Cinema is shaped by its audiences’ love. Abhishek Pathak’s Drishyam: The Conclusion, headlined by Ajay Devgn and Tabu, which released on October 2, the National Holiday to mark Gandhi Jayanti, has been declared an ATBB (All-time blockbuster) within three days. The film clocked in an amazing ₹176.50 crore, with good numbers coming in from Maharashtra, where the “Gaitonde” factor (actor Kamlesh Sawant plays the abrasive cop) is a big draw.

Apoorv Singh Karki’s romantic comedy Prem Keetanu with Veer Pahariya and Aafiya Sayed had merit. But it was a non-starter at the box office. It barely managed to get ₹1.02 crore.

Cinema halls across India were buoyant because ticket sales were brisk. Last week’s release The Vvaan also notched up numbers in UP and Bihar, taking its tally to almost ₹54.28 crore.

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Hollywood lost this round to Hindi cinema

English releases like Doraemon: Nobita and the New Castle of the Undersea Devil raked in ₹10.06 crore. Heart of the Beast with Brad Pitt only brought in ₹6.90 crore, and the Anne Hathway-Dakota Johnson film Verity added another ₹3.88 crore in ticket sales. The good news is that footfalls continued. Exhibitors felt that the oppressive heatwave actually proved a blessing in disguise because people sought refuge in air-conditioned cinema halls, making eclectic choices and breaking predictable algorithms.

Older releases also managed patronage

The needle on Meghna Gulzar’s encounter drama, Daayra, moved a wee bit. It brought in a few more lakhs, taking its total to ₹5.77 crore, and Kunal Kemmu’s action comedy Vibe climbed to around ₹13 crore. As for Hanuman Ansh, it reached ₹310.57 crore, and Mirzapur: The Movie’s collection now stands at ₹217.86 crore.

Drishyam The Conclusion Rules At Box Office During Its First Weekend, Beats Hollywood Biggies