Brad Pitt simply raised the chequered flag at the Indian box office. In India, his high-octane racing drama F1, which was directed by Top Gun: Maverick's Joseph Kosinski, beat out the Hindi mythological horror Maa to become the top movie at the box office this weekend. F1 is just one illustration of how the shift in India's moviegoing experience is being brought about by Hollywood blockbuster films.

Maa is surpassed by F1

Pitt's victorious return to the big screen in a full-fledged commercial avatar in the Universal Pictures-Apple Original—which debuted in theaters over the weekend—far outpaced those of Maa in India. With Rs. 20 crore in its debut weekend, the Kajol film had a respectable start, but the excitement and global attraction of Formula 1, which earned Rs. 24 crore in just four days, have stolen the show and the screens.

The hype is growing as a result of outspoken support from Bollywood insiders. The movie's slick production values and enthralling racing sequences were praised by Hansal Mehta, while filmmaker Karan Johar called F1 "a masterclass in blockbuster entertainment" on social media.

OTT release rather than theatrical release for Karan Johar's Sarzameen

What a coincidence! After original reports of a theatrical release this month, KJo's patriotic drama Sarzameen—starring Kajol, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Ibrahim Ali Khan—is now scheduled to debut on JioHotstar on July 25.

July 25: The busiest weekend

Despite the Hollywood storm, there are still several Indian theatrical releases scheduled for July, including Metro... In Dino (July 4), an urban musical by Anurag Basu that features Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Roy Kapur, Neena Gupta, and others. Kaalidhar Laapata and The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case will both be available on OTT on the same day. The releases of Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, Aap Jaisa Koi, Maalik, and Special Ops 2 might occur on July 11, followed by Tanvi the Great, Saiyaara, and Nikita Roy on July 18, and Param Sundari and Son of Sardaar 2 on July 25.

According to trade insiders, the "screen war" is happening on the busiest weekend of July 25, which is causing problems for mid-tier movies.

The start is just F1. Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are three additional major films scheduled for July release. These are all scheduled for huge launches in India, at a moment when there are several major releases from Bollywood and South India, but it doesn't make sense to have competition from outside heavyweights..

Viewers are favoring Hollywood movies, while Bollywood doesn't seem to be participating in this one. Studios are wary of unforeseen box office patterns, resulting in a dearth of major releases in July. The majority of significant Indian movies are currently scheduled to premiere on the Independence Day weekend of August 15, as War 2 and Coolie are predicted to draw audiences.

The Indian theater scene is following suit as international film franchises shift course.