Hindi
A tepid box office week
MUMBAI: The first Friday jinx seems to continue as three out of four new releases of the first Friday of 2013 had to be discontinued unceremoniously from many cinema halls.
Table No 21, thanks to Paresh Rawal in top billing, is the only one to survive as well as have some collection figures to show for itself. The film has managed to collect Rs 58 million during its first weekend. The collections in North have been badly affected due to severe cold conditions.
The three films withdrawn by the exhibitors are Rajdhani Express, Meri Shadi Karao and Dehraadun Diary for want of audience response.
Arbaaz Khan‘s sequel to Dabangg starring brother Salman Khan in the lead role of Chulbul Pandey, Dabangg 2 has just about exhausted its potential at the end of the second week as the collections showed a peak of Rs 80 million on Sunday and went down to Rs 20 million on Thursday, collecting Rs 315 million in all and taking its two-week total to Rs 1.31 billion.
Akshay Kumar and Asin‘s Khiladi 786 collected Rs 10.5 million in its fourth week. The movie‘s box-office net now stands at Rs 658 million.
Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerjee and Kareena Kapoor Khan starrer Talaash added Rs 7.5 million in its fifth week to take its total collections to Rs 945.6 million.
Four releases are lined up for Friday, 11 January. The exhibitors, especially multiplexes, expect Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola to bring the audiences back to cinemas after a couple of dull weeks. The release problems for Vishwaroopam with multiplexes still continue as of today because the producers have planned to release the film on the DTH platform first with which the multiplex owners are not in agreement. The other two releases are Gangoobai and Four Two Ka One.
Hindi
Edstead unveils ambitious H1 2026 content slate
New originals feature Adarsh Gourav in Northeast docu-series, Aditi Kotak in Next Class, and Adil Hussain in Stories of India.
MUMBAI: Edstead just dropped a content menu so rich it could make even the pickiest viewer say “encore” because when storytelling meets substance, the binge becomes inevitable. The fast-rising Mumbai-based studio, founded by Shekhar Bhattacharjee, today revealed its H1 2026 slate, a bold expansion of premium non-fiction that blends cultural depth, innovation, and legacy into cinematic factual narratives. The lineup cements Edstead’s niche at the crossroads of authenticity and global appeal, delivering research-driven stories that stay rooted in the Indian experience while aiming for wider resonance.
Headlining the fresh originals:
- An untitled docu-series starring Bollywood actor Adarsh Gourav, who journeys through Northeast India to spotlight living cultural traditions, indigenous voices, music, oral histories, and everyday resilience. Presented by Air India Express, with Dentsu Sports and Entertainment as integration partner.
- Next Class, an eight-episode impact series fronted by entrepreneur and former Miss India Aditi Kotak, decoding career pathways, emerging fields, and real-world outcomes through leading institutions and forward-thinking disciplines.
- Stories of India with Adil Hussain, India’s first weekly OTT series dedicated to social impact, profiling organisations driving meaningful change and connecting purpose with tangible results.
- Toast to Tomorrow, exploring how leading alcohol brands craft immersive, culture-led experiences that celebrate regional identities and redefine legacy.
- No Cap Abroad – UAE Edition, following Indian students through their first week at UAE colleges—navigating homesickness, culture shock, and independence in a heartfelt coming-of-age tale.
Edstead is also returning with expanded seasons of breakout hits, The Future School (progressive Indian education), Molecules of Hope (healthcare innovation), and Great Indian Residential Schools.
Edstead founder Shekhar Bhattacharjee said, “At Edstead, we are focused on building narratives that carry depth, context, and long-term relevance. Every project begins with research and a clear purpose… Our ambition is to create globally competitive factual content from India that remains culturally grounded while shaping conversations, inspiring trust, and contributing to the growing culture economy.”
From education and healthcare to enterprise and cultural revival, the slate reflects Edstead’s full-stack approach developing original IPs and guiding them through a robust distribution network spanning digital, OTT, and broadcast. In a content world chasing quick trends, Edstead is quietly betting on stories built to last, ones that don’t just entertain, but linger long after the credits roll.
