May 30, 2026 4:00pm IST
May 2026 Box Office Report Card: Regional Cinema Steals the Show, Hindi films Struggle for Hit
May 2026 belonged overwhelmingly to regional cinema as Hindi films struggled to attract audiences. The month has turned out to be one of the most successful periods of the year, especially for Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi cinema.
Mohanlal single-handedly dominated the box office with his two releases, “Patriot” and “Drishyam 3,” both collectively contributing over ₹280 crore worldwide. While “Patriot” emerged as a disappointment despite a massive opening — it ended its lifetime at ₹31.65 crore net in India — “Drishyam 3” is now nearing ₹100 crore net mark in India and has already surpassed ₹200 crore worldwide, driven largely by its phenomenal overseas performance.
Tovino Thomas' action comedy “Athiradi” also performed exceptionally well. It has collected ₹34.85 crore net so far, continuing Malayalam cinema's impressive streak of box-office performers in 2026. Antony Varghese's action thriller “Kattalan,” which released this Thursday, has also opened on a promising note. The film has earned ₹5.40 crore net in two days, suggesting a healthy run ahead and further strengthening the industry's momentum.
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Tamil cinema registered its first ₹100 crore film, after nine months, with Suriya's “Karuppu.” The action entertainer not only broke the actor's string of commercial disappointments but has also re-established him among Tamil cinema's top box-office stars. The movie has so far accumulated ₹153.50 crore net in India and more than ₹270 crore worldwide, emerging as the biggest Tamil blockbuster of this year. Most other Tamil releases during the month, however, failed to make a significant impact at the box office.
While Tamil and Malayalam cinema continued their success momentum, it was Marathi cinema that arguably emerged as the box office winner of May 2026.
The month commenced with Riteish Deshmukh's big-budget historical epic “Raja Shivaji,” which has officially dethroned a decade-old “Sairat” to become the highest-grossing Marathi film of all time. The film has collected ₹94 crore net and ₹111 crore gross so far, marking a historic milestone for the industry.
The Marathi cinema found another success with “Deool Band 2.” The Pravin Tarde-directed devotional comedy has received widespread appreciation from all across, translating into box office returns. The film collected ₹3.10 crore on its second Friday — more than its opening day figure of 2.45 crore — in total the film has collected 33.30 crore net underscoring that the audiences have wholeheartedly accepted the film. With “Tumbadchi Manjula,” “Ghabadkund” and “Cup Bashi” slated to release in June, Marathi cinemas seems to be well-positioned to extend what is already shaping up to be a landmark year at the box office.
In a stark contrast, Hindi films largely disappointed at the box office. Right from Junaid Khan's “Ek Din” to this week's “The Great Grand Superhero,” none of the films managed to make a meaningful impact. The only film that made some noise and performed better than expectations was “Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart,” which has collected around ₹33 crore net at the domestic box office.
Another film to show some resilience was the romantic comedy “Pati Patni Aur Woh Do,” starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Sara Ali Khan, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Rakul Preet Singh. Despite opening below industry expectations, the film has maintained a steady hold over its first two weeks and has collected ₹42.37 crore net so far. However, given its production costs, the film remains far from becoming a commercial hit.
A similar situation has unfolded for Lakshya and Ananya Panday's romantic drama “Chand Mera Dil.” The film opened to ₹2.85 crore on the first day and has collected ₹20 crore net in eight days. Although it's expected to hold well this week due to no major box office competition, its overall box-office prospects remain modest.
Among Hollywood releases, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” was the only film to generate noticeable interest among Indian audiences. The sequel has collected ₹29.45 crore net in India. Other films, including “Mortal Kombat 2” and “Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu,” arrived with limited buzz and ultimately failed to make a meaningful impact at the Indian box office.
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