Dussehra festival weekend and vibrant lineup a hit for Box Office

Multiplexes see 2-3 times rise in bookings as big releases draw families and groups

From houseful theatres to nearly three times rise in the footfall, multiplex chains are expecting this year’s Dussehra weekend to have a strong box office collection.

 

Executives at multiplex chains highlight the diverse options for cinema-goers. Rishabh Shetty's much-anticipated Kantara: Chapter 1 and Dharma Productions' Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari hit the screens on Thursday. Moreover, regional films like Idli Kadai (Tamil and Telugu), Maria (Tamil), Vada Pav (Marathi), and Nikka Zaildar 4 (Punjabi) are catering to the audience across genres. 

 

Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti holiday on Thursday generated approximately 25 per cent higher footfalls as compared to the opening day of films released on August 14 for the Independence Day weekend for cinema exhibitors, said Ashish Pandey, head, programming and strategic initiatives, MovieMax Cinemas. “With several releases on Thursday kicking off the long weekend, audiences have a fantastic opportunity to experience this vibrant lineup. From the much-anticipated Kantara: Chapter 1 to Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, crafted for Gen Z, the lineup captures a striking blend of creative ambition and cultural relevance,” said Gautam Dutta, chief executive officer (CEO), revenue and operations, PVR INOX.

 

PVR INOX anticipates this festival weekend to have nearly houseful shows across its cinemas. Additionally, this comes on the back of high footfall for recent films like Jolly LLB 3, Homebound, Hollywood film One Battle After Another, and anime films like Shin-chan: The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers.

 

Dutta noted that Q2FY26 is expected to be a strong quarter. Similarly, occupancies across Mukta A2 Cinemas and Miraj Entertainment cinemas have grown by nearly 20 to 25 per cent compared to last year’s Dussehra period. 

 

Pandey noted that footfall at MovieMax is almost 2.5 to 3 times higher this Dussehra compared to last year. 

 

Not just metros, but Tier-II and -III cities like Baroda, Samastipur, and Nacharam are also seeing higher bookings. Mukta A2 Cinemas’ properties in metros too are performing steadily, showing how both urban and regional audiences are equally excited for festive releases, Satwik Lele, chief operating officer (COO), Mukta A2 Cinemas.

 

“The holiday factor is giving people more time. Even morning shows are filling up quickly, which usually doesn’t happen on normal weekends,” said Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director, Miraj Entertainment.

 

Kantara: Chapter 1's day 1 box office collection is expected to be around Rs 8 to 9 crore in Hindi-language, as per movie trade analyst Girish Wankhede. While for Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor starrer, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is expected to collect around Rs 5 to Rs 6 crore on Thursday. 

As per Ashish Saksena, COO, cinemas, BookMyShow, collectively the films released on Thursday have already crossed over two million tickets on BookMyShow for the weekend.

 

“Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Coimbatore have been the top cities driving demand, once again showcasing how both regional and pan-India films are finding a strong footing at the box office,” Saksena added.