Actor Paresh Rawal's OMG 2 Credit Claim Sparks War of Words; Producer Ashwin Varde and Director Amit Rai Hit Back

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 18 - Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has triggered a fresh controversy surrounding the 2023 hit OMG 2 after claiming that the film's original concept was his idea and that he was never credited for his contribution. The actor alleged that he had worked on the story with filmmaker Amit Rai years before the project took shape, but the script underwent major changes after Akshay Kumar came on board, eventually leading to his exit from the film. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) According to Rawal, the initial version of OMG 2 was significantly different from the one that eventually reached theatres. He claimed that the original story did not feature a divine character and that his name was omitted despite contributing to the film's conception. The actor expressed disappointment that he received no story or concept credit after the project moved forward without him. Producer Ashwin Varde has strongly denied the allegations, calling Rawal's claims "baseless, untrue and unsubstantiated." Varde further alleged that Rawal had once attempted to develop OMG 2 without Akshay Kumar, describing such an effort as "unethical." He maintained that the film was developed independently and insisted that Rawal's version of events does not reflect what actually transpired during the making of the sequel. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Director and writer Amit Rai has also rejected Rawal's assertions, stating that the screenplay and concept of OMG 2 were his own work. Rai denied that the film originated from Rawal's idea, effectively dismissing the actor's claims of creative ownership. With both the producer and director publicly refuting the allegations, the dispute has escalated into one of the biggest behind-the-scenes controversies surrounding OMG 2, reigniting discussions about authorship, story credits and creative recognition in the Hindi film industry.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 18 - Singer-composer Kshitij Tarey, known for memorable tracks such as Aye Khuda, Madno and Javeda Zindagi, says composing the music and background score for the upcoming web series Ab Hoga Hisaab allowed him to explore the emotional depth of its characters. The series, starring Mouni Roy, Sanjay Kapoor and Shaheer Sheikh, features two original songs composed by Kshitij Tarey, including the title track sung by him and the romantic number Saaiyaan Ve sung by Shaan. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Speaking about what made him connect with the story, he said, "When I came on board, the story immediately connected with me. It had so many emotional layers, and capturing the protagonist’s journey through music was both challenging and fulfilling. Along with the background score, creating two completely different songs for the series made the experience even more exciting," Tarey said. The singer said composing for a web series differs from films due to its episodic storytelling and changing viewing habits. "The essence of background music remains the same — it always serves the story and the characters. But with a web series, you compose across multiple episodes and also keep in mind that audiences are largely watching on personal devices, which naturally influences the treatment of the music," he added. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Tarey also spoke about collaborating with veteran singer Shaan, calling him an inspiration both professionally and personally. "He is an exceptional artiste and an even better human being. Every interaction with him is a learning experience, whether it’s his approach to singing or the stories he shares from his journey in the music industry," he said. Reflecting on the enduring popularity of songs like Aye Khuda, Madno and Javeda Zindagi, Tarey said the biggest reward for any artiste is knowing that their music continues to resonate with listeners. "When people tell me that my songs stayed with them during some of the most emotional phases of their lives, it means everything to me. There’s no greater satisfaction than knowing your music has become a part of someone’s personal journey," he said.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 17 - The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the restoration of Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj, which was recently taken down from its OTT platform shortly after its release. The Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor, did not examine the merits of the film's removal and instead questioned the maintainability of the petition. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) During the hearing, the Court observed that the petitioner, a Punjab resident, was neither the producer nor the director of the film and therefore lacked the legal standing (locus standi) to seek such relief. Faced with the Court's observations, the petitioner's counsel stated that the plea would be withdrawn and refiled through the film's director. As a result, the High Court declined to entertain the PIL without ruling on whether the takedown of the film was justified. Appearing for the Union Government and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Senior Advocate Dheeraj Jain argued that the petitioner had no locus to file the PIL and had failed to provide details of the alleged order directing the film's removal. He further submitted that the petition had been filed just days after the movie was taken down without first approaching the concerned authorities or submitting any representation. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The petition had contended that the abrupt removal of Satluj violated the public's fundamental right to receive information and artistic expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. It also argued that paying subscribers had been deprived of access to content they had already purchased and claimed that the biographical film, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, did not threaten the country's sovereignty or public order. Originally developed under the title Punjab '95, Satluj has remained at the centre of controversy for years over certification issues and its depiction of sensitive historical events. While the latest PIL has been withdrawn, the legal battle surrounding the film appears far from over, with the possibility of a fresh petition being filed through the film's director in the coming days.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 17 - Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar's Welcome To The Jungle is now expected to finish its theatrical run below the 200 crore worldwide gross mark, despite looking like a certain entrant into the club just a week ago. The comedy entertainer enjoyed a good opening, maintained healthy collections through its initial days, and appeared comfortably on course to cross the milestone before the box office landscape changed dramatically. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Just a week ago, Welcome 3 looked like a sure-shot 200 crore worldwide grosser. However, the arrival of Dhamaal 4, another major comedy franchise targeting the same audience, has significantly dented its momentum. With exhibitors allocating more shows to the new release and audiences shifting towards the fresher offering, Welcome To The Jungle witnessed a sharp decline in its third-week collections, making the 200 crore mark increasingly difficult to achieve. The timing of Dhamaal 4's release has proved crucial. Since both films belong to the comedy genre, there has been a direct overlap in their target audience. While Welcome To The Jungle had already enjoyed a successful theatrical run, the increased competition curtailed its long legs at the box office. The film is now expected to wrap up its run just short of the double-century milestone worldwide unless it stages an unexpected late surge. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In three weeks, the Ahmed Khan-directed flick has minted around 190 crores gross worldwide, including over 156 crores gross domestically. The turnaround now looks unlikely with Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated The Odyssey releasing today (July 17), which will be the number 1 movie this week at the Indian box office. Despite missing the 200 crore worldwide mark, Welcome To The Jungle will still be counted among the successful Hindi releases of the year. The film delivered respectable numbers, further strengthened Akshay Kumar's resurgence at the box office, and once again highlighted the commercial appeal of well-made comedy entertainers. However, considering where the film stood only a week ago, falling short of 200 crore worldwide will undoubtedly be viewed as a missed opportunity.

BY SACNILK

Akshay Kumar's Welcome To The Jungle, serving as the third installment of the beloved comedy franchise, has now concluded its third week at the box office. With a reported production budget of 120 crore, the film has successfully navigated past that figure to emerge as a hit, currently standing with a net collection of 131.85 Cr. While the project achieved profitability, there is a distinct feeling that it could have reached a much higher peak had it not been for the aggressive competitive waves that have effectively inhabited its throne. The arrival of fresh releases has squeezed its screen presence, leaving the film to navigate a significantly tighter market as it heads toward its final lifetime numbers. As of the end of its third week, Welcome To The Jungle has achieved a cumulative worldwide gross collection of ₹190.00 Cr. This includes a domestic gross of ₹156.65 Cr and an overseas contribution of ₹33.35 Cr. In terms of India net collections, the film currently stands at ₹131.85 Cr. While the numbers are respectable, the drop from the previous weeks is quite evident as the screening landscape shifted significantly over the last seven days. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Welcome To The Jungle - Week 3 India Net CollectionDAY NUMBERINDIA NET COLLECTIONSHOW COUNTDay 15 (3rd Friday)₹ 1.00 Cr3,769Day 16 (3rd Saturday)₹ 1.60 Cr2,315Day 17 (3rd Sunday)₹ 1.90 Cr2,273Day 18 (3rd Monday)₹ 0.55 Cr1,917Day 19 (3rd Tuesday)₹ 0.75 Cr1,951Day 20 (3rd Wednesday)₹ 0.50 Cr1,908Day 21 (3rd Thursday)₹ 0.50 Cr1,902Total Week 3₹ 6.80 Cr16,035 As we look at the cumulative performance, the film has reached an India net collection of ₹131.85 Cr. However, the momentum has shifted noticeably with each passing week. After a strong ₹93.15 Cr start in its opening week, the second week saw a standard dip to ₹31.90 Cr. The most drastic change occurred in this third week, where earnings fell to ₹6.80 Cr—a sharp drop of nearly 78 percent from the previous week. This decline is largely attributed to the arrival of new major releases like Dhamaal 4 and Alpha, which took away a substantial portion of the screens and show counts. By the end of the third week, the film was operating on 1,902 shows on Thursday, a steep decline from its peak show counts in the first fortnight. Occupancy remained on the lower side, averaging around 9 to 10 percent during the weekdays. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Daily performance during the third week showed some resilience over the weekend, with Saturday and Sunday bringing in ₹1.60 Cr and ₹1.90 Cr respectively. However, the weekdays saw the numbers settling into the 50 to 75 lakh range. On its 21st day, the film collected ₹0.50 Cr net, showing a flat trend from the previous day. This stability at lower levels suggests that the film has reached its saturation point in most urban centers. Ticket sales data from BookMyShow further illustrates this journey. For the third week alone, the platform recorded roughly 1 lakh tickets sold, with the weekend accounting for more than half of that volume. Cumulatively, the film has sold over 2.32 million tickets on the platform since its release. In the broader context of 2026 releases, Welcome To The Jungle currently holds the 4th position in terms of ticket sales, trailing only behind major hits like Dhurandhar 2, Border 2, and Bhooth Bangla. While it narrowly missed the overall top 10 list for the 2025-26 period, its performance remains notable for a comedy sequel. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Multiplex engagement also saw a dip, with national chains like PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis selling approximately 24,000 tickets throughout the third week. On the international front, the film added around ₹1.65 Cr during the third week, taking its total overseas gross to ₹33.35 Cr. The slow pace in the international market mirrors the domestic trend, as the diaspora audience also shifts focus toward newer releases. Looking ahead, the path for Welcome To The Jungle is expected to narrow even further. With Christopher Nolans The Odyssey arriving in theaters today, all premium formats and a vast majority of general screens will be occupied by the global tentpole. This will likely limit the films fourth-week prospects significantly. Based on current trends, the film is expected to finish its lifetime run with an India net collection in the range of ₹135 Cr to ₹138 Cr. While it has managed to cross the 130 Cr mark, the intense competition in the 2026 calendar has curtailed its ability to reach the 150 Cr milestone.

BY SACNILK

The Dhamaal franchise has always relied on its core strength of slapstick humor and a massive ensemble cast that appeals to family audiences. With Dhamaal 4, the expectations were high for it to replicate the success of its predecessors. Released during a busy 2026 cinematic calendar, the film has managed to carve out its own space by maintaining a steady flow of audience interest throughout its opening week. Looking at the cumulative data for the first seven days, Dhamaal 4 has closed its first week with a worldwide gross collection of ₹132.74 Cr. This total is comprised of an India gross of ₹114.49 Cr and an overseas contribution of ₹18.25 Cr. On a net basis, the film has reached ₹96.00 Cr in India, placing it on the verge of a significant milestone. If the trend continues, it is poised to become the fifth movie of 2026 to enter the 100 Crore club, following in the footsteps of Dhurandhar 2, Border 2, Bhooth Bangla, and Welcome to the Jungle. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) In terms of franchise performance, Dhamaal 4 has officially set a new benchmark for the series. By finishing its first week at 96.00 Cr, it has successfully surpassed the 94.55 Cr opening week record previously held by Total Dhamaal. This makes it the strongest-performing first week in the history of the franchise so far. However, the momentum will face a significant test starting today, Friday, 17 July. With the massive arrival of Christopher Nolans The Odyssey, Dhamaal 4 is retaining roughly 45 percent of its screens and has lost all its premium IMAX and large-format allocations. The final push toward the 100 Cr mark will now depend on how well the film holds in its remaining general screens against this high-profile Hollywood competition. Dhamaal 4 - Week 1 India Net CollectionDAY NUMBERINDIA NET COLLECTIONSHOW COUNTDay 1 (Friday)₹ 14.00 Cr10,669Day 2 (Saturday)₹ 22.50 Cr10,954Day 3 (Sunday)₹ 28.50 Cr11,481Day 4 (Monday)₹ 8.75 Cr10,598Day 5 (Tuesday)₹ 9.50 Cr11,077Day 6 (Wednesday)₹ 6.75 Cr11,137Day 7 (Thursday)₹ 6.00 Cr11,006Total Week 1₹ 96.00 Cr76,922 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Analyzing the daily trends, we see that the film peaked during the first weekend, with Sunday bringing in ₹28.50 Cr. Like most comedies, the weekdays saw a standard drop, but the film remained fairly resilient. On its seventh day, Dhamaal 4 collected ₹6.00 Cr net, which is an 11.1 percent drop compared to the previous day. This drop is considered within the normal range for a film heading into its second week. The total show count for the week was a massive 76,922, showing that exhibitors have given the film ample breathing room. The occupancy rates on the seventh day provide a clear picture of how the film is currently being consumed, showing a distinct preference for later screenings. While the overall occupancy for the day was 12.95 percent, the trajectory throughout the day was steadily upward. Morning shows started at a modest 6.38 percent, but momentum built through the afternoon at 13.08 percent and evening at 14.69 percent, eventually peaking at 16.15 percent for night shows. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) On a regional level, the performance was varied across major circuits. Ahmedabad emerged as the top performer with a robust 18.5 percent occupancy across its 643 shows. In the high-volume markets, the National Capital Region and Mumbai remained incredibly steady, recording 12.8 percent and 12.5 percent respectively despite having the highest number of screenings. Other key cities also showed consistent interest, with Bengaluru at 11.5 percent and Pune at 11.3 percent. Meanwhile, Surat saw a softer response with an occupancy of 6.3 percent for the day. These numbers across diverse regions indicate that while the initial frenzy has leveled off, the film maintains a respectable baseline as it completes its first full week in theaters. On BookMyShow alone, Dhamaal 4 has moved approximately 1.7 million tickets throughout its opening week. The momentum peaked over the first three days with nearly 2.7 lakh tickets sold on Friday, followed by a massive surge on Saturday with roughly 4.5 lakh and Sunday with around 4.3 lakh tickets. Even as the week transitioned into the working days, the film maintained a steady rhythm, selling about 1.2 lakh tickets on Monday and around 1.3 lakh on Tuesday. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) As we look at the tail end of the first week, the digital demand settled into a consistent pattern. On Wednesday, bookings were around 1 lakh, and on Thursday, which was the seventh day of the week, nearly 95,000 tickets were booked through the platform. The performance in national chains like PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis - the numbers tell a more specific story of multiplex engagement. For the entire week, these chains accounted for approximately 2.7 lakh tickets. On the seventh day specifically, the daily advance bookings in these chains reached around 1,600 tickets across roughly 420 shows in 45 venues. PVR emerged as the primary contributor for this specific period, selling nearly 1,570 of those tickets with no notable contributions form other chains. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) On the international front, the film has found a respectable audience, especially in the Western markets. In North America, according to data shared by Venky Box Office, the film earned 63k dollars (approximately ₹53 lakh) on Wednesday, which brought its total in that specific region to 777k dollars (approximately ₹6.5 Cr). Looking at the broader global picture as the first week comes to a close, early estimates for the seventh-day overseas collections stand at ₹1.00 Cr. This pushes the total cumulative overseas gross to ₹18.25 Cr so far. As the film transitions into its second week, all eyes are on that final 4 Cr gap needed to reach the 100 Cr net milestone. While the first-week momentum was strong, the path ahead has become significantly narrower starting today. With Christopher Nolans The Odyssey taking over the lions share of premium space, Dhamaal 4 is now operating on roughly 45 percent of its original screen count and has relinquished all its IMAX and large-format allocations. The films success in the coming days will depend entirely on its ability to maintain high occupancy in general screenings.