Hindi
Big banner films hope to ride the Diwali festive mood
MUMBAI: This year‘s Diwali has an air of excitement all around with two big-banner, big star-cast releases in the Rohit Shetty directed Golmaal 3 and Vipul Amrutlal Shah‘s Action Replayy.
While Golmaal 3 has Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi and Tushaar Kapoor, Action Replayy has Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai displaying their acting prowess.
For cinema theatres that tend to focus on cashing on the maximum during the opening weekend of a film‘s release, big-banner releases mean reaping in good business.
Avers Fun Multiplex senior vice president Deepak Taluja, “After Dabangg and Robot, there is an air of expectation all around. People are excited of the two big releases and are in a gung ho spirit.”
Although the amount of money at stake this year is half the production cost of the three films released last Diwali, the exhibition industry is hoping for a better show. As many as ten big films are due to hit the screens in the coming weeks with hopes pinned on the Diwali releases. Industry watchers say that as much as Rs 1 billion is riding on the two big releases.
Says Cinemax CEO Sunil Punjabi, ” After a long time, this Diwali is set to be phenomenal. For most of our big properties like that of Versova, we have kept as many as 28 shows per film per day starting from 6.45 am. On the contrary, for our smaller properties like Sion we have lesser shows while for our single-screens we have planned as many as six shows per day divided between the two films.”
Among the three releases last year, Blue and Main Aurr Mrs Khanna fared dismally at the box-office. All the Best, another big-budget film, managed to bring in the audience.
This year has been a lacklustre year as far as films are concerned with a few big-banner films like My Name is Khan, Dabangg and Robot doing stupendous business at the box-office while a small-budget film Tere Bin Laden did considerable good business. Other films like Ishqiya and Raajneeti turned out to be average fare while the others fell by the way side.
Says trade analyst Amod Mehra, “The year has not been so good. The success ratio has been very low. The worst period for the industry was in May and June when two films, Kites and Raavan, bombed badly at the box office. Dabaang and Robot has provided us a ray of hope. Things are looking very promising this festive season.”
Following the Diwali weekend releases, November will see the release of the Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Guzarish besides Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 1 in 3D. December will see Farah Khan‘s Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer Tees Maar Khan.
Hindi
MIFF 2026 to return to Mumbai; film entries open till April 12
19th edition to host WAVES Doc Bazaar, spotlighting global documentary talent
MUMBAI: The 19th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival 2026 is set to take place from June 15 to 21 at the NFDC Complex, with film submissions currently open and the deadline fast approaching on April 12.
Organised by the National Film Development Corporation under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the biennial festival remains one of South Asia’s most prominent platforms for documentary, short fiction and animation films.
Filmmakers, producers and content creators from across the globe have been invited to submit entries via the Film Freeway platform for the Competition Section. Offline submissions will not be accepted, reinforcing a fully digital entry process.
MIFF 2026 continues to sweeten the deal with a robust awards pool of Rs 55 lakh. The coveted Golden Conch for Best Documentary carries a top prize of Rs 10 lakh, alongside multiple awards across categories, making it one of the most lucrative non-feature film festivals in the region.
A key highlight this year will be the second edition of the WAVES Doc Bazaar, scheduled from June 16 to 18 alongside the festival. Designed as a hub for collaboration, the Doc Bazaar will feature a co-production market, viewing rooms and a work-in-progress lab, bringing together global buyers, sellers and creators under one roof.
Since its inception in 1990, MIFF has built a reputation as a serious showcase for non-feature cinema, drawing participation from filmmakers worldwide. The previous edition saw over 350 films from more than 30 countries, underlining its growing international footprint.
With submissions closing soon and preparations underway, MIFF 2026 is shaping up to be a vibrant meeting point for storytelling, collaboration and cinematic craft, offering filmmakers both a stage and a springboard.
