Kangana Ranaut-starrer Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata, Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Governor and Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga all released in theatres this past weekend, but surprisingly, the film that has raced past all of these is Vikram Bhatt’s Haunted 2.
Haunted 3D Echoes of the Past is doing better than heavily promoted films like Bharat Bhagya Vidhata and Main Vaapas Aaunga.Kangana Ranaut-starrer Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata, Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Governor and Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga all released in theatres this past weekend, but surprisingly, the film that has raced past all of these is Vikram Bhatt’s Haunted 2. On Monday (day 4), Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata saw a major 63.9 percent drop in its box office collection. According to a report in Sacnilk, Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata collected Rs 65 lakh across 1866 shows on Monday, taking its net India total to Rs 4.90 crores.Imtiaz Ali’s film Main Vaapas Aaunga made more money on its fourth day, Rs 1.25 crore, as compared to its opening day, when it earned Rs 1.15 crore. The film’s nett collection currently stands at Rs 6.75 crore, which is the lowest total for any Imtiaz Ali film so far. Manoj Bajpayee’s Governor earned Rs 50 lakh on its fourth day, and its current box office collection currently stands at Rs 3.95 crore. Haunted 2, starring Mimoh Chakraborty, has surpassed all the aforementioned films. On its fourth day, the film earned Rs 2.20 crore, and it current box office stands at Rs 11.55 crore. Haunted 2 had 4,573 shows on its fourth day with the filmr egistering an overall occupancy of 13.94 percent. The film had the mximum number of shows in Delhi-NCR where it played around 400 shows. Mumbai and Kolkata region both had over 100 shows each. The film released amid miminal promotions. Also Read: Kangana Ranaut says she has ‘nothing against’ Diljit Dosanjh years after their public feud It is yet to be seen if Haunted will be able to sustain the momentum it has gathered against the seemingly more popular films. The film is a part of the Haunted franchise, which started in 2011, with the same leading actor. Mimoh was last seen in the 2025 Netflix show Khakee The Bengal Chapter. In the movies, his last project was the 2023 film Jogira Sara Ra Ra. He is the son of veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty.
It’s been 25 years since I saw Lagaan in a theatre in Chennai. I still vividly remember cheering and clapping as if I was watching a real cricket match and shedding tears when Bhuvan’s (Aamir Khan) rag-tag team of inexperienced villagers defeated the British team from the cantonment that rules over several villages in the region. Interestingly, on the same day that Lagaan released, that is the 15th of June 2001, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha was also released in movie theatres. It was our own Barbenheimer moment when films starring two mainstream stars, Aamir Khan and Sunny Deol, released in theatres on the same day. Each film came with its own risks. Lagaan had a very unusual story that had never been explored on the big screen before. The film also had no recognisable stars or actors apart from Aamir Khan and veteran actor Kulbhushan Kharbanda. Gadar, a love story set in post-Partition India and Pakistan, had the colour palette and production values of 90’s Bollywood cinema and television. Its leading lady was a relative newcomer, Ameesha Patel, who had made her debut opposite Hrithik Roshan in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hain. Though they were written and directed very differently, they did have some elements in common. Both films were period dramas and had themes of patriotism, courage, the impact of colonial rule, forging human connections in trying times, and making difficult choices in the face of adversity.Lagaan and Gadar both ended up being extremely successful at the box office and remain some of Bollywood’s most popular films of all time. I rewatched both films before writing this column, and it made me nostalgic for the days when Hindi cinema was more about entertainment than insinuating political allegiances. It was a time when a variety of films could get made without any worry about who would get offended and why. A time where we didn’t paint the enemy with broad brushstrokes or associate religious identity with a proclivity for violence or treason. Also Read: Lagaan and Gadar clash that defied Bollywood logic, turned rivals into Rs 198 cr history Gadar especially deserves credit for this since it was made just two years after the Kargil War, which claimed the lives of so many brave Indian soldiers. In the film, Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) and Sakina (Ameesha Patel) meet in the midst of brutal sectarian violence that followed the Partition. Tara and Sakina have known each other in pre-independence India, and when their paths meet again, she is being chased by a group of angry Hindus and Sikhs who want to rape and kill her. Tara has also been a part of angry mobs like the ones chasing Sakina, seeking revenge for the death of his entire family at the hands of angry Muslim rioters. But when he sees the woman he has secretly been in love with, precariously close to being killed, he has a change of heart. Tara rescues Sakina by symbolically applying blood on her forehead to marry her, and gives her shelter in his home. He fights against his neighbours and community to keep her safe, and when she reciprocates his feelings, he convinces his family to accept her. In a country where youngsters face honour killing even today for marrying someone from a different caste, it was incredibly progressive to show Tara and Sakina in a happy inter-faith marriage twenty-five years ago. To be fair, the film had its fair share of jingoism, dramatic dialogues and some over the top hand pump wielding action. But it balanced Sakina’s father, Ashraf Ali’s (Amrish Puri) anti-India rhetoric, with moments of hope and emotional connection that transcended the simmering hatred of that time. Whether it is Sunny Deol’s parents and sisters who are heartbroken to say goodbye to their old Muslim neighbour as they leave their home for India, or Sunny Deol’s aunt, whose sympathy for Sakina’s loss overrides any feelings of hatred or anger she may have for other Muslim people.Story continues below this ad We realise that Ashraf Ali, the film’s antagonist, has become a hardlin
Haunted 3D Echoes of the Past Box Office Collection Day 2: Vikram Bhatt’s film Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past recorded an overall Hindi occupancy of 15.38% on Day 2.Haunted 3D Echoes of the Past Box Office Collection Day 2: Vikram Bhatt’s Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past is enjoying a strong run at the box office. While the other major releases this Friday, Main Vaapas Aaunga and Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata, are still hovering around the Rs 3 crore mark, the Mimoh Chakraborty-starrer delivered an impressive performance on its second day. Trade tracker Sacnilk shared that Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past collected Rs 3.25 crore net across 3,770 shows on Saturday. These earnings mark a healthy 30% growth over its opening day collection of Rs 2.50 crore net, indicating positive audience traction. With this, the film’s cumulative gross collection in India stands at Rs 6.78 crore, while its total India net collection has reached Rs 5.75 crore after two days in theatres. Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past recorded an overall Hindi occupancy of 15.38% on Day 2. The film began the day with 8.67% occupancy in the morning shows and witnessed gradual growth as the day progressed, posting 15.00% in the afternoon and 16.25% in the evening. Night shows performed the best with an occupancy of 20.92%. The film’s box-office performance has also surprised trade experts, with Taran Adarsh calling it the “biggest surprise” among recent Hindi releases. Taran took to X to post, “NO BOGO – NO DISCOUNT OFFERS – YET, ‘HAUNTED 3D’ SCORES – SHOCKS THE INDUSTRY… Boxoffice can be highly unpredictable, but that’s the beauty of this business… #Haunted3D springs the biggest surprise, emerging as the No. 1 opener among ALL new #Hindi releases as well as #Hindi holdover titles. The film had to struggle for screens and shows initially, but as the day progressed and the audience response became evident, additional shows continued to be added. The business in Tier-2 and Tier-3 centres, in particular, has been very good…” He added, “The opening day numbers, despite limited showcasing, once again prove that the audience’s verdict is the final verdict. Importantly, there were NO discounted tickets or BOGO offers in play, yet the film has successfully found its audience.”
Main Vaapas Aaunga box office collection Day 1: The film earned Rs 1.15 crore. Main Vaapas Aaunga box office collection Day 1: Imtiaz Ali has returned to theatres after a gap of six years with his partition romance Main Vaapas Aaunga, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari and Vedang Raina in lead roles. While the film has received an overwhelmingly positive critical response, its box office opening has been muted. According to trade tracker Sacnilk, the film collected Rs 1.15 crore net on Day 1, with gross earnings of Rs 1.38 crore. On its opening day, the film was screened across 2,302 shows and registered an overall occupancy of 12.22%. The morning shows opened at 5.92% occupancy, which gradually rose to 10.77% in the afternoon, 10.85% in the evening, and peaked at 18.23% during night shows. Regionally, Delhi-NCR led in terms of show count with 308 screenings, recording an overall occupancy of 13%. Mumbai followed with 235 shows and an occupancy of 11%.In comparison to Imtiaz Ali’s previous theatrical releases, the opening is significantly lower. His last release, Love Aaj Kal (starring Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan) opened to around Rs 12.4 crore, while Jab Harry Met Sejal, featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma, opened at Rs 15.25 crore. The film also trails other major Imtiaz Ali titles such as Tamasha (Rs 10.95 crore), Highway (Rs 3.4 crore) and Rockstar (Rs 10.6 crore). When compared to Diljit Dosanjh’s last theatrical release Border 2, which opened at Rs 30 crore, Main Vaapas Aaunga falls far behind. Sharvari’s last outing Vedaa opened at Rs 6.3 crore, while Vedang Raina’s Jigra collected Rs 4.55 crore on Day 1, both higher than this film’s debut. Among recent romantic releases, the film also underperforms titles like Chand Mera Dil (Rs 3 crore) and Do Deewane Seher Mein (Rs 1.25 crore), while matching closely with Ek Din, which opened at Rs 1.15 crore. The film also faces competition from other releases this week, including Governor and Bharat Bhagya Vidhata, and it remains to be seen how it performs over the weekend.
New DelhiJun 12, 2026 04:16 AM IST CM C Joseph Vijay leaves Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi to attend the NITI Aayog Governing Council Meeting on Thursday. (ANI)Amid controversy over the NEET-UG paper leak, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday demanded that his state be permitted to fill all seats under the state quota in MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH courses based “solely” on Class 12 marks. Vijay raised the demand during the 11th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Opposing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Vijay said that the government of Tamil Nadu is committed to protecting the rights of students. “The State is opposed to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses, as its introduction has affected the students from rural and socio-economically disadvantaged families. In view of the above, the Government of Tamil Nadu may be permitted to fill all seats under the State quota in MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH courses based solely on Class XII marks,” he said. Vijay’s demand for allowing admission based on Class 12 marks comes at a time when the government has been facing criticism following the NEET-UT paper leak. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the Re-NEET UG 2026 on June 21 (Sunday). On NEET, Vijay’s stand is in line with his predecessor MK Stalin’s. Vijay also sought the Centre’s support in “creating world-class start-up incubators, a venture capital ecosystem for deep-tech enterprises, and enhanced funding for applied research”, and demanded release of the Central assistance to the state. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is learnt to have demanded to set up “M-6 Task Force” under the leadership of the Prime Minister for the development of six major economic growth engines of the country—Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. He is learnt to have suggested creation of a special fund of Rs 6 lakh crore, with an allocation of Rs 1 lakh crore each to strengthen urban infrastructure in these cities. Reddy also met the PM and submitted a memorandum seeking the Government of India’s support for a range of strategic infrastructure, education, industrial and connectivity projects critical to Telangana’s growth and India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047, said a source. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More Tags: NEET Tamil Nadu Vijay
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