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EYE ON BOLLYWOOD SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 | The Indian Eye 44

Mirzapur Storms the Box

Office, Turns OTT Fandom

into Theatrical Gold

The successful transition of the popular OTT franchise to the big screen has

turned ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ into one of 2026’s biggest theatrical surprises.

OUR BUREAU
Mumbai
he Mirzapur franchise has once again
demonstrated its formidable popularity, this
Ttime at the box office. Mirzapur: The Movie
has emerged as a “super-hit” after passing the cru-
cial Monday test with strong numbers following an
impressive opening weekend.
According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the
Hindi version of the film collected Rs 17.10 crore
on Monday, taking its four-day India net collection
to Rs 113.95 crore. The film had opened with Rs
27.85 crore on Friday, followed by Rs 32.50 crore
on Saturday and Rs 36.50 crore on Sunday.
The numbers are significant because the film
represents a major gamble for its makers: taking
one of India’s most popular streaming franchises
from the OTT platform to cinemas. The response
suggests that the franchise’s loyal audience was
willing to leave the small screen and pay for the
theatrical experience.
Adarsh described the film as a “super-hit”
and said its Monday performance showed that au-
diences had “wholeheartedly embraced” the film. Bollywood actors Pankaj Tripathi, along with Divyenndu and Ali Fazal, during the promotion of their film Mirzapur (ANI Photo)
He had earlier called its opening day “sensation-
al”, with the movie emerging as the fourth-big-
gest opener of 2026 after Dhurandhar 2, Toxic and The return of its best-known characters has by entering a theatre while audiences were watch-
Border 2. clearly helped. Pankaj Tripathi returns as Kaleen ing the climax. His appearance triggered an enthu-
The film’s performance is particularly notable Bhaiya, while Divyenndu and Ali Fazal reprise siastic response, with one viewer describing it as a
because it is not operating in isolation. Hanuman their roles as Munna Bhaiya and Guddu Pandit. “goosebump moment”.
Ansh, described by Adarsh as a strong opponent, is The film continues the battle for the Mirzapur The film’s limited Telugu release has also
also running in theatres. Yet, according to him, the throne, with new contenders entering the conflict. contributed to its earnings. The Telugu version
two films are “co-existing beautifully”, attracting The theatrical format has, however, required collected Rs 26 lakh on Friday, Rs 28 lakh on Sat-
audiences and delivering strong numbers without the franchise to change its scale. Tripathi pointed to urday, Rs 30 lakh on Sunday and Rs 15 lakh on
significantly eating into each other’s business. the fundamental difference between watching Mir- Monday, taking its four-day India net collection
The makers have also introduced a discounted zapur at home and experiencing it in a cinema hall. to Rs 99 lakh.
ticket offer, which could provide another boost to “People would have seen it on a 5-inch to a For the Indian film business, Mirzapur: The
footfalls. For a film that has already crossed the Rs 100-inch screen. It was individual viewing. Now, it Movie offers an important lesson. In an industry
100-crore mark in four days, maintaining momen- is coming for community viewing,” he said, noting where theatrical releases face increasing competi-
tum through the first week will be crucial. that hundreds of people could watch the film to- tion from streaming platforms, an established digi-
The success also highlights the changing eco- gether on a much larger screen. tal franchise can still create a powerful cinema-go-
nomics of India’s entertainment industry. Popular For Tripathi, the actor’s craft remains essen- ing event if it has a sufficiently loyal audience.
streaming franchises are increasingly becoming tially the same, but the technical demands of cine- Mirzapur has now crossed that first major hur-
valuable theatrical properties, but a strong digital ma are different. “When the story is transformed dle. The challenge is to sustain the momentum and
following does not automatically guarantee suc- for a bigger screen, the technical side, writing, and prove that its box-office success is more than an
cess at the box office. Mirzapur appears to have visuals change a lot in a movie,” he said. opening-weekend phenomenon. For now, howev-
overcome that challenge because its characters The film has also managed to generate strong er, the numbers suggest that the franchise has suc-
and story have developed a strong connection with audience engagement inside cinemas. Ali Fazal cessfully made the journey from the OTT screen
viewers over three seasons. surprised viewers during a screening on Saturday to the big screen.

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