By Team INVC | INVC NEWS
MUMBAI, India | September 18, 2026 — Friday brought three very different films to Indian cinemas, but the opening-day box-office race is already producing a clear early pattern.
Resident Evil has taken the lead among today’s major new releases, while Kunal Kemmu’s VIBE has opened ahead of Meghna Gulzar’s Daayra in the latest evening tracking.
However, the biggest surprise is not coming from any new release.
Six weeks after arriving in theatres, Hanuman Ansh is still generating daily business strong enough to embarrass much newer films.
That makes the September 18 box-office battle particularly unusual.
Resident Evil Takes Early Lead Among New Releases
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is currently the strongest of today’s major fresh releases in India.
According to live trade tracking, the English version had collected around ₹0.83 crore on Friday, with another ₹0.39 crore coming from paid previews, taking its reported running total to about ₹1.22 crore at the time of the latest update.
The film was playing across more than 2,600 shows with reported overall occupancy of around 9%.
These are live numbers and will change once night shows are added.
Still, the early trend gives Resident Evil the opening-day advantage.
VIBE Opens Ahead of Daayra
Kunal Kemmu’s action-comedy VIBE has registered a modest start.
The latest live trade figures place its Friday collection at approximately ₹0.53 crore.
Around 26,000 tickets had been reported sold across more than 1,800 shows, with occupancy remaining in single digits overall.
The numbers are not spectacular.
However, VIBE currently holds an edge over Daayra among the two major Hindi releases opening today.
For Kunal Kemmu’s film, Saturday will now become particularly important.
Positive word of mouth around the comedy and the chemistry between Kemmu and Sparsh Shrivastava could help the film improve over the weekend.
Daayra Starts Slowly Despite Kareena-Prithviraj Pairing
Daayra has had the quietest start among the three prominent new releases.
Live box-office tracking placed its collection at approximately ₹0.36 crore by the latest evening update.
The film was running across more than 1,200 shows, with occupancy of around 8% overall.
Earlier trade reports had placed its collection near ₹0.30 crore, indicating that the figure is still moving as evening shows are added.
The challenge for Daayra is clear.
This is a serious, dialogue-driven crime drama rather than a conventional mass entertainer.
Its theatrical performance may therefore depend heavily on reviews and audience recommendations through Saturday and Sunday.
Opening Day Race So Far
Based on the latest available live figures:
Resident Evil: around ₹0.83 crore Friday live collection
VIBE: around ₹0.53 crore
Daayra: around ₹0.36 crore
These figures are not final Day 1 collections.
Night shows can materially change the final totals, particularly in major metropolitan markets.
Still, the current order shows Resident Evil leading today’s new-release race.
Hanuman Ansh Is Still the Real Box-Office Story
While the new films battle for their opening audience, Hanuman Ansh continues an extraordinary theatrical run.
On its 42nd day, the spiritual drama earned approximately ₹6.25 crore net in India, according to Sacnilk figures cited by multiple publications.
Its worldwide gross has reached around ₹309.15 crore.
That means a film already in its sixth week was still earning several times the live opening-day business currently reported for each of Friday’s new releases.
This does not mean Friday’s final numbers will remain at their current levels.
But the comparison illustrates the remarkable staying power Hanuman Ansh has developed.
Mirzapur The Movie Crosses ₹200 Crore in India
Mirzapur The Movie is also refusing to disappear.
The Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal starrer has crossed ₹200 crore net in India during its theatrical run.
Latest reports place its India net collection at more than ₹203 crore, while its worldwide gross is approaching the ₹300 crore mark.
The film therefore remains an important competitor for screen space even as Friday’s new releases enter cinemas.
Why VIBE Needs a Strong Saturday Jump
Among the Hindi newcomers, VIBE currently has the more commercially accessible proposition.
Comedy can benefit substantially from weekend group audiences.
If word of mouth remains favourable, Saturday evening and Sunday could produce a meaningful increase.
However, the current opening suggests that the movie cannot depend on star value alone.
It needs audience recommendations.
The weekend trajectory will therefore tell us far more than Friday afternoon numbers.
Daayra Faces a Different Challenge
Daayra is unlikely to follow the same box-office pattern as VIBE.
Its subject is heavier.
The treatment is serious.
Reviews have praised Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, while reactions to the screenplay and pacing have been more divided.
That makes Saturday growth critical.
A strong improvement would suggest that adult urban audiences are responding to the film despite its restrained opening.
A weak Saturday would put pressure on its theatrical prospects.
Resident Evil Has Multiplex Advantage
Resident Evil benefits from an established global franchise, horror audiences and relatively strong interest in premium urban centres.
Its paid previews also provided an additional head start before Friday.
The film’s 90-minute runtime may help cinemas schedule more shows through the weekend.
The real test will be whether the audience extends beyond franchise followers and horror fans.
Box Office Winner Tonight? Too Early for a Final Call
At this stage, one conclusion is safe:
Resident Evil leads the new releases in the latest live Friday tracking.
However, declaring the final opening-day winner before night shows finish would be premature.
Collections can move sharply during the final evening sessions.
The more interesting question may actually emerge on Saturday.
Can VIBE use comedy and word of mouth to close the gap?
Can Daayra find its audience after a slow start?
Can Resident Evil maintain the lead?
And can any of them challenge the remarkable daily strength still being shown by Hanuman Ansh?
For now, Friday belongs to an unusual box-office reality:
the newest movies are fighting for the opening-day lead while a six-week-old film continues to cast the biggest shadow over the ticket window.
