Dhamaal 4 Advance Booking: Ajay Devgn’s Comedy Drama Sells 8,000 Tickets In National Chains, Needs Better Momentum Ahead

Dhamaal 4 is just two days away from its theatrical release. The advance booking window opened on Wednesday morning, and early trends are now shaping expectations for the film’s opening day. As of 10 PM on Wednesday, the film had sold around 8,000 tickets across the top national chains, PVR Inox and Cinepolis. That’s a decent start. However, it isn’t spectacular for a franchise with this much brand recall and star power behind it.

With a full day still left before release, trade watchers expect the numbers to climb further. Even so, the pace so far suggests the film needs a strong final push to convert this opening buzz into a genuinely big box office start.

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Advance Booking at a Glance

Note: Advance booking figures vary slightly across different trade trackers depending on the exact time of data collection. All numbers here are based on publicly available trade reports.

How the Numbers Are Shaping Up

Different trade trackers have reported slightly different early numbers, which is fairly normal for advance booking updates that get refreshed throughout the day. According to one report, the film had sold around 8,000 tickets in national chains by 10 PM on Wednesday, with organizers targeting close to 30,000 tickets by the end of the advance booking window. Even that higher figure, if achieved, wouldn’t be considered fully satisfactory given the scale of the franchise and the cast involved.

Meanwhile, a separate tracker put the total at 17,843 tickets sold within just a few hours of the booking window opening, spread across nearly 4,000 shows and generating close to ₹45.47 lakh in revenue. Maharashtra led the way in ticket sales value. A third report pegged the number slightly lower, at roughly 14,400 tickets and ₹35.1 lakh as of Wednesday late morning. Taken together, these figures suggest a start that industry watchers are broadly describing as decent-to-good, but still short of the kind of explosive opening that would guarantee a smooth run past the weekend.

Comparisons With Ajay Devgn’s Recent Release

Dhamaal 4 is also being closely compared to Ajay Devgn’s earlier 2026 release, De De Pyaar De 2, particularly on advance booking collections. That film had registered an advance booking collection of around ₹2.79 crore. Whether Dhamaal 4 can match or beat that number by the time it hits screens on Friday remains one of the more closely watched storylines heading into release day.

Why the Release Date Moved Up

Interestingly, Dhamaal 4 wasn’t originally scheduled for July 10. The film was initially set to release a week later, on July 17. However, the makers reportedly decided to move the date forward specifically to avoid a direct clash with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which is set for a big worldwide release on July 17. Given Nolan’s strong track record in India, with films like Oppenheimer, Interstellar, and Dunkirk all performing well, exhibitors were expected to prioritize screen allocation for that release. Shifting Dhamaal 4 a week earlier gives the comedy a clearer run at multiplexes before that competition arrives.

The Franchise’s Track Record So Far

Part of what makes Dhamaal 4’s opening numbers such a talking point is the franchise’s near-spotless commercial history. The original Dhamaal was a hit, collecting ₹33.06 crore net in India and a worldwide gross of ₹51.30 crore. Its successor, Double Dhamaal, built on that success further, earning ₹44.10 crore net and a worldwide gross of ₹71 crore, and was also declared a hit. The stakes rose sharply with Total Dhamaal, which marked Ajay Devgn’s entry into the franchise. That film collected a massive ₹155.67 crore net in India, with a worldwide gross of ₹232.18 crore, earning a superhit verdict.

With all three previous installments delivering strong results, the franchise currently holds a 100 percent success rate at the box office. Naturally, that track record is fueling both anticipation and pressure heading into Dhamaal 4’s release, as fans and trade analysts alike wait to see whether the fourth installment can extend that unbeaten run.

The Story and the Cast Behind Dhamaal 4

Dhamaal 4 brings back the franchise’s original chaos-comedy trio — Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, and Jaaved Jaaferi — alongside Ajay Devgn, who returns as a quirky IRS officer, a role he first took on in Total Dhamaal. This time, the plot follows the familiar formula of greedy friends chasing a hidden fortune, reportedly ₹50 crore hidden under a letter “M,” while getting tangled in chaotic chases and slapstick misadventures. The story adds a fresh twist this time, introducing supernatural elements involving pirates and ghosts into the usual treasure-hunt format.

The film’s supporting cast includes Sanjay Mishra, Ravi Kishan, Upendra Limaye, Anjali Anand, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Esha Gupta, and Vijay Patkar, rounding out a large ensemble built for broad, family-friendly entertainment. It’s directed by Indra Kumar, who has helmed every installment in the Dhamaal franchise, and produced by T-Series Films, Panorama Studios, Devgn Films, and Maruti International.

What the Big Budget and Cast Salaries Look Like

With a reported budget of ₹200 crore, Dhamaal 4 is officially the most expensive film in the franchise’s history by a wide margin. Cast salaries reportedly reflect that scale too. Ajay Devgn, who is also serving as a co-producer on the project, is said to be the highest-paid cast member, reportedly charging around ₹40 crore. Arshad Warsi and Riteish Deshmukh have each reportedly been paid ₹10 crore for reprising their roles as Adi and Roy. Meanwhile, Sanjay Mishra, Jaaved Jaaferi, and Esha Gupta have each reportedly taken home ₹2 crore, while Sanjeeda Shaikh is said to have received the lowest fee among the principal cast, at around ₹1.5 crore.

Why a Sequel Like This Still Works, According to Ajay Devgn

Speaking about what makes a franchise like this succeed, Ajay Devgn pointed to audience attachment to familiar characters as the key ingredient. Discussing sequels more broadly, he explained that a sequel works only when people connect with its characters, drawing a comparison to other long-running franchises like Golmaal. According to him, once audiences form that bond with a set of characters, filmmakers can keep extending their story across multiple installments. That philosophy appears to be central to how the Dhamaal franchise has been built over four films and more than a decade.

Box Office Predictions for Opening Day

Trade analysts are currently projecting a Day 1 net collection in the range of ₹14-15 crore for Dhamaal 4, based on the combination of decent advance booking trends and the franchise’s strong underlying goodwill. If that prediction holds, the film would rank ninth among Ajay Devgn’s top 10 openers in India, edging past both Baadshaaho and Himmatwala, which had each opened to around ₹12 crore.

One factor working strongly in the film’s favor is Ajay Devgn’s consistent pull in smaller markets. Historically, his films have performed well in B and C centers even when reviews have been mixed, and Total Dhamaal is a clear example of that pattern, having succeeded commercially despite lukewarm critical reception. As a family-friendly entertainer with a well-established comedic identity, Dhamaal 4 is expected to draw similarly strong support from mass audiences outside the big metros, even if urban multiplex advance bookings remain moderate in these final two days.

What Could Still Push Numbers Higher

Trade watchers point to a few factors that could still meaningfully boost Dhamaal 4’s numbers before Friday. First, spot bookings, meaning tickets purchased on the day of release rather than in advance, tend to matter a great deal for mass-audience comedies like this one. Historically, franchise entries built around ensemble humor rather than a single star vehicle often see a large share of their opening-day business come from walk-in crowds rather than pre-planned advance purchases, especially in single-screen and B and C center markets where online booking habits are less entrenched.

Second, weekend timing works in the film’s favor. With a Friday release, Dhamaal 4 gets an immediate two-day cushion over the weekend before facing any real competition, since The Odyssey isn’t arriving until the following Friday. That gives the film a full week of relatively open screen space to build word-of-mouth, particularly if early reviews and audience reactions turn out to be positive. For a franchise that has historically been more mass-friendly than critically acclaimed, strong opening-weekend word-of-mouth from family audiences could matter more than critical reception in determining its final numbers.

Finally, marketing has ramped up sharply in the final week before release, with the makers pushing hard on the film’s ensemble comedy appeal and franchise nostalgia. Promotional messaging has directly urged audiences to lock in seats early with friends and family, framing the film as a group outing rather than a solo watch. Whether that push translates into a genuine last-minute surge in bookings will likely determine whether Dhamaal 4 lands closer to the cautious 8,000-ticket figure or the more optimistic 18,000-ticket range reported by other trackers.

Key Talking Points

1. A Decent Start, But Not a Dominant One

The early numbers suggest genuine interest in the film, but nothing close to blockbuster-level pre-release demand. With less than half of available shows currently booked according to trade trackers, there’s still real room for the numbers to grow before Friday, but the film clearly isn’t selling out shows in the way some recent big releases have.

2. Franchise Goodwill Remains the Biggest Asset

Despite modest early bookings, the Dhamaal franchise’s unbroken run of box office success gives it a cushion that a brand-new comedy wouldn’t have. Audiences already know these characters, and that familiarity is expected to translate into steady walk-in business even if advance numbers stay moderate.

3. Release Timing Was a Deliberate Strategic Move

Shifting the release forward by a week to avoid The Odyssey shows how much weight studios now place on release-date strategy. Going up against a major Christopher Nolan release could have significantly hurt screen availability, making this early move a smart defensive play by the makers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many tickets has Dhamaal 4 sold in advance booking?

As of 10 PM on Wednesday, July 8, the film had sold around 8,000 tickets in top national chains like PVR Inox and Cinepolis, with some other trackers reporting figures between 14,000 and 18,000 tickets depending on the time of measurement.

When does Dhamaal 4 release?

Dhamaal 4 releases in theatres on Friday, July 10, 2026.

Who is in the cast of Dhamaal 4?

The film stars Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Sanjay Mishra, Ravi Kishan, Upendra Limaye, Anjali Anand, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Esha Gupta, and Vijay Patkar.

What is Dhamaal 4’s budget?

Dhamaal 4 reportedly has a budget of ₹200 crore, making it the most expensive film in the franchise so far.

What is the Day 1 box office prediction for Dhamaal 4?

Trade analysts are projecting a Day 1 net collection of around ₹14-15 crore, which would place it ninth among Ajay Devgn’s top 10 openers in India.

Why was the release date moved from July 17 to July 10?

The makers reportedly moved the release date up by a week to avoid clashing with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which releases worldwide on July 17.

Conclusion — A Steady Build, But the Real Test Is Still Ahead

Dhamaal 4’s advance booking numbers paint the picture of a franchise entry that’s generating real, if not overwhelming, interest. Roughly 8,000 tickets sold in national chains by the first evening of bookings is a reasonable base, especially with a full day still remaining before release. However, given the scale of the budget, the star power involved, and the franchise’s unbeaten box office history, the makers will be hoping for a much sharper spike in the final 24 hours.

With a strong opening-day prediction already in place and Ajay Devgn’s reliable pull in smaller markets, Dhamaal 4 still has every chance of delivering a solid start. Whether it can turn this steady advance booking momentum into the kind of explosive opening day the franchise is used to will become clear once the film hits screens this Friday.

Stay tuned to Mirrorly.in for the latest Dhamaal 4 box office updates.

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