The Indian domestic box office saw an unusual but increasingly familiar trend over the July 11–13 weekend: international spectacle dominated, while local content faded into the background. With Jurassic World: Rebirth roaring into its second week and James Gunn’s freshly minted Superman making an electrifying debut, Hollywood cemented its place at the top of the pecking order.
This clear divide between the success of big-budget, effects-heavy global releases and the underwhelming performance of newer Bollywood films points to a significant shift in audience preferences. While Indian cinema continues to produce emotionally resonant and star-driven stories, these releases were largely overshadowed this weekend.
Hollywood Blockbusters Dominate the Top Spots
Jurassic World: Rebirth (2nd Weekend)
Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World: Rebirth proved its staying power in Indian cinemas. The film earned ₹2.85 crore on its second Friday, showing an expected dip. But what followed was remarkable: a 145.6% jump on Saturday with collections hitting ₹7 crore, and then climbing slightly again to ₹7.4 crore on Sunday. This brings its 10-day India net total to ₹72.25 crore.
Released in multiple languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and English, the film enjoyed a broad reach. While English and Hindi versions drove the bulk of collections, it also performed decently in South Indian markets, benefiting from wide premium format screenings such as IMAX and 3D. The nostalgia of the franchise, combined with modern visual effects, continues to strike a chord with Indian audiences.
Superman (Opening Weekend)
James Gunn’s new Superman, starring David Corenswet, had Indian fans queuing up. The film opened with ₹7 crore on Friday. A strong 35.7% growth on Saturday pushed it to ₹9.5 crore, and early estimates for Sunday stood at ₹9 crore, bringing the total weekend collection to ₹25.5 crore.
The film’s tone, rebranding the Man of Steel with more hope and grounded storytelling, resonated well in metros. English-language versions led the way, followed by decent numbers in Hindi-dubbed formats. Notably, Superman registered the second biggest Hollywood opening in India in 2025, only behind Jurassic World: Rebirth.
Bollywood’s Mixed Bag
Maalik (Rajkummar Rao) – Opening Weekend
Despite Rajkummar Rao’s commanding presence, Maalik had a muted start at the Indian box office. The film opened with ₹3.75 crore on Friday, followed by a sharp 40% growth on Saturday to ₹5.25 crore, but remained flat on Sunday, finishing its weekend with ₹14.25 crore. Advance bookings were alarmingly low—just around 6,500 tickets sold across major chains—and occupancy hovered at approximately 12.9% on Day 1. Though the Saturday surge hinted at some word-of-mouth momentum, it wasn’t enough to propel the film into breakout territory, especially with heavy competition from Hollywood titles like Superman.
Critics largely echoed the audience’s hesitations. While Rao’s performance was widely praised as intense and gritty, the film itself was criticized for relying on familiar gangster drama tropes. Reviews pointed to a weak screenplay, predictable narrative arcs, and a second half that failed to capitalize on the story’s initial promise. Outlets like India Today and The Week highlighted the film’s lack of freshness, with most ratings settling around 2 out of 5 stars. The consensus: Maalik had the potential for impact, but its execution left much to be desired.
Metro… In Dino – 2nd Weekend
The second weekend of Metro… In Dino, an urban relationship anthology, delivered steady—though unremarkable—figures. Friday began with ₹2.35 crore, followed by a near-doubling to ₹4.6 crore on Saturday. Sunday’s collection rounded off at ₹4.75 crore, bringing the film’s 10-day net total to around ₹38.5 crore.
Though buoyed by multiplex audiences, the film’s niche narrative and limited appeal to mass audiences capped its growth. With multiple competition in cinemas, its screen share may shrink in the coming week.
Sitare Zameen Par – 4th Weekend
Aamir Khan’s Sitare Zameen Par continued to hold steady in its fourth weekend. The film earned ₹0.9 crore on Friday, ₹2.5 crore on Saturday, and an estimated ₹3 crore on Sunday. Its total Indian net now stands at an impressive ₹161 crore.
Even in its fourth week, the film continues to attract audiences, thanks to its emotional depth and strong appeal among family viewers in Tier-2 and Tier-3 centers.
Also Playing: Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan and F1
Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan
The romantic drama featuring Vikrant Massey and debutant Shanaya Kapoor unfortunately crashed at the box office. With negligible collections and virtually no social buzz, the film failed to make a mark. Limited promotional reach and lack of compelling content led to its quiet demise.
F1 (3rd Weekend)
The motorsport biopic F1 entered its third weekend with a decent hold. Friday brought in ₹1.7 crore, Saturday grew to ₹3.25 crore, and Sunday added ₹3.5 crore, pushing the total domestic tally to ₹69 crore.
Its appeal in metro cities and high-format screens continues to support its earnings. Among the limited successes in the adult-drama space this year, F1 has been a slow-burn winner.
Industry Takeaways
Hollywood has once again proven that spectacle and franchise familiarity can outperform even well-reviewed local fare.
The visual effects, global brand equity, and cross-language distribution strategy of Jurassic World and Superman gave them an edge.
Bollywood’s mid-budget films are struggling to sustain at the box office without compelling storytelling and original narratives.
The window for films to prove themselves is shrinking, especially with high competition every weekend.
The July 11–13 weekend has reaffirmed a growing reality at the Indian box office: when it comes to theatrical draw, Hollywood’s franchise machines are a force to be reckoned with. As Jurassic World: Rebirth eyes the ₹100 crore milestone and Superman begins its journey with promise, the gap between audience excitement for international blockbusters and homegrown originals has widened.
With no major Bollywood tentpole in immediate sight, the upcoming weekend may offer Hollywood another clean sweep. Unless Indian filmmakers find compelling ways to re-engage theatrical audiences, the trend of imported dominance may only grow stronger. (Box-office data source: Sacnilk)
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