The opening of Bachchhan Paandey yesterday (March 18) was not upto the mark because of Holi festivities and the strong opposition of The Kashmir Files which entered its second week. Bachchhan Paandey also did not get the shows and screens it would’ve otherwise got, because exhibitors clung on to The Kashmir Files for dear life. Of course, collections of Bachchhan Paandey grew as the day progressed because the Holi festivities were over by afternoon.

Radhe Shyam met with a disastrous fate in 1st week. Although the Telugu version of the bilingual performed better, it was still way below the mark. As for the Hindi version, its first week’s collections were terribly weak. The film’s Hindi version netted Rs. 4 crore on the first day. Collections picked up on Saturday and Sunday but the increase was unimpressive, considering that the start was so low. It collected Rs. 4.50 crore on Saturday, and Rs. 5 crore on Sunday, taking the first weekend’s total to Rs. 13.50 crore. Collections were rather poor on the weekdays: Monday – Rs. 1.50 crore, Tuesday – Rs. 1.15 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 1 crore, Thursday – Rs. 0.65 crore. In this way, the total for the weekdays was a paltry Rs. 4.30 crore. The first week, therefore, closed at Rs. 17.80 crore. The distributor’s share from the Telugu version in the first week was only Rs. 52.59 crore. The Kannada dubbed version yielded a share of Rs. 4.18 crore, the Tamil version, Rs. 0.75 crore, and the Malayalam dubbed version, Rs. 0.18 crore. Including the Hindi version’s share of Rs. 8.90 crore, and the share of the various versions from the rest of India of Rs. 1.58 crore, the total all-India share in the first week was Rs. 68.18 crore. The film will entail heavy losses to all the distributors as they would reach the break-even point at a distributors’ share of Rs. 204 crore which seems to be a distant dream.

The Kashmir Files is nothing short of box-office magic! The film, made at a budget of only Rs. 15 crore, has surpassed all expectations and has written box-office history in the first week. Its second week’s opening is also historic, just like the first week’s collections. Looking to the outstanding public reports, the film was being screened in more than 2,600 screens by the end of the first week as against the less-than-700 screens on the first day!! The film netted Rs. 3.50 crore on day 1 from very limited screens. The screen count started increasing from the first day itself. Saturday collections shot up to Rs. 8.25 crore. The Sunday figure came as a virtual surprise to everyone. The third day closed at Rs. 15 crore, thereby taking the first weekend’s total to Rs. 26.75 crore. What followed in the weekdays is probably unprecedented in box-office history. Collections on Monday were as huge as on Sunday — Rs. 15 crore. The film netted Rs. 18 crore on Tuesday, another first. The figure of Rs. 18.50 crore on Wednesday was also unprecedented. The film collected Rs. 18 crore on Thursday, taking the total for the weekdays to an unbelievable Rs. 69.50 crore, more than double the weekend’s total. In this way, the first week closed at Rs. 96.25 crore! The film has become a movement of sorts through the length and breadth of the country. It has come like a saviour for exhibitors who had incurred huge losses during the lockdowns. Looking to the start of the second week, in spite of the new release (Bachchhan Paandey), it can safely be predicted that the film could end up collecting around Rs. 90-95 crore in the second week too! This will easily become the fastest Hindi grosser of all times, that too, with the highest ever Return on Investment (RoI)!!

ET – Etharkkum Thunindhavan (dubbed) fared miserably in the first week all over.

Jhund fared poorly in 2nd week which started with a take of only Rs. 0.55 crore. Collections for Saturday and Sunday were Rs. 0.95 crore and Rs. 1.10 crore respectively. Therefore, the total for the second weekend was Rs. 2.60 crore. Collections for the weekdays were rather pathetic: Monday – Rs. 0.40 crore, Tuesday – Rs. 0.35 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 0.35 crore, Thursday – Rs. 0.30 crore. Hence the total for the weekdays was Rs. 1.40 crore, and for the second week, Rs. 4 crore. Grand total for 2 weeks: Rs. 12.95 crore.

The Batman (dubbed and original English versions) fell by more than 60% in its second week. It netted Rs. 1.65 crore on Friday. Collections more than doubled on Saturday which, therefore, closed at Rs. 3.40 crore. The total for Sunday (Rs. 3.25 crore) was less than that of Saturday. Hence the total for the second weekend was Rs. 8.30 crore. Collections for the weekdays: Monday – Rs. 0.85 crore, Tuesday – Rs. 0.80 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 0.85 crore, Thursday – Rs. 0.85 crore. Therefore, the total for the weekdays was Rs. 3.35 crore. Total for 2nd week: Rs. 11.65 crore. Grand total for 2 weeks: Rs. 42.10 crore.

Gangubai Kathiawadi started its third week with a take of Rs. 2.50 crore on the first day. Collections increased to Rs. 4.25 crore on Saturday, and further to Rs. 5 crore on Sunday. Therefore, the third weekend closed at Rs. 11.75 crore. Collections for the weekdays: Monday – Rs. 1.50 crore, Tuesday – Rs. 1.35 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 1.25 crore, Thursday – Rs. 1.15 crore. Hence the total for the weekdays was Rs. 5.25 crore. In this way, the total for the third week was Rs. 17 crore. Grand total for 3 weeks: Rs. 119.35 crore.

Pawankhind (Marathi) continued its victory march in the fourth week too.

THE KASHMIR FILES, released in only 700 screens, managed a very good first day. In fact, after the excellent response, screens and shows were added as the day progressed. However, the huge-budgeted RADHE SHYAM failed to find love among the public.

Jhund, which started slow last week, could not impress the audience. It netted Rs. 1.10 crore on the opening day. Collections increased to Rs. 1.75 crore on Saturday, and further to Rs. 2.35 crore on Sunday. After a weekend total of Rs. 5.20 crore only, collections for the weekdays were even more unimpressive: Monday – Rs. 0.90 crore, Tuesday (Women’s Day) – Rs. 1.10 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 0.90 crore, Thursday – Rs. 0.85 crore. Thus, the total for the weekdays was Rs. 3.75 crore. Therefore, the total for the first week was Rs. 8.95 crore.

Toolsidas Junior met with a disastrous fate in its first week all over.

One Story Many Ends proved a damp squib in 1st week everywhere.

The Batman (dubbed and original English versions) did quite well in the first weekend. It started with a take of Rs. 6 crore on Friday. Collections jumped to Rs. 8 crore on Saturday. There was no increase in collections on Sunday which closed at Rs. 8 crore. In this way, the first weekend’s total was Rs. 22 crore. Collections began to plummet during the weekdays: Monday – Rs. 2.50 crore, Tuesday – Rs. 2.25 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 2 crore, Thursday – Rs. 1.70 crore. In this way, the total for the weekdays was Rs. 8.45 crore. Total for 1st week: Rs. 30.45 crore.

Gangubai Kathiawadi remained strong in the second week too. It crossed the Rs. 100-crore mark in 2nd week. The film netted Rs. 4.75 crore on the first day of the second week. Collections jumped to Rs. 7.75 crore on Saturday, and even more, to Rs. 9.75 crore on Sunday. Therefore, the total for the second weekend was Rs. 22.25 crore! Collections for the weekdays were: Monday – Rs. 3.35 crore, Tuesday (Women’s Day) – Rs. 4 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 3 crore, Thursday – Rs. 2.75 crore. Hence the total for the weekdays was Rs. 13.10 crore. In this way, the total for the second week was Rs. 35.35 crore. Grand total for 2 weeks: Rs. 102.35 crore.

143 (Marathi) bombed miserably in the first week all over Maharashtra.

Jhatka (Marathi) proved a debacle in the first week all over Maharashtra.

Pawankhind (Marathi) is the one-horse race in Marathi cinema. It netted brilliant figures in its third week too, all over Maharashtra.

This week’s THE BATMAN (Hindi dubbed and original English version) started slow in the morning shows yesterday (March 4) but collections picked up well as the day progressed. On the other hand, football film JHUND failed to score a goal anywhere.

Gangubai Kathiawadi has done exceptionally well in the first week, considering that normalcy is yet to return and also given that the film rests on the shoulders of a female character and does not have a hero. It started off well with a take of Rs. 9.75 crore on Friday. Collections jumped by Rs. 3 crore on Saturday which closed at Rs. 12.75 crore. The figure for Sunday was a phenomenal Rs. 15.25 crore, taking the first weekend’s total to Rs. 37.75 crore. Collections for the weekdays were also very good: Monday – Rs. 8.25 crore, Tuesday (partial holiday for Shivratri) – Rs. 9.25 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 6.25 crore, Thursday – Rs. 5.50 crore. In this way, the total for the weekdays was Rs. 29.25 crore. Total for 1st week: Rs. 67 crore. The second weekend is expected to be superb in spite of the opposition of this week’s The Batman, because of the 100% capacity now permitted in cinemas of Maharashtra and Delhi also.

Valimai (dubbed), as expected, proved a damp squib in the first week all over. The death-defying action scenes could not save the dubbed version from doom because the youth among the Hindi film-going audience is done with action of the kind shown in the film, more so if the content in the film is weak (as it was in the present case).

Uncharted (dubbed) did quite well in 2nd week too. The original English version continued to do better business in the second week.

Luck Down (Marathi) did very ordinary business in 1st week all over Maharashtra.

Pondicherry (Marathi) failed miserably in the first week all over Maharashtra.

Chabuk (Marathi) met with a disastrous fate in 1st week all over Maharashtra.

Pawankhind (Marathi) continued its victory march in the second week also. Its collections all over Maharashtra were outstanding.

This week’s GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI may have been a slow starter in the morning shows on the first day (yesterday, February 25) but considering that it is a woman-centric film with no hero (Ajay Devgan is in a guest appearance), the film did very well as collections picked up from the afternoon shows.

Before You Die bombed miserably everywhere in the first week.

Pyar Mein Thoda Twist fared miserably in the first week all over.

Uncharted (dubbed and original English version) did fair business in 1st week.

Badhaai Do started the second week with a take of Rs. 0.75 crore on the first day. Collections doubled to Rs. 1.50 crore on Saturday. They increased to Rs. 2 crore on Sunday, taking the second weekend’s total to Rs. 4.25 crore. Collections for the weekdays were as follows: Monday – Rs. 0.55 crore, Tuesday – Rs. 0.50 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 0.45 crore, Thursday – Rs. 0.40 crore. Total for the weekdays was, therefore, Rs. 1.90 crore. Hence the second week’s total was Rs. 6.15 crore. Grand total for 2 weeks: Rs. 18.20 crore.

Pawankhind (Marathi) did exceptionally well in the first week all over Maharashtra. It is poised to be a hit.

Jiddari (Marathi) fared poorly in the first week all over Maharashtra.

The very bold (for Indian sensibilities) Badhaai Do found acceptance in pockets. After a slow start, collections picked up in select cinemas only, on Saturday and Sunday. However, collections on the last three days of the first week were rather dull. The first week started with a take of Rs. 1.5 crore. Collections increased to Rs. 2.5 crore on Saturday, and further to Rs. 3.35 crore on Sunday, taking the weekend total to Rs. 7.35 crore. The film held on decently on Monday (Rs. 2 crore) but collections went downhill thereafter. Tuesday recorded a total of Rs. 0.95 crore, Wednesday was Rs. 0.90 crore, and Thursday, Rs. 0.85 crore. In this way, the total for the weekdays was Rs. 4.70 crore. Total for the first week: Rs. 12.05 crore.

Death On The Nile (dubbed and original English versions) fared poorly in the first week.

Moonfall (dubbed and original English versions) did dull business in 1st week all over.

Soyrik (Marathi) could not make any mark whatsoever in the first week all over Maharashtra.

Jindagani (Marathi) managed fair collections only in a few cinemas of Maharashtra in the first week. Elsewhere, collections were rather poor.

Ka R Deva (Marathi) bombed miserably in the first week all over Maharashtra.

This week’s theatrical release, Badhaai Do, opened to dull houses — and understandably so. Its subject is very bold for Indian sensibilities and hence the film was expected to be a slow starter.

Kamathipura fared miserably in the first week in Gujarat.

83 (Hindi and all dubbed versions) netted Rs. 0.73 crore in the seventh weekend, and another Rs. 0.40 crore during the weekdays. Total for 7th week: Rs. 1.13 crore. Grand total for 7 weeks: Rs. 107.22 crore.

Pushpa: The Rise Part 1 (dubbed) netted Rs. 1.88 crore in the eighth weekend, and an additional Rs. 1.29 crore during the weekdays. In other words, the eighth week’s total was Rs. 3.17 crore. Grand total for 8 weeks: Rs. 105.18 crore.

Lochya Zaala Re (Marathi) did below average business in 1st week all over Maharashtra.

Panghrun (Marathi) did very ordinary business in 1st week in Maharashtra.

Faas (Marathi) could not make any mark whatsoever in the first week in Maharashtra.

Law Of Love (Marathi) did disastrous business in the first week in Maharashtra.

Zombivli (Marathi) did average in 2nd week in Maharashtra.

With all the old releases except PUSHPA: THE RISE PART 1 having almost exhausted their runs at the ticket-windows, the box-office awaits the release of new films to give itself the much-needed push.

Lucknow Junction fared miserably in the first week in U.P.

83 (Hindi and all dubbed versions) netted Rs. 0.77 crore in its sixth weekend, and another Rs. 0.45 crore in the weekdays, taking the total for the sixth week to Rs. 1.22 crore. Grand total for 6 weeks: Rs. 106.09 crore.

Pushpa: The Rise Part 1 (dubbed) continued to be the one film which kept the cinemas going in this terrible period of no big film releases. It started its 7th week with a take of Rs. 0.48 crore on Friday. Collections increased to Rs. 0.68 crore on Saturday. Sunday collections totalled Rs. 1.42 crore. In other words, the seventh weekend closed at Rs. 2.58 crore. In this way, the film crossed the Rs. 100-crore mark in 45 days as its total went up to Rs. 100.18 crore. Collections for the weekdays were: Monday – Rs. 0.51 crore, Tuesday – Rs. 0.50 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 0.44 crore, Thursday – Rs. 0.38 crore. In other words, the total for the weekdays was Rs. 1.83 crore. Therefore, the total for the seventh week was Rs. 4.41 crore. Grand total for 7 weeks: Rs. 102.01 crore.

Zombivli (Marathi) did fair business in 1st week in Maharashtra.

83 (Hindi and all dubbed versions) barely managed to stay afloat in its 5th week. The highest it collected on a single day in the fifth week was Rs. 36 lakh on 26th January (Republic Day) because of the national holiday. Other than that, collections only on Saturday (Rs. 26 lakh) and Sunday (Rs. 34 lakh) were somewhat worth mentioning. The cricket film added Rs. 72 lakh to its kitty in the fifth weekend, and another Rs. 67 lakh during the weekdays. In other words, the total for the fifth week was just Rs. 1.39 crore. Grand total for 5 weeks: Rs. 104.87 crore.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (original English and Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions) also could not do much in its sixth week. The Republic Day holiday gave the film a slight boost but that was the only notable feature of its sixth week’s collections.

Pushpa: The Rise Part 1 (dubbed) was the only film which netted respectable figures in the week gone by. It managed to yield decent shares in its sixth week too in spite of being available on OTT where it is being repeat-viewed a number of times! It netted Rs. 0.57 crore on the first day of the sixth week. Collections jumped to Rs. 0.90 crore on the second day, and to Rs. 1.53 crore on the third day. This, therefore, resulted in a sixth weekend total of Rs. 3 crore. Collections for the weekdays got a huge boost on Republic Day. The individual collections for the four days were: Monday – Rs. 0.58 crore, Tuesday – Rs. 0.55 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 1.55 crore, Thursday – Rs. 0.49 crore. In this way, the total for the weekdays was Rs. 3.17 crore. Hence the sixth week closed at Rs. 6.17 crore. Grand total for 6 weeks: Rs. 97.60 crore. The film will cross the Rs. 100-crore mark in the seventh week.

Nay Varan Bhat Loncha Kon Nay Koncha (Marathi) crashed in 2nd week almost all over Maharashtra.

83 (Hindi and all dubbed versions) fared extremely poorly in its 4th week. The film is now breathing its last. It netted Rs. 27 lakh on the first day of the fourth weekend. Collections on Saturday and Sunday were Rs. 33 lakh and Rs. 49 lakh respectively. In this way, the total for the fourth weekend was a paltry Rs. 1.09 crore. Collections for the weekdays: Monday – Rs. 14 lakh, Tuesday – Rs. 15 lakh, Wednesday – Rs. 15 lakh, Thursday – Rs. 12 lakh. With a weekdays’ total of Rs. 56 lakh, the fourth week closed at Rs. 1.65 crore. Grand total for 4 weeks: Rs. 103.48 crore.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (original English and Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions) is also on its last lap. The film collected Rs. 30 lakh on the first day of the fifth weekend. Collections on Saturday went up to Rs. 36 lakh, and on Sunday, to Rs. 40 lakh. Therefore, the fifth weekend’s total was Rs. 1.06 crore. Collections for the weekdays were as follows: Monday – Rs. 17 lakh, Tuesday – Rs. 16 lakh, Wednesday – Rs. 14 lakh, Thursday – Rs. 13 lakh. In this way, the total for the weekdays was Rs. 60 lakh. Hence the total for the fifth week was Rs. 1.66 crore. Grand total for 5 weeks: Rs. 212.17 crore.

Pushpa: The Rise Part 1 (dubbed) started the fifth weekend with a take of Rs. 1.30 crore in spite of the film being available on OTT from the same day (January 14). Collections on Saturday and Sunday were Rs. 1.34 crore and Rs. 1.84 crore respectively. Therefore, the total for the fifth weekend was Rs. 4.48 crore. Collections for the weekdays were: Monday – Rs. 0.70 crore, Tuesday – Rs. 0.66 crore, Wednesday – Rs. 0.63 crore, Thursday – Rs. 0.59 crore. In this way, the total for the weekdays was Rs. 2.58 crore. Hence the fifth week’s total was a handsome Rs. 7.06 crore. Grand total for 5 weeks: Rs. 91.43 crore.

Nay Varan Bhat Loncha Kon Nay Koncha (Marathi) did quite well in 1st week in pockets of Maharashtra only.