Friday, April 17, 2026

Several single-screen cinemas yet to open bookings for Bhooth Bangla from April 17 due to show-sharing dispute with Dhurandhar The Revenge

The horror-comedy movie Bhooth Bangla was supposed to come out on April 10, but it was delayed by a week because it didn't get enough showtimes during the Dhurandhar The Revenge release. The makers and the whole film industry thought that releasing Bhooth Bangla on April 17 would work well, but that hasn't happened. Less than a day is left before the release, and many single-screen cinemas still haven't started booking tickets for the movie.


A source told , "Jio Studios asked that Dhurandhar The Revenge gets 50% of the showtimes at single-screen theaters.
 They say the movie is still doing well and has a lot more to show. The fact that it made Rs. 6.50 crores on Tuesday has made their case stronger. On the other hand, Bhooth Bangla's team wants all the showtimes. They believe Dhurandhar The Revenge has already had a long run for four weeks and that it's time for Bhooth Bangla to get its share. They also say that ticket sales from the paid previews and the early booking trends show that there's a lot of interest in Bhooth Bangla, so it should get its fair chance."  

Bhooth Bangla will have paid previews starting tonight, Thursday, April 16.
 The source added, "Single-screen cinemas are allowed to show Bhooth Bangla once as part of the paid previews, but because of the ongoing dispute over showtimes, they haven't started bookings for Friday, April 17."

As of 8:00 am on April 16, several single-screen cinemas in Mumbai, including Inox Dadar, Citylight, Plaza, Chitra, New Excelsior, MovieTime Star City, Roxy, MovieTime Dahisar, Maratha Mandir, Mukta A2 Orion Santacruz, Gold Cinemas (Dadar, Thane, Santacruz and Borivali), PVR Le Reve, MovieMax Andheri, Bharatmata, MovieTime Suburbia and Anand Thane, still haven't started advance bookings for Bhooth Bangla on April 17.
 Even some two-screen cinemas, like Mukta A2 Jai Hind Lalbaug, Sun City, Topiwala Goregaon and Ajanta CineX, haven't begun ticket sales for Friday.

The problem isn't only in Mumbai.
 In other cities like Delhi and Jaipur, the same issue is happening. Cinemas like Delite and Liberty in Delhi, and Raj Mandir in Jaipur, have also not started bookings for Bhooth Bangla for April 17.

Bhooth Bangla Movie Review

BHOOTH BANGLA is a fair entertainer that works for its humour, performances and Priyadarshan-style chaos  

Bhoot Bangla Movie review


Bhooth Bangla Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating  

Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Wamiqa Gabbi, Mithila Palkar, Rajpal Yadav, Tabu, Paresh Rawal  

Director: Priyadarshan  

Bhooth Bangla Movie Review Synopsis:  
BHOOTH BANGLA is the story of madness in a haunted house.
 Arjun Acharya (Akshay Kumar) lives in London with his sister, Meera (Mithila Palkar), and his father, Dr Vasudev Acharya (Jisshu Sengupta). Meera is set to marry Rahul (Perin Malde), and the family is looking for a destination in India for the wedding. At this point, Arjun and Meera are informed that their grandfather, Dushund Acharya (Rajesh Sharma), has passed away in the town of Mangalpur in India. The siblings are shocked, as they had no idea their grandfather had been alive all these years. And that's not all. They are also told that they are now the heirs to their grandfather's palatial residence in Mangalpur. Arjun is overjoyed and immediately flies to Mangalpur. He realizes that the residence is in a dilapidated condition but can be spruced up and turned into an ideal wedding venue for Meera and Rahul. Arjun is assisted by Shantaram (Asrani), the manager of the property. He informs Arjun that Mangalpur is possessed by a demonic ghost named Vadhusur. He also advises him against the wedding idea, as Vadhusur is known to snatch away brides. As a result, no marriage has taken place in the town for years. However, Arjun makes it clear that he doesn't believe the story and goes ahead with the plan. He hires wedding planner Jagdish Kewalramani (Paresh Rawal), who arrives in Mangalpur with his team and begins preparations. Soon, strange things start occurring in the haveli. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Bhooth Bangla Movie Story Review:  
Akash Kaushik's story has tremendous potential.
 Priyadarshan, Abilash Nair and Rohan Shankar's screenplay has its share of plusses. However, the writing could have been sharper, especially in the second half. Rohan Shankar's dialogues impress, especially the funny ones. A few one-liners will bring the house down.

Priyadarshan's direction is decent.
 The biggest plus point is that he ensures the humour lands correctly. He's back in form and the way he has executed humour will make viewers nostalgic, reminding them of his earlier gems like HERA PHERI [2000], HUNGAMA [2003], HULCHUL [2004], etc. Hence, expect a lot of physical comedy, characters screaming at each other, misunderstandings leading to maddening humour, etc. The intermission point comes as a bolt from the blue and is quite unexpected. Visually, the film is quite splendid and will be a treat to witness on the big screen.

On the flipside, while Priyadarshan handles the humour in the first half like a pro, he falters in the post-interval portions when the horror takes centerstage.
 The backstory fails to entice and gives a déjà vu of BHOOL BHULAIYAA [2007]. The climax is quite lengthy and despite the best effort, it doesn't grip viewers. A few characters shockingly disappear in the second half. Even the ones that enter the narrative post-interval don't get justified screen time.

Bhooth Bangla Movie Review Performances:  
Akshay Kumar is simply superb and he enhances several scenes.
 There is no match to his comic timing and he also does very well in the serious scenes. Rajpal Yadav comes next and he dominates several key sequences in the first half. His tu-tu main-main with Akshay is arguably the best part of the film. Paresh Rawal is lovely and nicely contributes to the chaos. The late Asrani is too good and his funny scenes in the first half are memorable. Bhavna Pani (Ragini) leaves a huge mark. Jisshu Sengupta, Rajesh Sharma, Manoj Joshi (Govind Maharaj) and Zakir Hussain (Vashishtha Guruji) do well. Speaking of the actresses, Mithila Palkar has the best role and is dependable. Tabu is quite arresting; however, she is hardly there. Wamiqa Gabbi puts her best foot forward, but her track seems forced and doesn't contribute to the narrative.

Bhooth Bangla movie music and other technical aspects  
Pritam's music is okay.
 Only one song is catchy - 'Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge'. 'O Sundari' and 'Tu Hi Disda' are okay, while 'O Re O Saawariya' works because of the visuals. Ronnie Raphael's background score is functional.

Divakar Mani's cinematography is top-notch.
 Sabu Cyril's production design is first-rate, while V Sai Babu, Dhanya Balakrishnan, Veera Kapur Ee and Rimple & Harpreet's costumes are glamorous. WRC Studio LLP's VFX is impressive. Stunt Selva and Ravi Thyagarajan's action is entertaining but also gory in some scenes. Aiyappan Nair M S's editing could have been slicker.

Bhooth Bangla Movie Review Conclusion:  
On the whole, BHOOTH BANGLA is a fair entertainer that works best for its humour, performances and old-school Priyadarshan-style chaos.
 While the first half is highly enjoyable and packed with laughs, the second half loses some steam due to an underwhelming backstory and an overlong climax. At the box office, the solo release along with a clean window for two weeks, can lead to an impressive box office lifetime, especially if it clicks with the audience.

Bhooth Bangla Movie

Bhooth Bangla Cast & Crew

Bhoot Bangla Movie poster


Banner
Balaji Motion Pictures
Cape of Good Films

Release Date
17 April 2026

Genre
Horror
Comedy

Language
Hindi

Director
Priyadarshan

Producer
Akshay Kumar
Ektaa R Kapoor
Shobha Kapoor

Star Cast
Akshay Kumar ...
Wamiqa Gabbi ...
Tabu ...
Paresh Rawal ...
Rajpal Yadav ...
Asrani ...
Jisshu Sengupta ...
Manoj Joshi ...
Mithila Palkar ...
Rajesh Sharma ...
Perin Malde ...

Writer
Akash Kaushik

Background Music
Ronnie Raphael

Choreographers
Pony Verma
Ganesh Acharya

Costume Designer
Veera Kapur
V. Sai Babu
Harpreet Narula
Rimple Narula
Dhanya Balakrishnan

Publicity PRO
Spice

Co-Producer
Vedant Vikaas Baali
Faara Sheikh
Vimal Doshi

Presenter
Cape of Good Films

Music Director
Pritam Chakraborty

Lyricist
Kumaar
Jitendra Mishra

Editor
M.S. Aiyyappan Nair

Cinematographer
Divakar Manikyam
Divakar Mani

Screenplay
Priyadarshan
Rohan Shankar
Abilash Nair

Dialogue
Rohan Shankar

Publicity Design
House Of Awe

Shooting Location(City & Country)
Jaipur
India

Sound
Shahaab Alam
Rajakrishnan M R

Music Company
Zee Music Company

Production Designer
Sabu Cyril
Executive Producer
Pooja Tiwari Angarish

Playback Singers
Antara Mitra
Armaan Malik
Arijit Singh
Nakash Aziz
Vishal Mishra
Nikhita Gandhi
Aarvan


Censor Details:

Censor Dates
2026/04/02
Censor Certificate No
DIL/7/42/2026-MUM
Runtime
2h 45min
Certification
U/A

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Dhurandhar 2 box office prediction: After 27 days, the film looks set for a Rs. 1140 crore lifetime finish in India

There's no longer any doubt that Dhurandhar 2 is a blockbuster. That question has been settled for a long time. Now the talk is about where the film will end up. After a big start and a strong run in theaters, the latest trends suggest that Dhurandhar 2 is likely to finish its India box office journey around Rs. 1140 crore.


The film currently has a total of Rs. 1053.50 crore after 27 days, including paid previews.
 During the fourth weekend, it earned Rs. 6.50 crore on Friday, went up to Rs. 12.50 crore on Saturday, and then added Rs. 14 crore on Sunday. This increase showed that the film still has a strong audience and that there's still enough interest to cause big weekend jumps. However, the Monday after that brought in Rs. 5 crore, followed by Rs. 6.50 crore on Day 27. These are still good numbers for a film that has already crossed the Rs. 1000 crore mark, but they also show that the run is now in a more stable phase.

In simple terms, Dhurandhar 2 is still earning money, but it's not in the phase where big daily surprises are expected.
 The film is now adding collections in a more steady way.

With more than Rs. 1053 crore already collected, there's enough room for it to earn another Rs. 80-90 crore from here.
 In fact, a total of around Rs. 1140 crore would still be a huge achievement. It would show just how strong the film was during its opening phase and how well it kept the audience interested over several weeks. The only difference now is that the final part of the run is more about maintaining the current level rather than increasing quickly.

As things stand today, Rs. 1140 crore seems like the most reasonable and well-supported estimate for the total collection of Dhurandhar 2 in India.

Kartik Aaryan starrer Naagzilla to release during Valentine’s Day weekend 2027

The highly anticipated fantasy comedy film Naagzilla, produced by Dharma Productions and Mahaveer Jain Films, has been delayed from its original release date. The movie, starring Kartik Aaryan, was set to premiere on August 14, 2026, which was the Independence Day weekend — a popular time for big Bollywood movies.

Now, the release has been moved to the Valentine’s Day weekend on February 12, 2027.


Naagzilla, directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, is a visually rich film with lots of special effects.
 Kartik Aaryan plays a snake that can change its shape.

This film brings together Kartik Aaryan and filmmaker-producer Karan Johar, along with producer Mahaveer Jain.
 It has already attracted a lot of attention for its unique idea and big scale.

With the new release date during the Valentine’s Day weekend, the film is expected to appeal to a different group of people, using its mix of fantasy, comedy, and romance to draw crowds to theaters.


The delay also means Naagzilla won’t be competing with Sunny Deol’s Lahore 1947, which is set to come out on August 13.
 Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the movie is produced by Aamir Khan Productions.

Naagzilla is directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, who is known for directing the three films in the popular Fukrey series.
 The film also features Preity Mukhundhan alongside Kartik.

Varun Dhawan in talks for Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s Operation Sindoor

Varun Dhawan made an impact in nationalist cinema with his heartfelt performance in *Border 2*. Since then, he has received many offers for war and army-themed movies, but he is being careful about which projects he chooses. With offers coming from different studios like Dharma Productions, Maddock, Sajid Nadiadwala, and Tips, it has been confirmed that Varun is in talks with Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and Bhushan Kumar for *Operation Sindoor*.

A trusted source shared with source, "Varun has been offered *Operation Sindoor*, and he is interested in taking the lead role.
 Vivek and Bhushan approached him with the main character, and Varun has already shown interest in the story. He is expected to hear the full script soon and then decide on the project."

The source added that Varun recently took a short break from acting to spend time with his daughter, Lara, and is now back in shape to sign new projects and get back into filming. "
He is preparing for the release of *Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai* on May 22, and plans to start a new film by July. He is meeting with writers and directors now and is likely to finalise his next project soon."

Varun has been in discussions with producer Bhushan Kumar for several projects since *Border 2*, and one of them is *Operation Sindoor*.
 Bhushan and Varun are considering a multi-film collaboration, and more updates are expected in the coming months.

No direct-to-OTT release for Maatrubhumi; Salman Khan determined to bring his film to cinemas

On Saturday, April 11, source reported that, based on instructions from the Ministry of Defence, China will not be named in the Salman Khan film Maatrubhumi. The news spread quickly and became a hot topic in Bollywood as well as on the national stage. At the same time, rumors started floating around that the movie might not be shown in theaters and that the team was thinking of releasing it directly on an OTT platform. However, Bollywood Hungama has now confirmed that these rumors are not true.

A source told, "Salman continues to be a big star and he has made Maatrubhumi on a grand scale.
 It's a film meant for the big screen, so he and director Apoorva Lakhia are determined to show it in theaters once the issues with the film are sorted out."

An industry insider said, "Some people wrongly believe that there's no censorship on OTT platforms.
 Because of that, they think Salman Khan can just skip the theatrical release and put the movie on OTT without any trouble. But that's not correct. Every film that comes directly to streaming services also has to go through a certification process, just like any movie shown in theaters. So even for a direct-to-OTT launch, the government must approve the film before it's shown to the public."

On April 11, source quoted a source who said, "Earlier, the film was based on a real event.
 But based on the request from the Ministry of Defence, Salman Khan and director Apoorva Lakhia reshooted parts of the movie by adding a fictional twist. Because of this, around 40% of the film was reshot as they added some romantic scenes and backstory. The makers submitted the new version, hoping to get the necessary approval. However, the Ministry is still cautious."

The source added, "One of the requests to Salman Khan was that the film should not mention China.
 This was communicated to the makers beforehand. The version of Maatrubhumi that was submitted earlier this month does not mention China at all." The source also said that only the core team of Maatrubhumi knows how the neighboring country is depicted or mentioned without actually naming it.