla - ₹54.25 Cr 7. Cocktail 2 - ₹47.50 Cr 8. Alpha - ₹34.00 Cr 9. O Romeo - ₹30.15 Cr 10. Batwara 1947 - ₹26.50 Cr (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Take a look at the daily net earnings within the Indian market. The trend shows a very distinct spike on Saturday followed by a sharp correction on Sunday. Batwara 1947 - India Net Collection (Opening Weekend)DayNet CollectionDay 1 (Friday)₹ 5.75 CrDay 2 (Saturday)₹ 13.50 CrDay 3 (Sunday)₹ 7.25 CrTotal₹ 26.50 Cr (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The gap between the weekend's two major releases was evident from the very first show. While Awarapan 2 enjoyed a much stronger start in terms of occupancy, Batwara 1947 faced a relatively quiet opening day despite having a similar volume of shows. On Friday, the film ran across 8,721 shows but could only manage an overall occupancy of 15.0 percent. In major circuits like the National Capital Region, it started with 829 shows and an 18.3 percent turnout, while Mumbai saw a modest 12.5 percent occupancy on 644 shows. It was clear that the initial audience preference was leaning toward its competitor, leaving the patriotic drama to rely on the big holiday ahead. The real turning point came on Saturday. While Awarapan 2 was busy adding shows to accommodate its massive demand, Batwara 1947 actually saw its show count dip to 8,071 as screens were realigned. However, the Independence Day holiday acted as a massive catalyst. Despite having fewer shows, the net collection surged by an incredible 134.8 percent to reach ₹13.50 Cr. The overall occupancy more than doubled to 34.0 percent during this peak. This surge was most visible in the National Capital Region, where occupancy jumped to 44.5 percent, and in Ahmedabad, where it rose to nearly 23 percent. This holiday boost was exactly what the film needed to offset its slow start and remain relevant in a very competitive weekend. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The difference in audience pull becomes even more apparent when we look at the tracked footfall data, which measures the actual number of tickets sold without accounting for blocked seats. Batwara 1947 managed to record approximately 1.05 million online footfalls across the country over its first three days. While this is a respectable figure in isolation, it was heavily overshadowed by Awarapan 2, which drew in nearly 2.80 million online viewers in the same period. This stark contrast in footfalls confirms that despite Sunny Deol's legacy, the current audience preference leaned much more heavily toward the urban thriller, with more than double the number of people choosing it over the period drama. Unfortunately, the momentum did not sustain through the rest of the weekend. On Sunday, the film witnessed a 46.3 percent drop, with collections falling back to ₹7.25 Cr. The show count also declined to 7,239, and the overall occupancy settled at 24.12 percent. Regional data reflected this cooling off, with Mumbai occupancy dropping from 30.0 percent on Saturday to 20.5 percent on Sunday. While the Saturday surge provided a much-needed boost, the steep decline on Sunday indicates that the film might struggle to find a stable footing during the coming weekdays. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) BookMyShow recorded approximately 414,000 tickets sold over the weekend. This included 51,000 tickets from pre-sales, followed by 104,000 on Friday and a peak of 180,000 on Saturday. Sunday saw a significant dip to around 79,000 tickets. National cinema chains like PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis contributed approximately 114,000 tickets to the overall weekend total. Similar to the general trend, these chains saw their highest activity on Independence Day, accounting for over 54,000 tickets on that day alone. While the overall weekend might be considered underwhelming for a project of this scale, it still manages to find a place among Sunny Deol's top career openers. By netting ₹26.50 Cr, it has surpassed the opening weekends of some of his earlier successful ventures. Here is how Batwara 1947 compares to the actor's top five opening weekends: 1. Gadar 2 - ₹ 135.98 crore 2. Border 2 - ₹ 121.00 crore 3. Batwara 1947 - ₹ 26.50 crore 4. Ghayal Once Again - ₹ 23.38 crore 5. Yamla Pagla Deewana - ₹ 22.50 crore

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 16 - Superstar Yash has finally addressed the much-discussed 4,000 crore budget of director Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, clarifying that the figure being reported is not the production cost of the first part alone. The actor, who plays Ravana and is also the co-producer in the two-part epic, explained that the massive amount covers the entire project and its global release strategy. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Speaking on Rajat Sharma's Aap Ki Adalat, Yash said that the 4,000 crore figure, which was reportedly claimed by producer Namit Malhotra, is for both parts of Ramayana, including release and promotional expenses. He described the approach as being similar to "Hollywood math", where significant amounts are allocated towards marketing and worldwide distribution because the films are designed for a global audience. Yash further explained that the scale of the investment needs to be viewed in the context of the film's worldwide ambitions. According to him, if the expenditure is global, the revenue opportunity is also global. He stressed that Ramayana and his upcoming Toxic are attempts to position Indian cinema as a truly global cinematic force. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, with Nitesh Tiwari directing the ambitious two-part adaptation. Yash is also serving as a co-producer alongside Namit Malhotra. The first part is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 6, 2026, while the second part is expected in 2027. The 4,000 crore figure had generated considerable discussion among trade circles, particularly because it would make Ramayana the most expensive Indian film project ever mounted. Yash's clarification now makes it clear that the headline figure encompasses both films as well as their global release and promotional costs, rather than representing the production budget of Ramayana Part 1 alone. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) #Yash clears all the rumours around MAMMOTH 4000 Cr Budget of Ramayana. - 4000 Cr is NOT for Part 1, 4000 Cr is for Both the Parts INCLUDING PROMOTIONS. - Half of the budget sometimes got spent on GLOBAL PROMOTIONS of Movie and the 4000 Cr Number includes that. - So, 4000… pic.twitter.com/Dhf1msWcXg— KBP Reviews🏹 (@KshitizCritic) August 16, 2026

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 16 - The Indian box office witnessed a strong surge on Independence Day 2026, with the combined collections of the major releases crossing the 100 crore gross mark on August 15. Leading the charge was Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2, which emerged as the clear winner of the day, while Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 also recorded a significant jump. The strong holiday business comes despite a crowded theatrical landscape that also includes Spider-Man: Brand New Day and other ongoing releases. Awarapan 2 was the biggest contributor to the Independence Day box office. After opening at around 22 crore net (26.50 crore gross) on Friday, the sequel recorded a substantial jump of over 50% on Saturday to score 33.75 crore net (40.50 crore gross), taking its two-day India net collection past 50 crore. Its India gross total stood at around 67 crore by the end of Day 2, while worldwide collections were 72 crore. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Tamil superstar Suriya's Vishwanath and Sons was the second biggest film of the day with around 26 crore gross collection on August 15, after 17.75 crore gross opening day. The movie benefited from the positive word of mouth among family audiences and is expected to continue its strong run. The film's total India gross is around 43.50 crores after two days. Batwara 1947 also benefited heavily from the national holiday. The Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta starrer jumped by nearly 135% on Saturday, collecting around 13.50 crore net (16.20 crore gross), after the low opening day of around 7 crore gross (5.75 crore net). The film's two-day India net stood at approximately 19.25 crore, with its India gross reaching around 23 crore. The sharp jump gives the period drama a much-needed boost as it heads into the rest of the extended weekend. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) India Box Office on Independence Day 2026 (August 15) S. No. Movie India Gross 1 Awarapan 2 ₹ 40.50 Cr 2 Vishwanath & Sons ₹ 26 Cr 3 Batwara 1947 ₹ 16.20 Cr 4 Spider-Man: Brand New Day ₹ 12 Cr 5 DC Movie ₹ 6.30 Cr Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Brand New Day continued to contribute to the overall market despite entering its third week. The Hollywood blockbuster collected around 10 crore gross on its 17th day, translating into approximately 12 crore gross for the day. The film had already accumulated around 550 crore gross in India by the third Saturday, and is on course to finish above the massive 575 crore gross. Among the other releases, Lokesh Kanagaraj's acting debut, DC, grossed around 6.30 crores on August 15, while other holdovers also contributed decently. The combined total gross on August 15 at the Indian box office was around 110 crores, making it among the biggest box office days of the year. With Awarapan 2 taking the top spot and Vishwanath & Sons and Batwara 1947 delivering a major holiday jump, the Independence Day frame has provided a major boost to the Indian theatrical business.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 16 - Ranveer Singh's much-awaited post-apocalyptic thriller Pralay has officially been confirmed after months of speculation, marking the beginning of one of the most ambitious projects in the actor's upcoming lineup. Directed by debutant filmmaker Jai Mehta, the film has been in the news for several months, with reports previously suggesting that production would begin in August. The latest development now confirms that the shoot of the film begins today (August 16) in Mumbai. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The film was initially expected to shoot extensively in Australia, with earlier reports claiming that a major portion of the schedule would be filmed there. However, the makers have now shifted the production to Mumbai. The move comes after the team reworked its shooting plans, using Mumbai to bring the film's post-apocalyptic setting to life. Pralay is said to be a large-scale survival thriller set against a zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic backdrop. Ranveer will headline the film, while Kalyani Priyadarshan has been confirmed as the female lead. The project is reportedly mounted on a massive budget of around 300 crore, which would make it one of the most expensive standalone films of Ranveer's career. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The film has also generated curiosity because of its technical ambitions. The story is reportedly set in a devastated version of Mumbai, requiring extensive visual effects and practical work to create its world. Reports have previously suggested that the makers were exploring international talent for the prosthetics and effects, underlining the scale at which Mehta intends to mount the zombie thriller. With Pralay now officially in production, Ranveer Singh is set to enter a completely different space after the success of Dhurandhar. The film is produced by Ananya Birla's Birla Studios, in association with True Story Films, and Maa Kasam Films. It will be released in 2027.

BY SACNILK

Batwara 1947 has been a project of immense interest primarily due to the long-standing reunion of its lead cast in a period setting. The film aims to capture the emotional gravity of the partition through a gritty action-drama lens, and while the initial buzz was steady, the real test began with its theatrical release. Unlike typical mass entertainers, this film relies heavily on the emotional connect of its theme and the veteran star power driving it. After a modest start on Friday, the film is now looking to capitalize on the Independence Day holiday weekend. On its second day, the film is showing a remarkable surge in its booking pace on BookMyShow. Between 8 am and 3 pm today, the movie has already sold approximately 86,220 tickets. This is a notable leap compared to yesterday, where it had sold only 30,200 tickets in the same timeframe, representing a nearly 185 percent increase in booking speed. The momentum picked up significantly after 10 am, with the peak hour between 11 am and 12 pm recording over 17,000 ticket sales. This trend suggests that the holiday audience is turning up in much larger numbers than the opening day crowd, which is a positive sign for the films longevity. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The performance in national multiplex chains has also seen a significant leap. On its first day, the film sold over 28,000 tickets across major chains throughout the entire day, but today it has already surpassed that mark by a wide margin before even reaching the evening shows. Currently, approximately 54,000 tickets have been sold across PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis, bringing in a gross of about ₹2 Cr. PVR is leading the contribution with roughly 27,700 tickets and a gross of about ₹1.05 Cr. INOX follows with approximately 18,000 tickets worth ₹0.62 Cr, and Cinepolis has added around 8,600 tickets with a gross of ₹0.31 Cr. The overall morning occupancy for Day 2 stands at 13.92 percent, which is nearly double the 7.54 percent recorded during the same period yesterday. As of 3 pm today, the movie is running across 4,507 shows and has collected a live net of approximately ₹4.91 Cr today. The cumulative net collection so far stands at roughly ₹10.66 Cr. Given the current trend where both multiplexes and single screens are showing a strong holiday spike, the collections are set for a significant jump. While the first day saw a net of around ₹5.75 Cr, the second day is trending toward a much stronger finish. Based on the tripled booking speed and improved morning occupancy, the film is expected to collect a net of approximately ₹12.50 Cr to ₹13.50 Cr today. This would push the two-day total to roughly ₹18 Cr to ₹19 Cr net, setting it up for a respectable opening weekend.

BY SACNILK

Emraan Hashmi is back in a world that many of his fans consider his home ground. Awarapan 2 has arrived in cinemas nearly two decades after the original film, and the response has been nothing short of phenomenal. While the 2007 prequel did not set the box office on fire during its initial release, it eventually grew into a massive cult classic due to its soulful music and intense performance by Emraan. In a staggering turn of events, the sequel has already surpassed the entire lifetime collection of the original prequel on its very first day, signaling a massive comeback for the character of Shivam. The momentum on Day 2, which coincides with the Independence Day holiday, is showing an even steeper growth trajectory. Looking at the hourly booking trends on BookMyShow, the movie is performing significantly better than it did on its opening Friday. Between 6 am and 2 pm, the film has already sold approximately 1.80 lakh tickets, which is a huge jump from the 1.00 lakh tickets sold during the same window yesterday. The speed of bookings was particularly impressive during the late morning hours. Between 11 am and 12 pm, the film hit the 1 lakh ticket milestone for the day, and in the following hour, it recorded over 40,000 ticket sales, making it the 16th Bollywood film since August 2023 to achieve this feat in a single hour. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In the national multiplex chains, the momentum is exceptionally strong with approximately 1.57 lakh tickets sold in advance for the second day. PVR leads the tally with roughly 73,000 tickets sold, contributing a gross of approximately ₹3.0 Cr. INOX has added about 55,000 tickets worth roughly ₹2.0 Cr, while Cinepolis has recorded nearly 30,000 ticket sales with a gross of approximately ₹1.1 Cr. Altogether, these major national chains have already contributed about ₹6.1 Cr in gross collections for the day. This widespread demand across urban centers is a clear indicator that the sequel has managed to tap into both the nostalgia of the older audience and the interest of newer viewers. As of now, the movie is running across nearly 4,900 shows nationwide. The live tracking for Day 2 shows a net collection of approximately ₹7.23 Cr so far. When combined with the strong opening day performance, the total India net collection currently stands at roughly ₹29.23 Cr, while the total India gross has crossed the ₹34.93 Cr mark. Given that evening and night shows typically see the highest occupancy on a public holiday, these numbers are expected to surge significantly in the coming hours. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Predicting the final tally for Day 2 requires looking at the current acceleration rate. Since the film is trending nearly 80 percent higher than yesterday in terms of hourly ticket sales, it is very likely that the Day 2 net collection will land in the range of ₹28 Cr to ₹30 Cr. This would take the two-day total net collection to nearly ₹50 Cr, setting the stage for a blockbuster weekend. The themes of redemption and sacrifice, combined with the crime-action genre that Emraan Hashmi excels in, seem to be the perfect recipe for this box office success. With its massive Day 2 momentum, the big question now is where Awarapan 2 will land on the 2026 leaderboard. Based on its opening day collection of approximately ₹22 Cr net, the film originally secured the 9th spot among the highest openers of the year. However, the Independence Day surge has changed the math entirely. Given that the film is trending toward a Saturday net of roughly ₹29 Cr, the two-day total is already touching the ₹50 Cr mark. If the Sunday performance follows the usual growth pattern for a blockbuster sequel, the film is looking at a three-day weekend total of approximately ₹75 Cr to ₹80 Cr. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Looking at the current Top 5 first weekend collections for Bollywood in 2026, the entry barrier is relatively high but within reach. Dhurandhar 2 leads the pack with a massive ₹290.94 Cr, followed by Border 2 at ₹121.00 Cr. The current third spot is held by Dhamaal 4 with ₹65.00 Cr, while Welcome To The Jungle and Bhooth Bangla round out the top five with ₹60.00 Cr and ₹54.25 Cr respectively. Based on these projections, Awarapan 2 is not just entering the Top 5; it is on track to potentially clinch the third position on the Bollywood leaderboard, comfortably overtaking both the established comedy franchises and recent horror-comedy releases.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 15 - The Independence Day weekend witnessed a major Bollywood box office clash between Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 and Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947, and the former has emerged as the clear winner on opening day. The sequel to the 2007 cult favourite has delivered a career-best start for Emraan Hashmi, while Sunny Deol's Partition drama has struggled to convert the patriotic weekend into a strong theatrical opening. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Awarapan 2 opened at around 22 crore net (updated) in India on Friday, marking the biggest opening of Emraan Hashmi's career. The film registered an overall theatre occupancy of around 45.73%, with the night shows witnessing particularly strong momentum. Its worldwide gross stood at approximately 29 crore on Day 1, giving the film a strong platform heading into the Independence Day holiday. In comparison, Batwara 1947 collected only around 5.75 crore net in India on its opening day. The Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta-starrer was expected to benefit from the Independence Day period and its patriotic theme. Still, it could not generate sufficient momentum at the box office. The film's opening is roughly one-fourth of Awarapan 2's Day 1 collection, highlighting the massive gap between the two releases. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The result is particularly significant because Batwara 1947 had the advantage of Sunny Deol's strong patriotic image and a release timed perfectly around Independence Day. However, Awarapan 2 benefited enormously from nostalgia surrounding the original film, Emraan Hashmi's comeback appeal and strong pre-release buzz. The sequel had already established a substantial lead in advance booking before release, and that advantage translated directly into opening-day numbers. The box office battle is far from over, though. August 15 is a major national holiday, and Batwara 1947 has an opportunity to improve its collections through walk-ins and positive word of mouth. Awarapan 2, meanwhile, enters the holiday with a huge lead and is now strongly positioned to dominate the Independence Day weekend. For Emraan Hashmi, this is a major career revival, while Sunny Deol's film faces the challenge of recovering from a surprisingly low start.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 14 - The Independence Day weekend box office battle between Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 and Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 is turning into a one-sided affair with the former taking a big lead over Deol's period drama in the morning shows on its opening day. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The Emraan Hashmi-led actioner has opened up a significant lead in advance bookings. The sequel clocked over 11 crore in advance sales, while Batwara 1947 has managed approximately 4+ crore. This gave Awarapan 2 a lead of more than 7 crore and already put it well ahead of the Sunny Deol starrer even before the first shows begin. The strong response to Awarapan 2 can be attributed to the cult following of the 2007 original, with Emraan Hashmi's return to the franchise generating considerable nostalgia. The film is also positioned as a dark romantic actioner, giving it a different appeal from Batwara 1947, a period drama centred on the Partition era. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Considering the initial response, Awarapan 2 is expected to score almost 3x that of Batwara 1947 and with the positive word of mouth coming from the initial shows sets up the stage for the massive opening weekend for Rajkumar Santoshi's directorial, which could be well over 75 crores net. For Batwara 1947, the slower advance sales are certainly a concern, particularly given Sunny Deol's post-Gadar 2 box office standing. However, the Rajkumar Santoshi-directed film has a strong Independence Day setting, and if the word of mouth is positive, it has the potential to do well at the box office. But as things stand, Awarapan 2 has taken a commanding lead in the opening-day battle and is expected to be the clear winner in the long run.

BY SACNILK

The anticipation for Emraan Hashmi's return to one of his most iconic roles is translating into significant numbers at the box office. As of 9 pm on the final day before its release, Awarapan 2 has shown a very strong momentum in advance bookings, indicating that the nostalgia for the 2007 prequel combined with a fresh narrative is striking a chord with the audience. The film has officially become the 17th Bollywood release since August last year to cross the 200,000 ticket sales mark on BookMyShow during its pre-sale period. Looking at the hourly trends on the primary booking platform, the movie saw a sharp spike in the evening, with approximately 11,570 tickets sold between 8 pm and 9 pm alone. This brings the total tickets sold on the platform between 7 am and 9 pm today to nearly 88,000. When we look at the progress over the last few days, the growth has been consistent. Starting with about 7,000 tickets on August 10, the volume jumped to nearly 36,000 on August 11, and reached over 65,000 by August 12, culminating in a pre-release total of more than 108,000 tickets on the platform prior to the final day's surge. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In terms of national cinema chains, the movie has comfortably crossed a major milestone. Over 1 lakh tickets were sold for the opening day in advance across the three major multiplex circuits. The total gross from these chains stands at approximately ₹4.0 Cr. Breaking this down with rounded figures, PVR has contributed significantly with a gross of roughly ₹2.0 Cr from about 51,000 tickets. Inox followed with nearly ₹1.2 Cr from approximately 35,000 tickets, while Cinepolis added about ₹0.75 Cr from over 20,000 tickets. These figures place Awarapan 2 ahead of several recent major releases like Housefull 5, Shaitaan, and Raid 2 in terms of final pre-sales volume. On an all-India level, the advance booking gross for Day 1 has reached approximately ₹5.86 Cr across 8,619 shows, representing nearly 1.94 lakh tickets sold. If we include blocked seats, the total gross figure climbs to roughly ₹8.63 Cr. These numbers reflect a wide interest in the Hindi-speaking markets, where the character of Shivam has maintained a cult following for nearly two decades. The average ticket price has been maintained at around ₹240, ensuring accessibility for a broad range of the actor's fanbase. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The success of these advance bookings is deeply rooted in the legacy of the original 2007 film directed by Mohit Suri. The first Awarapan was a turning point in Emraan Hashmi's career, showcasing his range as an intense dramatic actor beyond his serial kisser image. Known for its hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and the themes of tragic love and redemption, the film became a cult classic over the years. This sequel, which sees Hashmi returning to the gritty, emotional world of the franchise, has managed to tap into that established emotional connection, driving high expectations for the opening day performance. With the final pre-release data now in, Awarapan 2 is positioned for a healthy start at the box office. Having surpassed the final pre-sales of other notable sequels and star-led projects like Welcome To The Jungle and Cocktail 2, the film has proven that there is still a massive appetite for grounded, atmospheric action-dramas. All eyes will now be on the spot bookings and early reviews tomorrow to see if the film can sustain this impressive early momentum throughout the weekend.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 13 - Director Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana Part 1 is expanding its theatrical footprint to China, marking another major step in the makers' ambitious global release strategy. The Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash starrer is reportedly confirmed for a November release in the Chinese market, where it will be presented under the title Ramayana: The Legend of the Prince. The China release could prove to be particularly significant for the film, given how massive it can be for an Indian title. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) China is obviously not a regular market for Indian cinema. Only a handful of Indian films have managed to make a significant impact there, with Dangal being the biggest example. The Aamir Khan starrer turned into an unprecedented phenomenon, earning more than $200 million in China and demonstrating just how massive the market can become when an Indian film genuinely connects with Chinese audiences. The challenge for Ramayana is that the Chinese theatrical landscape has changed considerably since Dangal. Domestic productions now dominate the market, with Chinese films accounting for more than 80% of the country's total box office in 2025. The trend has continued into 2026, with domestic titles commanding the majority of the market share, making it increasingly difficult for foreign films to break through. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) But this is where content becomes the biggest factor. China's dominance of domestic cinema doesn't mean foreign films cannot succeed; it simply means that a film has to give audiences a strong reason to choose it. Recent exceptions such as Zootopia 2 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day have shown that a foreign production can still become a massive hit when it strikes the right chord with Chinese audiences. For Ramayana, the opportunity is therefore enormous, but so is the uncertainty. The film has the scale, epicness and universal themes of good versus evil, family, sacrifice and duty that could potentially travel beyond India. If those elements resonate with Chinese audiences, the ceiling could be extremely high. After all, Dangal proved that an Indian film can overcome the limitations of the market and create genuine hysteria in China when the content clicks. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) A Dangal-like phenomenon is obviously a massive ask, especially in today's more domestically dominated Chinese market. But the beauty of the China opportunity is that Ramayana doesn't necessarily need to perform like a conventional foreign release. If the film gets the Chinese audience talking and generates strong word of mouth, the market could transform from being just another overseas territory into one of the biggest contributors to its worldwide box office. In China, it will ultimately come down to one thing — whether Ramayana clicks. If it does, the sky could be the limit.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, August 13 - Emraan Hashmi and Disha Patani's Awarapan 2 is heading for a strong opening at the domestic box office, with the film's booking indicating that it could significantly outperform initial trade expectations. The Nitin Kakkar-directed action thriller, arriving in cinemas on August 14, has benefited from strong audience interest in the Awarapan brand and is currently leading the Independence Day clash against Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) As per the latest advance booking data, Awarapan 2 has already sold over 1.25 lakh tickets for Day 1, generating 4 crore gross without blocked seats. Including blocked seats, the pre-sales have crossed 6 crore and are expected to be around 10 crore before the first show begins, giving the film a strong base ahead of its theatrical release. Based on the current momentum, Awarapan 2 is now targeting an opening in the twenty crore net range, which is considerably higher than earlier trade estimates of around twelve to fifteen crore and would give Emraan Hashmi the biggest solo opening of his career. It will also cross the lifetime domestic and worldwide gross of the original Awarapan (~13 crore gross) with only its domestic opening day collection. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The biggest advantage for Awarapan 2 is the Independence Day holiday weekend, which gives the film an extended four-day window to capitalise on the initial buzz. Its direct competition, Batwara 1947, is currently trailing significantly in bookings, allowing the Emraan Hashmi-led film to dominate the Hindi market during the crucial opening weekend. If Awarapan 2 manages to open on the projected lines, it would mark a remarkable turnaround for the franchise, considering the original Awarapan eventually developed a cult following despite its modest theatrical performance. More importantly, such an opening would put the sequel in a strong position to capitalise on the Independence Day holiday and potentially emerge as one of the surprise box office performers of August 2026.