OG Loss to Telugu Distributors - second to Dhanush on OTT / Award to Vedan Lyrics

 

OG – Idli Kadai Views on Netflix till now

• OG received 3.2 million views in its first week (Oct 23–26) and 2.1 million views in its second week (Oct 27–Nov 2), totaling 5.2 million views over 11 days.
• Idli Kadai gathered 5.1 million views in just 5 days (Oct 29–Nov 2), nearly matching OG’s 11-day total.

Idli Kadai getting more views than OG on Netflix has surprised fans and industry watchers, especially since Pawan Kalyan’s film had a much bigger OTT deal and is part of a franchise film, which usually demands strong digital performance.

From a business point of view, OG was expected to attract massive viewership, but it hasn’t met those expectations so far, and it needs to maintain consistency in the coming days to increase its views.

OG’s theatrical rights in Nizam were sold for 55 crores, and against this, it managed to earn a share of 48.5 crores. In the ceded region, it closed its run at around 17 crore share, while the breakeven target was more than 20 crores. Even in Andhra, all territories suffered losses.

Speaking about Andhra, Uttarandhra’s rights were valued at 20 crores, and the Sujeeth directorial closed its run at a share of 16 crores. In Guntur, theatrical rights were valued at 13 crores, but the biggie earned a share of 10.6 crores. West Godavari closed at 8.8 crores against a breakeven of 10 crores. In Nellore, it closed at 4.7 crores, while rights were valued at 6 crores. The share of the Krishna district is reportedly 9.7 crores, while the breakeven target was 11 crores. Even in the East Godavari region, buyers have suffered losses.

Vedan, who received the Kerala State Award for the song 'Kuthanthram' in Manjummel Boys, is currently facing serious allegations of sexual assault. The announcement has left many questioning the ethics and credibility of the state awards, especially given that previous contenders were reportedly sidelined in earlier years due to ongoing legal cases. Prakash Raj the Chairman of Jury who headed the committtee that gave him the award is a known anti BJP man and Vedan's anti Modi “Voice of the Voiceless” in 2019. led to BJP asking for NIA probe.

While several artists and political figures, including Congress MP Hibi Eden, have publicly congratulated the rapper, many others expressed disappointment and anger, arguing that the move sends a damaging message to society. Critics have also accused feminist organisations and women’s groups of maintaining a “conspicuous silence” on the issue. Adding to the controversy, the award came just days after the Kerala High Court relaxed Vedan’s anticipatory bail conditions, allowing him to travel abroad for performances. The Thrikkakkara police have already submitted a final report on the case.

The song 'Bhoomi Vazhunnidam' by Vedan is included in the BA Malayalam fourth semester textbook of Calicut University. The "Vedan song" in Calicut University's BA Comparative Literature syllabus is the protest rap "Bhoomi Njan Vaazhunna Idam" (Earth Where I Live) by rapper Vedan, also known as Hirandas Murali. It is used in the module on new trends in comparative literature to analyze its themes of social injustice, caste oppression, war, and environmental issues, often in comparison with Michael Jackson's song "They Don't Care About Us". 

• Artist: Vedan (Hirandas Murali)
• Song Title: "Bhoomi Njan Vaazhunna Idam" (meaning "Earth Where I Live")
• Course: Fourth-semester undergraduate Malayalam Language and Literature / Comparative Literature at Calicut University
• Module: Puthu Pravanathakal (new trends) under Introduction to Comparative Literature
• Themes: The song's lyrics address global issues such as the Syrian war, Palestinian genocide, the death of Aylan Kurdi, and the murder of Asifa in Kashmir, along with themes of caste oppression and environmental destruction.
• Comparative Analysis: It is studied alongside other works, such as Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us," to compare themes of protest and resistance. 
• The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had provided stages for Mr. Vedan at its fourth-anniversary celebrations across the State, drawing huge crowds trending towards the young demographic. 

Lokah Beats Kantara in OTT / Rajamouli Gets Varanasi Title

 Kantara Chapter1 OTT viewership in South opening week is way behind Lokah. Lokah Hindi has been released but Kanata Hindi OTT has not got a release. Taking that Kantara a Kannada film that dubed into South and Hindi languages and is termed the highest-grossing Indian film of the year worldwide with Rs. 799 crore after the 5th weekend, ahead of Rs. 786 crore of Chhaava. It will be crossing Rs. 800 crore worldwide in no time, OTT reception in South is a surprise. Kantara Chapter 1 performed very strongly in Tamil Nadu right from day 1, and it even impacted Dhanush’s Idli Kadai, and it also joined the 70 Cr gross club, which is almost the closing collections for the film. 

This is the 6th non-Tamil film to collect more than 70 Cr gross in Tamil Nadu. Baahubali 2 is the first one to do this, followed by KGF 2, RRR, Avatar 2, Pushpa 2, and now Kantara Chapter 1, which performs superbly in Tamil Nadu. The film had a sort of crash in South India after digital release, with a drop from the previous weekend being around 70 per cent. That is despite a big holiday on Saturday in Karnataka. Without this holiday, the drop would have been closer to 75 per cent. The hold was better in Hindi at around 60 per cent, but even this was a bit higher than normal.

Two big blockbusters of the year, Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra and Kantara: Chapter 1, were released on the same day on Jio Hotstar and Prime Video, respectively. While the former is a superhero film headlined by Kalyani Priyadarshan, the latter is a folklore action drama spearheaded by Rishab Shetty.

Lokah has now overtaken Kantara: Chapter 1 in the opening weekend in the digital space. According to the latest report in Ormax, Lokah registered 3.8 million views (Data considered between October 27 to November 2), whereas Kantara: Chapter 1 garnered 3.5 million views in the same timeframe.

Kantara: Chapter 1 is yet to be released in Hindi on OTT. On the other hand, Lokah is streaming in multiple languages, including Hindi, and that could be a key reason behind the superhero film’s dominance on the OTT charts.

Bollywood Hungama has learned that the team of the film has locked a title. A source told us, “The name of the film is indeed Varanasi. It is said that the title rights were with somebody, but S S Rajamouli’s team reached out and secured the rights.”

The source further said, “It is an apt title as per the story of the film. Hence, they were very keen on naming their film Varanasi.”

Reports also state that a grand announcement event will be held on November 15 in Ramoji Rao Film City, Hyderabad. Along with S S Rajamouli, Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran, the others from the team of the film are expected to be present, including Oscar-winning music director M M Keeravani. It is reported that fans will get a chance to attend the launch event and that the event will be live streamed on JioHotstar.

• A smaller production house, "Ramabhakta Hanuman Creations," headed by director CH Subba Reddy, claims to have already registered the title Varanasi for their own film. They have released an official poster with the title and expressed their intention to proceed with their project, creating a title clash.
• The Conflict: The smaller production house has challenged Rajamouli's team, demanding they either change their film's title or compensate them. It is currently a matter of industry speculation whether Rajamouli's team will negotiate, use a title extension (e.g., Varanasi: The Untold), or if this is part of a promotional strategy. 

Legal Context

Generally, a film title alone is not protected under copyright law in India; protection often relies on trademark law and actual use (acquiring a "secondary meaning"). The trade associations have their own rules for title registration, but these are not always binding in court on non-members. Given that Rajamouli's team reportedly secured the rights, and their film is a large-scale global project with significant buzz, they may be in a stronger position

Rashmika in Kerala Athrapally / Bahubali EPIC Hindi Flops/ Dude on November 14th.

 Pradeep Ranganathan’s Dude was released this Diwali, and it posted strong numbers during the holidays and slowed down after. Now, the latest news is that the film’s OTT streaming details are out.

Directed by debutant Keethiswaran, the film collected around 110 Cr gross worldwide. With Dude, Pradeep Ranganathan scored a hat-trick of 100 Cr grossers, and the film is all set to make its OTT debut now.

The film’s digital rights were bagged by Netflix for all languages, and the movie will stream from 14th November. It maintains a 28-day theatrical window like any South Indian movie. 

Made as a lovely entertainer, the film also stars Premalu fame Mamitha Baiju as the female lead, with the latest sensation Sai Abhyankkar composing the music. 

National crush Rashmika Mandanna is juggling multiple projects. Her recent release was Thamma, and her next film, The Girlfriend, is set to hit cinemas on November 7, 2025. Now, her upcoming movie Mysaa has officially entered the shooting phase.

It’s been announced that the pan-Indian film has begun filming today in the forest area of Athirappilly, Kerala. Directed by debutant Rawindra Pulle, the film will see the Pushpa actress playing a Gond tribal woman.

Rashmika’s first-look poster, which was recently unveiled, showcases her in an intense avatar. The makers describe Mysaa as an emotional action drama. Actor Tarak Ponnappa has been roped in for a key role, though further details remain under wraps.

Produced by Anil, Ajay Sayyapureddy, and Srikanth Sathi under the UnFormula Films banner, the movie features music by Jakes Bejoy.

Rashmika Mandanna has had a busy year with four releases so far, including the Telugu film “Kubera.” Her fifth release of 2025, “The Girlfriend,” is set to arrive in theaters this weekend (November 7).

While the film’s trailer has generated curiosity, it still needs stronger pre-release buzz. 

Since it is a heroine-centric love story told from a woman’s perspective, the film might face an uphill task in drawing audiences initially. In recent times, several female-led films have struggled to secure strong openings.

The going has been tough for S S Rajamouli’s Baahubali: The Epic, especially in Hindi. With a playing time of a staggering 3 hours and 45 minutes, the period action drama is a big turnoff for the box office.Producer & eminent film business analyst Girish Johar feels it is not all a loss for Baahubali: The Epic. “It has amassed around Rs. 18 crores nett, across all languages, in two days, domestic market, which I feel is a very good fair number. This is a first of its kind where two parts of the film are released as one film, kind of a repeat run but of a different kind. Both the earlier parts were watched by large section of the audiences earlier. So, a technical re-release now is also still being cherished by its fans. This move by its makers will add more strength to Baahubali being a cult film, for all time.”

Taran Adarsh Trade Guru feels the promotional pitch for Baahubali in Hindi was wrong. “It should have been promoted as a film that is a solo film, not just a repeat run. A lot of people are under the impression that it's a repeat run and that's the reason why they are staying away. The fact that both the parts have been combined and made into one film is unknown to many. So, if at all, they would have promoted the film well in the Hindi market, I am sure it would have met with a better response in the Hindi market.”

However, according to Taran Adarsh, there is a silver lining. “The Baahubali epic has met with a fantastic response in the Telugu states. It's packed everywhere, running to packed houses. The response is phenomenal. The Telugu version is doing superlative business.”

Dhanush- Mari Selvaraj War Historical Mega Budget / Actor Lokesh Thumbs Down

Mari Selvaraj is doing the biggest budget film by breaking all barriers.Director Mari Selvaraj has confirmed that the writing process for D56 is turning out to be bigger and tougher than any of his previous works. The film’s shoot is planned across multiple countries, indicating a large-scale international production, marking his first-ever historical war film. Dhanush is said to be portraying one of the most powerful and challenging roles of his career in his 56th film, which is currently in the pre-production stage.

Mari Selvaraj is one of the directors in the Tamil film industry who sees continuous successes without any failures. His recent film, Bison, is also super successful at the box office, and Mari Selvaraj is all set to break all the barriers with his next film with Dhanush.

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj is making his debut as a lead hero, but his screen presence in the glimpse of the film released today disappointed everyone. 

Directed by Arun Matheswaran, Lokesh’s first film as a hero is titled DC, and it stars Wamiqa Gabbi as the female lead. imilar to of Bonny and Clyde seems to be hinted at in the one minute teaser. It features multiple shots of Lokesh and Wamiqa strolling together down a walkway and then into a room. When the camera pans to Lokesh it shows him walking with his sleeves rolled up, smoking a cigarette and covered in blood.

As she approaches him and Wamiqa appears determined and adds a flower to her hair. They are in a room together at the end staring at one another waiting to see what will happen next. Wamiqa is introduced as Chandra in the video and Lokesh is introduced as Devadas.

Lokesh, who last starred in Shruti Haasan's music video, Inimel is making his acting debut in this movie.

The music for the movie was written by Anirudh Ravichander. Ain't Nobody, the song that plays during the teaser has lyrics by the strange Heisenberg and vocals by Ram Kumar. The movie's release date and other specifics are still pending. 

If we observe the films of Lokesh as a director, all are gangster films, and even for his acting debut, he goes in the same path, as the DC Glimpse suggests a violent/gangster film mixed with a love story.

Lokah gets Thumbs Down on OTT / KISS on Nov 7 / Why Jahnvi worked Free ?

 Lokah arrives on Jio Hotstar in all languages and gets a shocking/mixed response from the OTT viewers. 

As the film is a multi-part film and the second part has been officially announced with Tovino Thomas as the lead and is all set to go on floors in the summer of 2026, the OTT response plays a crucial role for the future installments. 

However, Lokah received a shockingly mixed response from OTT viewers. While a section of audiences felt the film was decent, the other section of audiences called it nowhere near high expectations, even calling it overrated.

Certainly, the film is not getting the sensational responses from OTT audiences from other languages, which will disappoint the makers as well. The movie needs to reach audiences across languages to grow as a popular superhero franchise.Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra was released in August and became the industry hit of Mollywood, along with becoming the 1st 300 Cr grosser of the industry. 

Despite positive reviews, the movie KISS underperformed at the box office due to bad promotions. The latest update reveals that Kiss will be available for streaming from November 7 on ZEE5 in Tamil audio. As of now there is info about the dubbed versions. The theatrical window is seven weeks.

In the film, Kavin plays a musician who has the supernatural ability to see a couple’s destiny whenever they kiss. Preethi Asrani played the female lead. RJ Vijay, VTV Ganesh, Prabhu, and Rao Ramesh played supporting roles. Raahul of Romeo Pictures produced this flick. Jen Martin composed the tunes. Kavin is emerging as one of the promising talents in Kollywood. After impressing audiences with Dada, he came up with Star which worked commercially. The actor KISS  had  Sathish Krishnan is the director.

No upfront payment only share of profits , take 80 % of profits froom non theatrical release like OTT  and digital platforms is formula of Bollywood's Dharma Productions. Jhanvi Ka[ppt worked free for Homebound that was nominated to Oscars.. She even paid for her personal staff. Read on:

Dhadak 2, Homebound, and Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari may have flopped at the box office, but Dharma Productions hasn’t faced major financial losses on at least two of them. In a recent interview, Dharma’s production head, Somen Mishra, revealed that Dhadak 2 and Homebound were among the most tightly budgeted projects the company has ever made, ensuring they remained safe financially. He explained that both films were made with controlled budgets, and every department, from writers to heads of departments, shared in the profits. Janhvi Kapoor reportedly worked on Homebound without charging a fee. According to Somen, box office numbers were never a concern for these two films. Dharma recovers most of its investment through non-theatrical sources such as music, digital, and satellite rights. This approach allows the studio to minimise financial risk even before a film’s release. He further noted that if a film’s budget is ₹100 crore, Dharma ensures that around ₹80 crore is secured from these alternate sources, limiting their risk to only about 20%. Dhadak 2 managed to earn ₹29 crore at the box office, while Homebound, after a limited release, collected only ₹3 crore. Despite that, both films remained financially safe. However, fans questioned Karan Johar’s earlier claim that he wouldn’t make films like Homebound again, given it didn’t cause any losses. Some also doubted the claim about Janhvi Kapoor working for free, calling it a PR move. Others pointed out that even Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, though only moderately received, may not have lost money it just made smaller profits. This discussion has shed light on how Dharma’s business model works producing frequent, mid-scale films that may underperform theatrically but stay profitable through smart budgeting and non-theatrical revenue.

Andrea's Anthem for ICC Womens Cricket World Cup / Rajini v/s Ranbir Kapoor

Andrea Jeremiah Voices the English Anthem for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 The English version of the official ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 anthem, “Bring It Home”, is sung by acclaimed Indian playback singer, actor, and performer Andrea Jeremiah. Known for her powerful voice, expressive performances, and multilingual artistry, Andrea brings her signature blend of soul, strength, and sophistication to this global anthem. A high-energy fusion of rhythm, melody, and emotion, “Bring It Home” aims to unite cricket fans across continents, celebrating the courage, passion, and perseverance of women cricketers worldwide. The song is composed by Nakul Abhyankar and the lyrics written by Andrea Jeremiah and Nazeef Mohammed, with catchy English verses and a signature Indian hook — “Tarikita Tarikita Tarikita Dhom” — paired with the pulsating refrain “Dhak Dhak, we bring it home”, the song mirrors the heartbeat of the game and the spirit of the women who redefine it. Andrea’s vibrant vocal delivery and contemporary pop-rock tonality lend the song a universal appeal while keeping its roots distinctly Indian. Her dynamic voice captures both the grit and grace of the sport, echoing the emotions of millions who cheer from the stands and beyond. The lyrics, which celebrate determination, teamwork, and the dream to win against all odds, are elevated by Andrea’s nuanced performance — a powerful anthem of unity and pride. The song’s release marks a moment of musical and sporting celebration. The International Cricket Council (ICC) officially launched “Bring It Home” on September 30, 2025, as part of the build-up to the much-anticipated Women’s Cricket World Cup finals, set to take place on November 2, 2025. The anthem stands as a tribute not only to the tournament but to the growing legacy and global recognition of women’s cricket. Speaking about her involvement, Andrea Jeremiah shared her excitement about lending her voice to a project that represents empowerment and inclusion: “It’s more than just a song — it’s a celebration of every woman who dares to dream big, to fight hard, and to bring it home.”

Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film, Love and War will make it difficult for Rajinikanth Jailer 2 to enter the Rs 1000 cr club. Balakrishna is not doing a cameo un Jailer 2. Read on :

Ranbir Kapoor scored a big blockbuster with Animal (2023), directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. He has two big films in his lineup, Ramayan and Love and War, and he is going to fight Superstar Rajinikanth in a mega clash in June 2026. 

Jailer 2 has been announced for a June release, and it is likely to be at the end of the month. NTR’s Dragon was announced for the same slot, but it got postponed. With this, Jailer 2 was expected to be a solo release.

But now, as said above, Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 is set for a mega clash with Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film, Love and War. Initially, the film was planned for a 19th March release, but due to the pending shoot, it has been moved to the end of June.

Jailer 2 is a big pan-India film, and there are expectations that it will become Kollywood’s 1st 1000 Cr. For that, the movie needs a big solo release and huge positive talk, just like the 1st part.

Kalyani - Naslen On a Roll / Wamiqua Gabbi to Romance Lokesh

Kalyami Om a Roll

 Post Lokah , Kalyani and Naslen have signed big Tamil Projects : read  on

Sivakarthikeyan’s next film is signed with director Venkat Prabhu, and the movie will go on floors next year. For this film, Kalyani Priyadarshan is said to be roped in as the leading actress, and it will be her second film with the actor and director as well. The film is reportedly being produced by Sathya Jyothi Films, with music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Kalyani acted with Sivakarthikeyan in Hero (2019), directed by P.S. Mithran, which received positive reviews but did not do well at the box office. But after that, she worked on Maanaadu, directed by Venkat Prabhu and starring Simbu, which is a super blockbuster.

Kalyani Priyadarshan continues to get Tamil projects. Her next projects are Ravi Mohan’s Genie, Karthi’s Marshal, and now Sivakarthikeyan’s film joins the list of her upcoming projects.  Her recent blockbuster film, Lokah, is currently available for streaming on Jio Hotstar.

Suriya is currently working on his 46th film, directed by Venky Atluri, a family entertainer. After this, he signed his 47th with Malayalam director Jithu Madhavan, who made Aavesham with Fahadh Faasil, and for this film, Premalu star Naslen is all set to team up with Suriya. 

As the film is being made by a Malayalam director, the crucial characters are being played by them only. Already, Nazriya signed as the lead actress with Fahadh playing a crucial role, and now the buzz is that Premalu actor Nelson will join Suriya in his 47th film and will appear in an important role in this police investigation thriller.

Lokesh Kanagaraj has announced his debut as a lead hero under the direction of Arun Matheswaran, who confirms Bollywood sensation Wamiqa Gabbi will be playing the female lead in the film.

The film is currently in progress, and it will be wrapped up entirely by January 2026. It is being made as a gangster action film. Lokesh Kanagaraj went through some extensive training for the action episodes, and the inclusion of Wamiqa Gabbi as the female lead also suggests that romance will be a key part of the film. 

After this film, Lokesh Kanagaraj is likely to make Kaithi 2, and the pre-production works are underway for the most-awaited sequel. Wamiqa Gabbi has appeared in a few notable Tamil films, like Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam (2016) and the Modern Love Chennai (2023) web series. She will also be seen in upcoming films like Ravi Mohan’s Genie and SJ Suryah’s Iravaakaalam.