Aamir Khan’s sports drama Sitaare Zameen Par is set to stream on SonyLIV from April 3, 2026, almost a year after its theatrical release in June 2025. The streamer announced this via its social media account.
Directed by R.S. Prasanna, the film features Aamir Khan and Genelia D’Souza. The story follows a basketball coach who must serve community service by training neurodivergent adults after a DUI incident. His outlook on life changes as he learns valuable lessons from his players.
From YouTube Pay-Per-View to OTT Streaming
Aamir Khan initially broke his promise to skip traditional subscription-based OTT platforms to protect theatrical business. The film released on YouTube on a pay-per-view basis for ₹100 in August 2025.
After the experimental YouTube release, Sitaare Zameen Par will now be available to SonyLIV subscribers. This marks a significant shift in the film’s distribution strategy, bringing the critically acclaimed sports drama to a wider streaming audience.
About the Film
The film explores themes of inclusion, empathy, and personal growth through the lens of basketball coaching. The film received positive reviews for its sensitive portrayal of neurodivergent characters and Aamir Khan’s performance. Fans who missed the theatrical run or the YouTube window can finally watch it on SonyLIV starting April 3, 2026.
Band Melam, the latest teenage rural romantic drama, arrived in theaters today, March 26, 2026. The film stars Harsh Roshan and Sridevi Appalla, who previously gained recognition from their work in Court, with Sai Kumar in a pivotal role. Directed by Sathish Javvaji and produced by Kona Venkat, the film features music by Vijay Bulganin.
Story
Yadagiri (Harsh Roshan) and Raaji (Sridevi) grew up as childhood sweethearts in their rural village. While Raaji excels in her studies and has big dreams, Yadagiri dropped out of school early. As they grow older, differences start to appear between them, creating tension in their relationship. The rest of the film follows how Yadagiri tries to prove himself and win back Raaji’s love despite the growing gap between them.
Performances
Harsh Roshan and Sridevi Appalla, the lead pair who gained fame with their previous collaboration, appear in Band Melam trying to portray young characters. However, they have little scope to perform meaningfully, and their characters feel forced and unnatural for most of the runtime. Sai Kumar is completely wasted in an insignificant role that adds no value to the narrative.
Analysis
Sathish Javvaji directs Band Melam using a regular template of teenage love facing obstacles. The problem lies in the age-old conflict setup, and the screenplay offers only a few impactful moments scattered across the runtime.
The first half starts on an ordinary note. While some comedy scenes work, most of the humor falls flat or comes across as cringe-worthy. Vijay Bulganin’s music tries to bring emotional depth, but the weak narration never achieves the intended effect.
The second half spirals downward with senseless and directionless scenes. The lead character’s behavior appears increasingly silly, and the director’s attempt to suddenly showcase the pain of love doesn’t work at all.
The episode involving the heroine eloping from her marriage and returning fails to create the required drama. Towards the climax, there’s an attempt to inject emotion with a twist, but by then it’s too late to save the film. Unlike other rural dramas like Ambajipeta Marriage Band which managed decent emotional engagement, Band Melam struggles throughout.
Positives
Harsh Roshan and Sridevi‘s performance in a few emotional scenes
Handful of fun moments in the first half
Vijay Bulganin’s background score in select sequences
Negatives
Senseless writing and poorly developed characters
Silly scenes masquerading as humor
Boring and directionless second half
No emotional depth whatsoever
Predictable and outdated storyline
Final Verdict
Band Melam is a disappointing romantic drama that offers just a handful of entertaining moments and one or two passable emotional scenes. The writing and character development never feel natural or engaging. The plot is mostly illogical and cringeworthy, making it a tedious watch despite the earnest efforts of the lead pair.
Released on March 19, 2026, the much-hyped sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge (Dhurandhar 2) has created several records in its first week. The film entered the prestigious Top-10 Indian Movies list based on worldwide gross collections, securing the second position with a massive 940 Cr gross.
Dhurandhar 2 Box Office Performance
The sequel delivered an exceptional opening week, collecting 940 Cr worldwide and positioning itself just behind Pushpa 2's industry-hit performance, which holds the top spot with 965 Cr. This remarkable achievement places Dhurandhar 2 ahead of industry giants like Baahubali 2, KGF 2, and RRR.
Top 10 Indian Movies – 1st Week Worldwide Gross (Approx.)
Pushpa 2 : 965 Cr
Dhurandhar 2 : 940 Cr
Baahubali 2 : 830 Cr
KGF 2 : 717 Cr
RRR : 700 Cr
Jawan : 650 Cr
Kalki 2898 AD : 630 Cr
Pathaan : 630 Cr
Animal : 565 Cr
Leo : 465 Cr
Salaar : 460 Cr
What Could Have Been
If Dhurandhar 2 had been released in the Middle-East countries, industry analysts suggest the film would have collected significantly more and potentially challenged for the top record. The absence of Middle-East collections is the primary factor keeping it behind Pushpa 2 in the rankings. Despite this limitation, the sequel’s performance firmly establishes it among Indian films that crossed major collection milestones.
Second Week Expectations
As Dhurandhar: The Revenge enters its second week, trade experts expect strong weekend numbers. The film’s momentum and positive audience response suggest it will continue its impressive box office journey. The sequel’s position in the year-wise highest-grossing Indian films list makes it one of the most successful releases in recent times.
Pawan Kalyan’sUstaad Bhagat Singhfinishes its first week with poor collections at the box office. The film managed only ₹87 crores in its opening week, which is shockingly lower than disaster films like Bro and Hari Hara Veera Mallu.
The drastic fall in collections after the opening weekend has shocked trade circles. Industry analysts now consider the first week numbers nearly final, as the film is unlikely to recover significant footfall moving forward.
Pawan Kalyan – 1st Week Collections: Post COVID
Vakeel Saab – ₹125 Cr
Bheemla Nayak – ₹142 Cr
Bro: The Avatar – ₹98 Cr
Hari Hara Veera Mallu – ₹110 Cr
OG – ₹255 Cr
Ustaad Bhagat Singh – ₹87 Cr
The film was expected to deliver blockbuster numbers given the powerful combination of Pawan Kalyan and director Harish Shankar, who previously collaborated on the 2012 hit Gabbar Singh. Despite high anticipation before release, Ustaad Bhagat Singh failed to translate pre-release buzz into sustained box office performance.
The underwhelming performance raises questions about Pawan Kalyan’s current stardom and audience expectations from his theatrical releases. With OG having crossed ₹255 crores earlier, the ₹87 crore first week of Ustaad Bhagat Singh marks a significant drop in box office appeal.
The film’s weak hold during weekdays after an average opening weekend indicates limited word-of-mouth and poor audience reception. Trade experts suggest that the final lifetime collections may not exceed ₹95-100 crores, making it one of Pawan Kalyan’s weakest theatrical outings in recent years.
Director Aditya Dhar, who helmed Dhurandhar 2, has issued a public statement addressing concerns raised by the Sikh community after controversial AI-generated posters went viral. The fake posters depicted characters in Sikh attire smoking cigarettes, sparking immediate backlash online.
What Sparked the Controversy?
On Wednesday, March 25, viral posters showed Ranveer Singh’s character wearing a turban (Dastaar), beard, and Kada while holding a cigarette. Another manipulated image depicted Madhavan’s character, Ajay Sanyal, smoking while reciting a sacred verse from the Dasam Granth, attributed to Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
These doctored visuals quickly spread across social media, triggering strong reactions from the Sikh community who viewed them as disrespectful to their religious symbols and scriptures.
Director’s Official Response
Aditya Dhar took to social media to clarify that these controversial visuals were never part of Dhurandhar 2’s official promotional material. He stressed that the images were AI-generated and completely fake.
The director reassured audiences that the film maintains respect for all religious and cultural sensitivities. He urged fans and the public not to fall for manipulated content and to rely only on official updates from the production team.
Growing Concern Over AI-Generated Misinformation
This incident highlights a growing problem in the entertainment industry — the spread of AI-generated fake promotional material. Such doctored content can damage a film’s reputation and hurt community sentiments before official clarifications emerge.
Dhurandhar 2 continues to generate buzz for its espionage thriller storyline, and the production team has emphasized that only materials shared through verified official channels should be trusted.
Sree Vishnu is facing intense criticism after Vishnu Vinayasam failed to connect with audiences on OTT. The film recently started streaming on Prime Video, bringing renewed scrutiny to the actor’s recent choices.
Theatrical Disaster Followed by Poor OTT Response
The film released in theatres at the end of February and ended as a box office disaster. Despite the poor theatrical performance, many viewers gave it a chance on Prime Video, drawn by Sree Vishnu’s brand value as the “king of entertainment”.
However, the OTT response has turned even more negative. Audiences are heavily criticizing the film’s story, screenplay, entertainment value, and editing. The surprising element is that even Sree Vishnu’s performance is under fire — his dialogue delivery and modulation are being questioned, which is rare for an actor known for strong performances in films like Raja Raja Chora.
Impact on Brand Value
Many viewers are expressing concern that continuing to choose such scripts could damage his “king of entertainment” brand image. After emerging from failures like Arjuna Phalguna with Single (Box Office Success) and appreciation for SWAG, now seeing Vishnu Vinayasam‘s negative response, fans are hoping the actor will be more selective with his next projects.
The actor’s next moves will be crucial in restoring audience confidence and maintaining his position in the industry.
The highly anticipated sequel Dhurandhar 2 has delivered a historic first week at the box office, smashing the existing Bollywood 1st week record held by Jawan's opening week performance by a massive 45% margin.
Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Jawan had collected around ₹650 Cr gross in its first week, while Dhurandhar 2 has gone far ahead with a huge ₹940 Cr gross in just 7 days.
Record Despite Middle East Ban
What makes this achievement even bigger is that the film has done this without a Middle East release, where it faced a ban. Despite missing one of the key overseas markets, the film has still posted record-breaking numbers.
If the film had released in the Middle East, it could have easily added another ₹100 Cr+, which would have taken the total beyond the all-time record in Indian cinema.
Pushpa 2 Holds Overall Record
Currently, the highest first week gross in Indian cinema is held by Pushpa 2: The Rule with around ₹965 Cr. With the additional Middle East numbers, Dhurandhar 2 would have easily beaten Pushpa 2.
The film continues the blockbuster momentum started by earlier hits like Pathaan and Jawan, cementing the sequel’s place among the biggest Indian cinema releases.
Dhurandhar 2 is having a rampage in its first week at the box office, with approximately ₹940 Cr gross worldwide. The film is posting record-breaking numbers for Bollywood every day, establishing itself as one of the biggest releases of the year.
Historic $100 Million Milestone
In USD terms, the Dhurandhar 2 box office collection has crossed $100 million, which is a sensational achievement for an Indian film in its opening week. This milestone is exceptionally rare, with only blockbusters like Baahubali 2 and Pushpa 2 achieving similar numbers in their first seven days.
Path to ₹1875 Cr and Beyond
At the current pace, Dhurandhar 2 will easily achieve the $150 million and $175 million benchmarks in its full run. The film is now eyeing the coveted $200 million milestone, which translates to approximately ₹1875 Cr gross worldwide.
Industry analysts believe there is definitely a chance to achieve this historic figure, similar to how other big releases have maintained momentum beyond their opening weeks. However, Dhurandhar 2 needs to maintain strong holds in the coming weeks, particularly in overseas markets where it has been performing exceptionally well.
The film’s first-week performance sets it up as a serious contender for becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. With positive word-of-mouth and minimal competition in the immediate future, the $200 million target appears achievable if the collections sustain through the second and third weeks.
The buzz around Varanasi, the epic action film directed by S.S. Rajamouli and starring Mahesh Babu, is growing stronger with every update. After the recent character reveals excited fans, actress Priyanka Chopra’s comments about the film’s time travel concept have added even more intrigue.
Priyanka Chopra Explains Varanasi’s Unique Time Travel Approach
Speaking about the unique element, Priyanka explained: “It’s not like you sit in a machine and travel like Back to the Future. But we move from 7200 BCE to 2027, travelling across worlds and realms our characters exist in. That’s what makes it really interesting. So yes, it is a time-travel movie.”
Her statement confirms that Varanasi will explore time travel freshly and unconventionally, blending myth, history, and futuristic elements. This ambitious narrative approach sets the film apart from conventional time travel movies.
A Journey Across Millennia
The film’s timeline spanning from 7200 BCE to 2027 promises an unprecedented cinematic experience. Fans are eager to see how Rajamouli weaves this ambitious concept into the narrative, especially after Priyanka Chopra’s casting created massive excitement.
With Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra in action under Rajamouli’s direction, Varanasi promises to be a groundbreaking film. Priyanka Chopra’s revelation about its time travel journey has only heightened the anticipation for this mega project.
Mohanlal fans were disappointed when the much-awaited Drishyam 3 was postponed from its said release date, April 10, 2026. But the good news is they can enjoy Drishyam 2 theatrical release on the same date, which missed its big-screen debut in 2021.
Why Drishyam 2 Missed Theatres in 2021
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the second part of Drishyam did not release in theaters and missed huge box office potential. The film was directly streamed on Amazon Prime Video, receiving a stunning response from audiences worldwide.
The Drishyam 3 postponement has given Drishyam 2 a second chance. Now, as the third installment is not arriving on the said date, Drishyam 2 got a chance for a theatrical release on April 10, 2026.
Drishyam 3 New Release Date
Drishyam 3, the third installment of the blockbuster series starring Mohanlal and directed by Jeethu Joseph, has been postponed to May 21, 2026, coinciding with Mohanlal’s birthday. This delay has opened up an unexpected opportunity for the sequel to finally experience the theatrical release it always deserved.
Fans who missed the cinema experience in 2021 can now witness Venkatesh’s Drushyam 2 Telugu counterpart’s success, while Mohanlal’s Malayalam version gets its theatrical moment on April 10, 2026.
