The momentum for James Cameron's much-anticipated Avatar: Fire and Ash is showing signs of a slowdown at the Indian box office, despite a powerful opening weekend. The third chapter in the sci-fi epic is inching towards the ₹80-crore mark domestically but is facing intense competition from the unstoppable Hindi action drama, Dhurandhar.
Box Office Numbers Tell The Story of A Slowdown
According to early trade reports, Avatar: Fire and Ash has accrued approximately ₹83.03 crore in India over its first five days. The film enjoyed a strong Sunday, its third day, with earnings of ₹25.75 crore. However, a significant drop followed on Monday (Day 4) with ₹9 crore, and an early estimate for Tuesday (Day 5) stands at around ₹6.78 crore. This pattern highlights a robust weekend performance that failed to sustain on weekdays.
The occupancy data for English 3D screenings on Tuesday further underscores this trend. Nationwide, morning shows saw only 12.44% occupancy, afternoon shows improved to 20.78%, and evening shows reached 27.09%. While the film continues to draw audiences, these figures point to constraints from competition and mixed audience reactions.
Dhurandhar's Dominance and The Viral Govinda 'Cameo'
The primary competition comes from the Indian blockbuster Dhurandhar. On its third Monday, Dhurandhar collected an impressive ₹16.5 crore, nearly double the weekday earnings of Fire and Ash. It continued its robust run with ₹13.01 crore on Day 19, pushing its domestic total to a staggering ₹585.26 crore. This contrast clearly establishes Dhurandhar's current dominance in the market.
Simultaneously, a bizarre trend took over social media. Platforms were flooded with viral clips and images suggesting Bollywood icon Govinda made a cameo in Avatar: Fire and Ash. These AI-generated deepfakes showed the actor as a blue Na'vi or in colourful attire, mouthing his famous dialogue lines.
Fact checks have confirmed these clips are entirely fabricated. Govinda does not appear in the film. The meme appears to be rooted in an old interview where the actor claimed he was once offered a role in the original Avatar and declined it—a narrative resurrected and exaggerated by online creators.
Industry Outlook and Broader Trends
Industry analysts note that Avatar: Fire and Ash opened well for a Hollywood release in India, especially in premium 3D formats, and is among the stronger recent weekend performances for an overseas film. However, it trails its predecessor, Avatar: The Way of Water, and its growth trajectory hasn't matched the franchise's earlier benchmarks.
Additional reports suggest the film could cross ₹125 crore in India by the end of its first week. This would be a respectable total for a Hollywood film but remains muted compared to leading domestic titles. The dual pressure from Dhurandhar and Avatar has also impacted other Indian releases, like Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, which have seen sharp declines in their box office returns.
The coming days will be crucial to see if Avatar: Fire and Ash can stabilize its collections or if the pull of homegrown stories like Dhurandhar will continue to rule the Indian box office.
