BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, June 29 - Akshay Kumar's Welcome To The Jungle has emerged as a strong performer at the box office, collecting an impressive 93.50 crore gross worldwide during its opening three-day weekend. The comedy entertainer has not only revived audience interest in the Welcome franchise but has also sparked conversations around its production scale and remuneration structure. According to Bollywood Hungama, the film was mounted on a budget of approximately 125 crore, making it one of the biggest comedy productions in recent Bollywood history. Around 60 crore was reportedly spent on production and shooting, while 35 crore went towards the ensemble cast. The remaining budget was allocated to the technical crew, direction, and promotional activities. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) One of the biggest talking points surrounding the film has been Akshay Kumar's payment model. Instead of charging a massive upfront acting fee, the superstar reportedly opted for a backend profit-sharing arrangement. Earlier rumours claiming he accepted only 1.8 crore for the film were dismissed by Akshay during promotions, further fuelling speculation about the actual deal structure. The profit-sharing strategy is being seen as a smart move by Akshay Kumar, especially after the film's impressive opening weekend collections. If the movie continues its strong run in theatres, Akshay Kumar could end up earning significantly, given that the movie is also expected to fetch huge revenue from digital and satellite rights. Directed by Ahmed Khan, Welcome To The Jungle features a star-studded cast and aims to revive the nostalgia and comic chaos associated with the popular Welcome franchise.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, June 29 - The Indian box office witnessed a competitive weekend between June 26 and 28, with multiple films putting up solid numbers across languages and regions. While big-budget entertainers continued to dominate the market, a few mid-sized releases also managed to attract steady footfalls and maintain strong momentum at cinemas nationwide. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Leading the weekend chart by a huge margin was superstar Akshay Kumar's Welcome To The Jungle, which emerged as the clear winner with a massive 76.50 crore gross collection in its debut weekend. The comedy entertainer benefited from strong buzz, franchise popularity, and a star-packed cast, helping it dominate both multiplexes and single screens throughout the weekend. Samantha Ruth Prabhu's Telugu blockbuster film Maa Inti Bangaaram continued its strong theatrical run and secured the second spot overall with nearly 17 crore gross collection during the past weekend. The family entertainer witnessed steady collections across key southern markets and benefited from positive word-of-mouth among audiences. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Among the closely contested mid-range performers, Main Vaapas Aaunga managed to edge past Cocktail 2 in their collections on Sunday, though the latter scored a bigger weekend. Imtiaz Ali's period romantic drama continued to build on positive word of mouth as it was the fourth biggest performer during the weekend at India box office, while Cocktail 2 takes 3rd spot with a decent hold. Meanwhile, Punjabi comedy franchise Carry On Jatta 4 completed the top five with over 9 crore gross domestically during the June 26–28 frame. The film once again demonstrated the franchise's popularity among Punjabi audiences in India and overseas markets. With several major releases lined up in the coming weeks, the competition at the Indian box office is expected to intensify further heading into the second half of the year. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Top 5 India Box Office Weekend Winners (June 26-28) S. No. Movie Weekend India GBOC Total India GBOC 1 Welcome To The Jungle ₹ 76.50 Cr ₹ 76.50 Cr 2 Maa Inti Bangaaram ₹ 16.90 Cr ₹ 55.85 Cr 3 Main Vaapas Aaunga ₹ 15.80 Cr ₹ 55.25 Cr 4 Cocktail 2 ₹ 15.20 Cr ₹ 99.25 Cr 5 Carry On Jatta 4 ₹ 9.35 Cr ₹ 9.35 Cr Note: Gross collection*

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Chennai, June 29 - Hombale Films has officially announced its next prestigious project, tentatively titled Suriya 48, starring Tamil superstar Suriya in the lead role. The film marks the much-awaited reunion of Suriya and director TJ Gnanavel after the critically acclaimed Jai Bhim, which was a direct-to-digital release. Actress Kayadu Lohar has been roped in as the female lead, while rising music sensation Sai Abhyankkar will compose the soundtrack for the film. According to the reports, Suriya 48 will be a content-driven film inspired by the life of the renowned "5 Rupees Doctor," Dr Thiruvengadam Veeraraghavan, who was widely respected for his selfless medical service and affordable treatment for the poor. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The announcement has already created strong buzz among fans and film enthusiasts, especially given the socially rooted themes often associated with TJ Gnanavel's storytelling. A traditional pooja ceremony was reportedly held on the day of the announcement in the presence of the cast and crew. The event marked the official beginning of the project, with regular shooting expected to commence soon. Acclaimed cinematographer SR Kathir will handle the visuals, while noted editor Philomin Raj has been brought on board for editing duties. With Hombale Films backing the project, expectations are high for a powerful cinematic experience that blends emotional storytelling with large-scale production values. Suriya, fresh from the blockbuster success of Karuppu and known for balancing commercial entertainers with meaningful cinema, is expected to portray a compelling and emotionally layered character in the film. Fans are eagerly awaiting further updates regarding the shooting schedule, supporting cast, and official title announcement.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, June 29 - The Independence Day weekend has always been a prized release corridor for Bollywood, but 2026 is shaping up to be especially competitive. Two dramatically different yet equally intriguing films, Awarapan 2 and Batwara 1947, are officially headed for a theatrical clash this holiday period, on August 14. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) While it can't be said that both films are hugely anticipated, they definitely carry massive box office potential. Awarapan 2 marks the return of Emraan Hashmi's cult franchise nearly two decades after the original film gained popularity through television reruns, streaming, and its iconic soundtrack. The sequel is already generating buzz among millennials and longtime fans who still connect deeply with the emotional storytelling and music of the 2007 film. On Monday, the makers dropped the official teaser, and seeing the reactions on social media, the promo has managed to strike a chord with audiences. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) On the other hand, Batwara 1947 reunites Sunny Deol and director Rajkumar Santoshi for a large-scale period drama rooted in patriotism and history. Backed by Aamir Khan Productions, the film has been generating strong buzz and is expected to benefit from the Independence Day release corridor due to its emotional national backdrop and mass-market appeal. Sunny Deol's recent box office resurgence has also increased expectations around the film, which was originally titled Lahore 1947. What makes this clash particularly exciting is that both films appear to have distinct audience bases. While Awarapan 2 relies heavily on nostalgia, music, and emotional drama, Batwara 1947 is positioned as a theatrical patriotic spectacle. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Given the nature of both the projects, they are expected to take good starts at the box office. As said, both Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2 have immense potential to deliver at the box office, if the audience reception is positive, due to various reasons. All eyes are now on the trailer and other promotional material to keep the buzz alive, leading to the theatrical release.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, June 29 - Curry Barker's supernatural horror sensation Obsession continues its extraordinary run at the Indian box office and is now inching closer to the 100 crore gross milestone. The indie horror blockbuster, starring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, has emerged as one of the biggest surprise success stories of 2026, and is now on course to become the highest-grossing foreign horror title in India. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Obsession has already crossed approximately 97.50 crore gross in India after the fifth weekend in theatres and is expected to breach the 100 crore mark during its remaining theatrical run. The film has shown remarkable staying power despite entering its fifth week, with strong word-of-mouth continuing to drive ticket sales across metro as well as tier-2 and tier-3 markets. Despite the growing competition from the local releases, Obsession grossed around 2.50 crores in its fifth week, which is a superb collection. It is now only 2.50 crores away from 100 crores gross mark and around 4 crores from topping The Conjuring: Last Rites (101.65 crores) to become the biggest Hollywood horror grosser in the country. Globally, Obsession has already crossed $370 million against a reported production budget of under $1 million, making it one of the most profitable horror films in recent years. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) OTT Release Date Reportedly Locked Amid its blockbuster theatrical performance, latest reports suggest that Obsession is finally gearing up for its digital debut. Multiple international entertainment outlets report that the film is expected to arrive on Apple TV on June 30, 2026. While it is not yet confirmed if it will be available in India on the same day, it is said that the uncensored cut of the movie will stream online. Obsession was earlier supposed to stream online on June 2, but the makers delayed the release due to its unanticipated box office turnaround. Instead of following the usual short theatrical-to-digital window often seen with horror releases, the makers chose to extend the cinema run to maximise theatrical earnings as audience demand remained strong, and continues to bring in footfalls at the box office.

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, June 29 - Superstar Akshay Kumar continues to remain one of the most bankable stars in Hindi cinema despite the changing dynamics of the post-pandemic box office. Over the last few years, many of his films have posted impressive opening weekend numbers, proving that the superstar still commands a solid theatrical pull with audiences. The latest entrant in the list of the top 5 biggest opening weekend grossers for Akshay Kumar is Welcome To The Jungle, which has delivered a strong opening weekend by collecting an impressive 63.75 crore net (estimates). The franchise factor, ensemble cast, and adventure-comedy setup appear to have worked strongly in the film's favour, helping it deliver one of the best starts for the actor in recent years. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Directed by Ahmed Khan, Welcome 3 opened with a good Thursday paid preview collection of 3.75 crores net, followed by around 15.25 crores net on its Friday opening day. The opening itself was above trade projections, suggesting that the word of mouth was positive. The movie then scored solid growth over Saturday and Sunday to earn 20 crores and 24.75 crores net, respectively, for a good weekend. The film's opening weekend collection managed to outperform Akshay Kumar's last release, Bhooth Bangla, which went on to become one of Khiladi Kumar's highest-grossing films in the post-COVID era. Meanwhile, Housefull 5 continues to remain at the top during the same period, while Sooryavanshi, which released during the pandemic amid just 50% occupancy, is the second biggest weekend grosser of Kumar. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Akshay Kumar's Top 5 Weekend Grossers Post Pandemic S. No. Movie Genre Opening Weekend 1 Housefull 5 Comedy ₹ 87.50 Cr 2 Sooryavanshi Action ₹ 77.10 Cr 3 Welcome To The Jungle Comedy ₹ 63.75 Cr 4 Sky Force Action ₹ 62.25 Cr 5 Bhooth Bangla Horror Comedy ₹ 58.00 Cr Note: India Net Collection The performance of Welcome To The Jungle is particularly significant because comedy films have faced inconsistent theatrical results in the post-pandemic market. Despite changing audience preferences, the film has managed to exceed expectations, indicating that franchise entertainers still hold strong value on the big screen. For Akshay Kumar, the film's strong opening also reinforces his box office standing after delivering multiple successful franchise and commercial entertainers over the years.