‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Hits Theatres, Impacts Box Office Run of ‘Dhurandhar’; Other Releases Struggle
Avatar: Fire and Ash Box Office Collection Day 1: IMAX Takeover Affects ‘Dhurandhar’ Earnings: James Cameron’s much-anticipated ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, the third installment of the globally successful Avatar franchise, hit theatres on Friday, December 19, creating a major shift in the Indian box office landscape. The film’s release has begun to impact the strong run of Ranveer Singh’s spy-action blockbuster ‘Dhurandhar’, while several other recent releases have struggled to find audiences.
With its release, Avatar: Fire and Ash has taken over most IMAX screens across India and globally, screens that had significantly contributed to Dhurandhar’s earnings over the past two weeks. Trade analysts expect this screen shift to result in losses worth several crores for Dhurandhar in the coming days, despite its continued strong performance.
Avatar 3 Opening Day Collection
On its first day, Avatar: Fire and Ash collected ₹20.05 crore in India. The language-wise breakup is as follows:
| Language | Day 1 Collection (₹) |
|---|---|
| English | ₹9.00 crore |
| Hindi | ₹5.50 crore |
| Tamil | ₹2.60 crore |
| Telugu | ₹2.85 crore |
| Kannada | ₹0.08 crore (₹8 lakh) |
| Malayalam | ₹0.02 crore (₹2 lakh) |
| Total | ₹20.05 crore |
While advance booking trends had initially suggested that Avatar 3 might surpass Dhurandhar’s opening-day figures in India, final numbers indicate a more measured start. Nonetheless, the film’s long-term prospects remain strong, given James Cameron’s brand value and the franchise’s massive fan following.
‘Dhurandhar’ Continues Strong Run
Despite the new competition, ‘Dhurandhar’ has maintained its momentum. On its 15th day (second Friday), the film earned ₹22.50 crore, taking its total box office collection to ₹483 crore. The film is now firmly eyeing the ₹500 crore milestone, even as screen availability tightens.
Other Films Face Tough Competition
The arrival of two big-ticket films—Avatar: Fire and Ash and Dhurandhar—has proved challenging for other releases:
- ‘Tere Ishq Mein’ (starring Dhanush and Kriti Sanon) has failed to make a significant impact at the box office.
- Kapil Sharma’s ‘Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2’ is struggling in its second week. On its eighth day, the film collected just ₹22 lakh, bringing its total to ₹11.07 crore.
- Sanjay Mishra and Mahima Chaudhary’s ‘Durlabh Prasad Ki Doosri Shaadi’ released on Friday but received limited shows. The film managed only ₹6 lakh on its opening day.
‘Akhanda 2’ Holds Steady
Meanwhile, Nandamuri Balakrishna’s ‘Akhanda 2’ continues its solid run. The film collected ₹76.75 crore in its first week. On its second Friday, it added ₹1.77 crore, taking its total collection to ₹78.52 crore.
With Avatar: Fire and Ash now in theatres, the coming weeks will determine how the box office reshapes itself. While Dhurandhar remains strong, smaller films are likely to face increasing pressure as audience attention and premium screens remain dominated by large-scale releases.
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