Bhooth Bangla has crossed the 160 crore India net mark in 26 days, settling into the kind of steady theatrical run that Akshay Kumar films haven't managed in years. The Priyadarshan-directed horror comedy has now grossed approximately 243 crore worldwide, making it the fourth highest-grossing Indian film of 2026.
The Numbers So Far
At a reported budget of 120 crore, Bhooth Bangla has already crossed the 1.3x mark on India net alone. When you factor in overseas and ancillary revenue, this is a clean commercial success. Not a blockbuster by the ratio, but a solid HIT that has earned its keep.
Week-by-Week Trajectory
The week-wise pattern tells the real story of this film's box office life.
Week 1 delivered approximately 79.75 crore net on the back of strong preview shows and an opening weekend that crossed 54 crore. The Akshay-Priyadarshan reunion after 14 years was enough to pull audiences on curiosity alone.
Week 2 added around 48 crore, a healthy hold driven by positive word-of-mouth among the family audience. The horror comedy genre continues to be one of the most reliable draws in Bollywood, and Bhooth Bangla benefited from being the only fresh entertainer in that space.
Week 3 brought in approximately 14.35 crore, with the third weekend showing resilience despite competition from Raja Shivaji, Patriot, and The Devil Wears Prada 2. Bhooth Bangla's shows were cut nearly in half (from 8,000 to about 4,800), yet it posted a 28.6 percent growth on its third Friday. Higher occupancy per show compensated for fewer screens.
Week 4 has been steady so far. The fourth weekend collected an estimated 8.35 crore (Saturday 3.00, Sunday 4.00, Monday 1.35 crore). Weekday holds have been in the 1.5-2.0 crore range.
What Worked
The Akshay Kumar-Priyadarshan partnership has a specific audience: families who grew up on Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Bhagam Bhag. Bhooth Bangla targeted that nostalgia directly, and it connected. Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav in supporting roles reinforced the callback to that era of Hindi comedy.
Critics were mixed, with ratings ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 out of 5. The consensus: the first half works well with sharp comic timing and effective set pieces, but the second half loses steam with a weak backstory and an overlong climax. Despite this, audience reception skewed positive, particularly in mass markets and smaller towns where horror comedies consistently outperform.
Wamiqa Gabbi's pairing with Akshay Kumar drew attention, and Tabu's presence added credibility to the ensemble. The film also carries the distinction of being the late Asrani's final screen appearance, adding an emotional layer to its theatrical run.
Overseas Performance
The overseas gross of 53.15 crore is decent but not exceptional for a film of this scale. The UAE and GCC region has been the strongest territory, contributing an estimated $1.5-1.7 million. North America and the UK have been moderate contributors. Horror comedies tend to be Hindi-belt driven, and the overseas numbers reflect that pattern.
Where It Stands in 2026
Bhooth Bangla is now the third highest-grossing Hindi film of 2026 behind Dhurandhar: The Revenge and Raja Shivaji. It has also become the first non-sequel Indian horror comedy to cross 250 crore worldwide gross (including Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Stree, and Golmaal franchises as comparisons).
For Akshay Kumar personally, this is his 20th film to cross 100 crore net in India, extending his record. More importantly, it reverses a narrative of commercial decline that had been building since 2023.
Lifetime Projection
With the theatrical run now in its fourth week and new releases like Karuppu and Athiradi arriving on May 14, Bhooth Bangla's daily collections will continue to taper. The film should add another 8-12 crore in India net over its remaining theatrical run.
Expected India net lifetime: 168-172 crore. Expected worldwide gross lifetime: 255-260 crore.
These are strong numbers for a horror comedy and represent a genuine commercial success for everyone involved. Akshay Kumar needed this one, and he got it.
Full day-wise collection and analysis: View full collections โ