Apr 24, 2026 1:04pm IST
Box Office: ‘Michael’ Defies Negative Reviews With Strong Paid Previews in India, ‘Bhooth Bangla’ Nears ₹100 Crore
Seventeen years after his passing, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, continues to rule hearts across the globe. His biopic, "Michael," has opened strongly in India, with the film earning ₹1.70 crore net from its paid previews on Thursday.
The Hollywood movie is tracking very well at the Indian box office, with a terrific booking reported for the weekend. Although the film has received largely negative reviews for whitewashing Michael Jackson's controversial life, it doesn't seem to have made much difference in ticket sales, as audiences are mostly watching the film for nostalgia and the opportunity to revisit the legendary performer's legacy.
“Michael” is projected to open in the range of ₹5-6 crore on April 24 and ₹20 crore+ opening weekend, marking yet another win for Hollywood following “Project Hail Mary," which has collected ₹66.49 crore net to date. The Ryan Gosling sci-fi tentpole continues to perform steadily, adding another ₹6.44 crore net in its fourth week.
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Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar's “Bhooth Bangla” has had a terrific first week. The Priyadarshan horror-comedy has collected ₹80 crore net, including paid previews, and is on track to hit the ₹100-crore mark over the weekend. The film has found audiences, which can be gauged from the strong hold it showed on weekdays. Despite the competition from “Michael,” “Bhooth Bangla” is expected to remain the top choice in the coming weekend too, helping it achieve a healthy total before “Raja Shivaji” and “Ek Din” cut into its maximum-screen allocation next week.
“Bhooth Bangla” is eyeing a ₹125-130-crore net lifetime, which will mark a significant turnaround for Akshay Kumar, who, of late, has been going through a bad phase at the box office. While Akshay is still some way off delivering a massive box-office blockbuster compared to his contemporaries, the success of this film will surely provide the much-needed boost to his box-office standing.
“Dhurandhar: The Revenge,” meanwhile, added another ₹18.40 crore net in its fifth week, continuing its exceptional run at the box office. The total five-week collection now stands at ₹1079.60 crore net in India and approx. ₹1700 crore gross worldwide. Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar's spy-action thriller has now become the biggest Indian film globally, despite not releasing in the Middle East and China.
(Figures are taken from Recobee.)
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