A steady stream of big-ticket releases across Hollywood, Hindi and regional has put cinemas into blockbuster mode, with exhibitors looking ahead to an even bigger release calendar in the coming months.
Maryam Farooqui
July 23, 2026 / 06:24 IST
Vijay’s Jana Nayagan
- Jana Nayagan sees sold-out shows and high bookings.
- Film expected to gross Rs 37-42 crore on opening day.
- Continues strong cinema run after Nolan’s The Odyssey.
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India’s cinema halls are riding one of their strongest spells of the year, with back-to-back blockbuster releases filling auditoriums across the country.
Fresh off Christopher Nolan’s record-breaking The Odyssey, exhibitors are now betting on Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan to keep the box office momentum going, as sold-out shows and surging advance bookings signal sustained audience appetite for theatrical spectacles.
The much anticipated political action drama starring Vijay, now the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, hit theatres on July 23 after a delay from its original January release due to pending censor board clearance.
The frenzy surrounding Jana Nayagan is already evident at the ticket counters. As of 8:40 pm on July 22, BookMyShow showed 26,710 tickets sold in the previous hour alone. Most cinemas in Chennai have sold out shows for opening day from the first screening at 9 am through the late-night 11 pm shows, while in Bengaluru, recliner seats for morning shows are priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000.
PVR INOX alone has sold more than three lakh tickets in advance bookings.
The response in Tamil Nadu has been particularly remarkable, with tickets sold out for the opening weekend in cinemas across the state, reflecting the anticipation that has been building for the film over the past several months.
Trade estimates suggest Jana Nayagan could gross Rs 37-42 crore at the Indian box office on its opening day. The film is also seeing healthy traction in Hindi-speaking markets, indicating demand beyond its core Tamil audience.
For exhibitors, the Vijay starrer extends what has become an unusually strong run of theatrical releases.
“There’s strong anticipation across an exceptionally diverse slate, from Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Jana Nayagan to The India Story and Attack on Titan: The Movie – The Last Attack,” Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX Limited told Moneycontrol.
“Each title speaks to a different audience, but together they reflect a healthy theatrical ecosystem where Hollywood blockbusters, Indian cinema and anime are all driving genuine excitement.”
Before Jana Nayagan, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey had already demonstrated the renewed strength of premium theatrical experiences.
“The response to The Odyssey has been extraordinary, attracting over one million admissions during its opening weekend in India,” Bijli said.
The film has collected more than Rs 85 crore gross in India within five days, entering the list of the country’s top five highest-grossing Hollywood releases.
Ashish Misra, Head of Commercialization at Cinepolis India, said The Odyssey drew around two lakh admissions during its opening weekend, with footfalls rising to nearly three lakh within four days of release.
The film also underscored the growing appeal of premium cinema formats. IMAX and 4DX screens recorded around 75% occupancy during the opening weekend, while other premium formats operated at more than 60% occupancy
The Odyssey grossed around Rs 70 crore ($7.3 million) over its opening weekend, delivering Christopher Nolan’s biggest-ever debut in India and one of the largest Hollywood openings in the country.
The film opened to around Rs 20 crore on July 17, marking Nolan’s highest opening day in India while setting a new record for the biggest IMAX opening day in Indian cinema.
Demand for premium screens was so strong that several exhibitors introduced midnight and early-morning shows, with moviegoers travelling across cities to experience the film on IMAX and other large-format screens.
India ranked as the sixth-largest international market outside North America during the film’s opening weekend. With a $7.3 million debut, The Odyssey also became the biggest opening of 2026 in India for a non-Indian film, overtaking Evil Dead Burn.
With Jana Nayagan now opening to packed houses and a pipeline that includes movies like Yash’s Toxic, Sai Pallavi and Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana, Shah Rukh Khan’s King, Avengers: Doomsday, multiplex operators are betting that the upcoming films will continue to keep audiences returning to cinemas.
Maryam Farooqui is Senior Correspondent at Moneycontrol covering media and entertainment, travel and hospitality. She has 11 years of experience in reporting.
first published: Jul 23, 2026 06:24 am
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Maryam Farooqui
