Dhurandhar: A spy thriller marks the return of the Bollywood blockbuster Packed cinemas and whistling fans: A spy thriller sequel revives Bollywood Dhurandhar: The Revenge stars Ranveer Singh as an Indian spy on a dangerous mission in Pakistan There is a particular kind of electricity that only a packed cinema hall in India can generate - the whistles that greet a hero's slow-motion entry, the applause that rolls like thunder followed by the collective hush before a twist lands. For a while, that electricity seemed to be fading. Streaming thinned crowds and big budget films faltered. Even big releases opened to less than passionate responses. And then, in December, came Dhurandhar. By the end of 2025, the spy thriller hadn't just topped the box office - it had blown it open, grossing about $155m (£116.34m) worldwide and ranking among Hindi-language cinema's biggest hits. The surge spilled into theatres: in February, India's largest multiplex operator PVR Inox reported footfalls rose nearly 9% year-on-year in the quarter to December, powered by Dhurandhar, whose record run helped lift the chain's overall box-office collections 13% last year. That mood has only intensified with the release of its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which opened last week to blistering demand. More than 1.5 million tickets were snapped up in advance across five languages - early proof of a frenzy few films command. At nearly four hours, the sequel is bigger, louder and more indulgent than the original. Audiences are crowding the theatres. Cineplexes across India are packing in up to three dozen near round-the-clock shows daily, running from early mornings to late nights. "The sequel is creating history. It is shattering all previous records and redefining the box office. A true game changer," says Taran Adarsh, a film trade analyst.#aditya_dhar #ranveer_singh #dhurandhar #pvr_inox #tarun_adarsh
Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar 2’ sells over 1.5 lakh tickets for paid previews With just a week remaining before its theatrical release, the spy thriller Dhurandhar 2, starring Ranveer Singh, has sold more than 1.5 lakh tickets for its paid preview screenings, according to a senior executive at PVR INOX Limited. The film is set to premiere in theaters on March 19, coinciding with the festivals of Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, and Eid. Paid preview shows are scheduled for March 18, with the first part of the franchise having already grossed over Rs 1,300 crore globally, including Rs 1,000 crore from India. Gautam Dutta, CEO of Growth and Revenue at PVR INOX, highlighted the strong demand for the previews, noting that advance bookings have surpassed 150,000 tickets. He emphasized that the film’s scale, sound, and emotional depth are best experienced on the big screen, with several preview shows expected to reach full capacity. Paid previews, which are limited screenings held before a film’s official release, allow audiences to purchase tickets at regular prices, with earnings contributing to the film’s box office total. Ticket prices for these early shows range from approximately Rs 300 to Rs 2,200, depending on location and screening format. The sequel, directed by Aditya Dhar, will expand on the story of Ranveer Singh’s character, Hamza Ali Mazari, tracing his rise in the Karachi underworld and his origins as Jaskirat Singh Rangi. The film will also explore his transformation into a covert operative, with returning actors including R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi. Unlike the first installment, which was released only in Hindi, Dhurandhar 2 will also be available in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam, reflecting broader audience interest.#aditya_dhar #ranveer_singh #dhurandhar_2 #pvr_inox #gautam_dutta
Imax Expands Asia-Pacific Strategy After Record Box Office in 2025 Imax has embarked on a strategic shift in the Asia-Pacific region, marked by a record-breaking performance in 2025 that underscores its growing diversification beyond its traditional reliance on China. The company reported $1.28 billion in global box office revenue for the year, a 40% increase compared to 2024. The Asia-Pacific region alone contributed nearly half of this total, with a year-on-year surge of almost 80%. China, which had long been Imax’s primary market in Asia, accounted for $407 million in revenue—its highest-ever contribution, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by 5%. Asia excluding China added $230 million, also a record for that region. This spread of success across diverse markets such as Japan, India, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam signals a fundamental shift in Imax’s growth strategy. Giovanni Dolci, Imax’s chief commercial officer, emphasized that the era of a single market driving the company’s expansion is over. Speaking to Variety, Dolci noted that in 2025, Imax’s new theater agreements were evenly distributed across Asia-Pacific, continental Europe, and other regions. Record signings in Japan and Australia, new deals in Germany and France, and a balanced contribution from multiple markets highlighted a more resilient and diversified growth model. “Five years ago, if you asked me where Imax’s growth was coming from, the answer was China. Ten years ago, it was North America,” Dolci said. Now, no single market dominates, and this balance is a deliberate business strategy. China remains Imax’s largest market, with 797 locations—nearly 44% of the company’s 1,796 total theaters.#pvr_inox #imax #giovanni_dolci #wanda #ramayana
