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The Bollywood box office witnessed a clash of titans during the Diwali weekend as two big-budget films, 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' and 'Singham Again,' locked horns for audience attention. While 'Singham Again', featuring Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, and Arjun Kapoor, led the box office battle in the first week, the tables turned in the second weekend with Kartik Aaryan's 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' taking the lead.
In the first week of release, 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' raked in Rs 158.25 crore, while 'Singham Again' minted Rs 173 crore at the net domestic box office. However, the second weekend saw a change in fortune as the horror comedy 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3', directed by Anees Bazmee, collected Rs 42 crore, surpassing the Rs 34 crore earned by Rohit Shetty's action thriller 'Singham Again'. This impressive performance helped both movies cross the coveted Rs 200 crore mark during the second weekend.
The surge in 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3's box office collections can be attributed to the positive reception it received from both audiences and critics. While the movie faced criticism for its stale humour, the climax twist surprised and delighted viewers. Conversely, 'Singham Again', despite boasting a star-studded cast, garnered mixed to negative reviews. While some praised the movie's Ramayana parallels and the performances of Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor, others criticized its predictable storytelling and lackluster action sequences.
'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' and 'Singham Again' share a common thread - they are both threequels. 'Singham Again' marks the third installment in the 'Singham' series and the fifth film in Rohit Shetty's 'Cop Universe', following 'Singham' (2011), 'Singham Returns' (2014), 'Simmba' (2018), and 'Sooryavanshi' (2021). 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' is the third film in the horror comedy franchise, following 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' (2022) starring Kartik Aaryan and 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' (2007) starring Akshay Kumar.
With both movies having crossed the Rs 200 crore mark, the box office battle continues. However, their reign may soon be challenged by the upcoming release of Allu Arjun's 'Pushpa 2: The Rule', which is anticipated to be a box office juggernaut. The upcoming weeks will be crucial for both 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' and 'Singham Again' as they strive to maintain their momentum and set new box office records before the arrival of the much-awaited 'Pushpa 2'.