Mumbai, May 27 - May 2026 turned out to be one of the most successful months for the Indian box office, with at least three major theatrical wins across the film industry. While the Tamil and Malayalam film industries continued their solid run through Karuppu and Drishyam 3, respectively, the biggest surprise came from Marathi cinema as Deool Band 2 emerged as an unexpected blockbuster, amid the underperforming Bollywood titles.

Karuppu and Drishyam 3's Blockbuster Run

Suriya's Karuppu turned out to be a massive commercial success for Tamil cinema. Directed by RJ Balaji, the action drama shattered every major career record for Suriya and maintained extraordinary momentum throughout the month. Released on May 15, the film has crossed 250 crores worldwide in just 12 days so far, also earning more than 2x of Suriya's previous biggest grosser, Singam 2. The film has performed exceptionally well in Tamil Nadu with 120+ crores gross so far, while also drawing strong support from the rest of the domestic and overseas audiences.

Meanwhile, Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 once again showcased the power of one of Indian cinema's most celebrated thriller franchises. Directed by Jeethu Joseph, the film opened to phenomenal numbers and continued its solid run across domestic and overseas markets despite mixed reception. Kerala led the charge on the domestic front, but the overseas market is once again proving to be a major contributor for a Malayalam title. In just 6 days so far, the film has minted around 170 crores worldwide, including around 90 crores overseas collection.

Marathi Cinema Wins Big With Raja Shivaji's and Deool Band 2

Marathi cinema has emerged as a major winner this month with the blockbuster run of Raja Shivaji, and an unexpected success in Deool Band 2. Directed by and starring Riteish Deshmukh, Raja Shivaji scripted history by emerging as the highest-grossing Marathi film of all-time, beating Sairat's 110 crores record, which stood for nearly 10 years. Released on May 1st, the historical epic has grossed over 114 crores worldwide in 26 days so far.

Meanwhile, devotional drama, Deool Band 2, scored the limelight by delivering a surprise success. After a 2.90 crore gross opening, the film witnessed solid growth over the weekend due to positive word of mouth and showed remarkable consistency on weekdays. In 6 days so far, the film has minted 26.50 crores gross, and is marching towards 50 crores, which is a blockbuster for the film of its scale.

Bollywood Underperforms With Pati Patni Aur Woh Do and Chand Mera Dil

In contrast to the regional dominance, May 2026 also witnessed disappointments in Hindi cinema. Films like Pati Patni Aur Woh Do and Chand Mera Dil failed to generate the theatrical momentum the industry had expected. Pati Patni Aur Woh Do struggled to attract audiences despite being a sequel. The film opened to underwhelming occupancies and failed to show significant growth over the weekend.

While PPAWD has managed to cross 50 crores worldwide, the overall total remains low considering the scale and expectations. Similarly, romantic drama Chand Mera Dil also failed to capitalise on its urban appeal and music-driven promotions. After failing to score a decent opening, the film hasn't shown the momentum required for a rebound. It has grossed around 21 crores so far in 5 days, which is a poor collection.