The Indian box office over the weekend made one thing abundantly clear: this is no longer a market driven by novelty or opening-day shock value. Instead, momentum, repeat viewing, and cultural conversation are shaping outcomes — and no film exemplifies that better right now than Dhurandhar, which continued its extraordinary run even as a global tentpole arrived on the scene.
Dhurandhar: Third Weekend, First Place — Again
Now in its third weekend, Dhurandhar delivered numbers that few Hindi films in history have managed to sustain this deep into a theatrical run. The film collected ₹22.5 crore on Friday (Day 15), surged to ₹34.25 crore on Saturday, and climbed further to ₹38.25 crore on Sunday (rough estimates). That trajectory — especially the scale of the Sunday figure — places Dhurandhar in a rarefied category usually reserved for once-in-a-decade blockbusters.
With an India net total of ₹556 crore, the film has moved decisively beyond the realm of “hit” or even “blockbuster” and into phenomenon territory. What is most striking is not merely the aggregate figure, but the way the film has resisted erosion. The arrival of a high-profile Hollywood release has done little to dent footfalls, underlining the depth of audience investment and the strength of word of mouth. Trade commentary increasingly frames Dhurandhar alongside modern benchmarks like Jawan and Animal, not as a point of comparison, but as a peer.
Avatar: Fire and Ash — Premium Power, Not Market Control
James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash entered the Indian market with the weight of a global franchise behind it — and its first weekend numbers reflect a solid, format-driven performance rather than outright domination. The film opened to ₹19 crore on Friday, grew to ₹22.25 crore on Saturday, and reached ₹25 crore on Sunday (early estimates), closing its first weekend with steady, incremental growth.
A closer look at the language split tells the real story. English remained the primary contributor, but Tamil and Telugu versions added meaningful support, reaffirming Avatar’s pan-India footprint in premium urban circuits. Hindi collections, while respectable, did not position the film as a mass-market disruptor. This is consistent with how the franchise has historically played in India: strong in IMAX and 3D, robust in metros, but rarely the cultural centre of gravity.
Crucially, Fire and Ash did not slow Dhurandhar’s momentum — a key takeaway from the weekend. Instead, the two films have coexisted, serving different audience impulses: one rooted in spectacle and technology, the other in immediacy and conversation.
Bha. Bha. Ba.: Opened Well
Among the quieter performers was Bha. Bha. Ba., a Malayalam-language action drama that entered the weekend without pan-India positioning. Directed and mounted as a regional release, the film stars established names from Malayalam cinema but was never marketed as a crossover title.
Its box office pattern reflects that reality. After opening to ₹6.7 crore on Thursday, collections dropped sharply to ₹3.3 crore on Friday, before stabilising at ₹3.2 crore on both Saturday and Sunday (rough data). The steep early correction suggests curiosity-led footfalls rather than sustained demand. In trade terms, Bha. Bha. Ba. was a content-driven regional release that found its audience locally but remained peripheral to the national box office conversation.
Akhanda: Slowed Down
Meanwhile, Akhanda entered its second weekend with momentum clearly tapering after a strong opening phase. The film collected ₹1.7 crore on Friday (Day 8), rebounded to ₹2.55 crore on Saturday, and rose further to ₹3.4 crore on Sunday (early estimates). The pattern is familiar: softer weekdays followed by weekend recoveries.
With a current India net total of ₹84.4 crore, Akhanda is no longer racing — but it isn’t stalling either. Trade expectations suggest the film remains on course to reach the ₹100 crore milestone over its full run, driven primarily by sustained performance in the Telugu-speaking markets. Its story is now one of endurance rather than acceleration.
The Weekend Hierarchy — And What It Signals
This weekend’s numbers reinforce a clear hierarchy. Dhurandhar stands alone at the top, operating on a scale that reshapes the market around it. Avatar: Fire and Ash plays the role of a premium franchise success, strong within its lane but not dictating the broader box office rhythm. Akhanda continues its measured regional journey, while Bha. Bha. Ba. illustrates the limits of scale without nationwide visibility.
More broadly, the Indian box office is sending a consistent signal: sustained engagement matters more than explosive starts. As the industry looks ahead to the coming weeks, the key questions are no longer about who opened big — but about who can keep audiences coming back. On that front, Dhurandhar remains in a league of its own.
