Who won the box office this weekend — Superman, Maalik, or Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan? Here’s who soared ahead

It has become increasingly rare for theatres to witness three star-studded films clashing at the box office. This Friday was one such Haley’s Comet moment, as Vikrant Massey and Shanaya Kapoor’s Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan released alongside Rajkummar Rao’s Maalik and David Corenswet-starrer, Superman.

The weekend felt particularly special, as moviegoers finally had options after a long lull. This year, only around 23–25 films have been released so far, offering limited variety to audiences heading to cinemas. However, this weekend broke the trend, presenting viewers with a broader range of genres to choose from. The lineup included holdovers from the previous week, such as Sitaare Zameen Par, Jurassic World: Rebirth, F1: The Movie, and Maa as well.

Now coming to the key question — who emerged victorious in the weekend box office clash? Rajkummar Rao’s Maalik took the lead, collecting ₹14.25 crore in India net collections over the weekend, as per data from box office tracker Sacnilk. On Sunday, the film recorded an overall occupancy of 20.77%, with Chennai leading at 43% occupancy, followed by strong turnouts in Lucknow and Jaipur. Directed by Pulkit and produced by Tips Industries Ltd. in collaboration with Northern Lights Films, Maalik features a powerful ensemble cast including Rajkummar Rao, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Manushi Chhillar, and Huma Qureshi in prominent roles.

Rajkummar Rao’s top 10 highest-grossing films include Stree 2 with a massive ₹597.99 crore, followed by its predecessor Stree, which earned ₹129.83 crore. Bhool Chuk Maaf brought in ₹72.73 crore, while Srikanth collected ₹48.07 crore. Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video and Mr. & Mrs. Mahi earned ₹42.09 crore and ₹36.34 crore, respectively.

Meanwhile, Hollywood biggie Superman, directed by James Gunn, outperformed its domestic competitors, raking in ₹25.50 crore in India net collections. According to Sacnilk, the film recorded an overall English occupancy of 30.57% on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Superman witnessed a steady rise in footfalls throughout the day—beginning with 19.07% occupancy during the morning shows, increasing to 35.37% in the afternoon, peaking at 44.69% in the evening, and settling at 23.15% during the night screenings.

Shanaya Kapoor’s debut film Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan had a muted start at the box office, opening with just ₹0.3 crore on Friday. While collections improved slightly on Saturday to ₹0.49 crore, the momentum did not sustain, with Sunday bringing in merely ₹0.41 crore, according to Sacnilk. This brought the film’s total India net collection to just ₹1.2 crore over its first weekend. On Sunday, the film recorded an overall occupancy of 16.90%, the lowest of all its competitor releases.

This means, in the weekend face-off, Superman clearly soared above its competitors, outperforming both Maalik and Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan at the box office. With robust collections and higher occupancy across the board, the Hollywood spectacle proved to be the top draw for moviegoers. While Maalik held its ground, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan struggled to gain momentum.