The phosphorescent nature of the planet Pandora has again lit up the Indian cinema with the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash. The third part of James Cameron’s iconic series, which was released on December 19, 2025, came with the burden of sky-high expectations.
After the big success of The Way of Water, which raised the bar for Hollywood imports, everybody, from fans to trade analysts, was eagerly waiting to see if the “Ash People” would be able to draw a bigger crowd to the cinemas. The early figures tell an intriguing story of regional control and high-end format preference, as the film is passing through a tough rivalry to make its mark.
Avatar: Fire and Ash Box Office Collection Day 1
The Avatar: Fire and Ash box office collection on Day 1 opening day performance has caused a stir in the industry, netting an estimated ₹20–22 crore across all languages in India. This number indicates a good beginning for any international release, but it very much lags behind the gigantic ₹40.3 crore overtake opened by Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022.
The main obstacle for this third chapter was the “Dhurandhar” impact, as the Ranveer Singh-starrer took a large part of the North Indian screens. However, the picture offset the drop in the single screens with almost full occupancy in IMAX and 4D formats, thus making it clear that Indian audiences still regard James Cameron’s films as the best premium theatrical experience.
Avatar 3 Earnings vs. Avatar 2 India
The comparison between Avatar 3 earnings and Avatar 2 in India points out a clear change in the audience dynamics. The same day and a much shorter time of just 3 years for the third film release compared to the second film’s ten-year-long audience euphoria made the reception more stable but still a bit less intense. The South Indian markets, which have always been the strongest support for the franchise, remained the strongest contributors, with Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad leading.
The net opening is about 50% lower than its predecessor; however, trade experts predict that the long-term trajectory might get a boost from the Christmas and New Year holidays, thus enabling the “Fire” to last longer even if it didn’t start with the same explosive heat.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
