The first quarter of 2026 opened on a steady note at the box office. Combined collections across languages stood at around Rs. 2,576 crores. The overall performance reflected a mix of strong hits and average performers across industries.
Bollywood delivered the biggest numbers during this period. Dhurandhar: The Revenge led the charts with Rs. 900 crores by the end of March. Border 2 followed with Rs. 329 crores, while Mardaani 3 and The Kerala Story 2 posted moderate success.
Other industries did not match Hindi cinema in numbers, but they reported notable results. In Telugu, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu earned Rs. 218 crores and offered relief after The Raja Saab underperformed. Anaganaga Oka Raju also emerged as a success, taking the total to Rs. 586 crores.
Tamil cinema was expected to post higher figures but fell short. The delay of Jana Nayagan impacted overall collections, which reached Rs. 264 crores. Sivakarthikeyan’s Parasakthi did not meet expectations, though films like With Love, Thaai Kizhavi, Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil, and Youth found success as sleeper hits.
Malayalam cinema remained stable despite modest performance. Lower budgets helped sustain the industry, with total collections at Rs. 148 crores. Aadu 3 led the segment, earning around Rs. 50 crores domestically and touching Rs. 100 crores worldwide.
Kannada cinema faced challenges in making a strong mark. The industry collected only Rs. 38 crores overall. Films such as Rakkasapuradhol, Landlord, and Love Mocktail 3 managed to attract some audience attention.
Hollywood releases recorded a surprising dip compared to last year. Project Hail Mary performed well, while most films failed to cross Rs. 10 crores. With 26 releases, total collections stood at Rs. 53 crores.
Several big films are scheduled for release in the coming months. After a mixed first quarter, industry experts are closely watching whether new box office records will be set in the next phase of 2026.
