James Cameron’s epic sci-fi spectacle Avatar: Fire and Ash has finally landed in Indian theatres and while the film has managed to put up respectable numbers it hasn’t quite lived up to the towering expectations attached to the franchise. Released on Friday the film has crossed Rs 50 crore net in India within just two days securing a firm footing during the holiday window though trade experts believe the start could have been stronger. How did Avatar: Fire and Ash perform on Day 1 and Day 2? According to early estimates from Sacnilk Avatar: Fire and Ash opened with a Day 1 collection of around Rs 23.25 crore net. While the opening was decent it was noticeably muted for a franchise known to deliver record-breaking starts. The film did show a marginal recovery on Saturday registering a growth of nearly 15 per cent. On Day 2 the film earned an estimated Rs 22.35 crore net taking its two-day total past the Rs 45 crore net mark in India. Which language versions are driving the collections? The English version led the charge on Day 2 with around Rs 10.50 crore followed by the Hindi version at approximately Rs 6.25 crore. The Tamil-dubbed version added Rs 3 crore while the Telugu version contributed close to Rs 2.50 crore. In terms of gross collections the film earned about Rs 26.57 crore on Day 2 with English shows accounting for Rs 12.60 crore and Hindi shows bringing in Rs 7.50 crore. What about occupancy and nationwide reach? Despite its wide release across 5091 screens in India Avatar: Fire and Ash recorded an average occupancy of 23.8 per cent on Saturday. While the numbers suggest strong visibility across markets footfalls remain lower than expected for a tentpole release. How does it compare to The Way of Water? The comparison with Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) is inevitable — and not entirely favourable. The previous film had opened to nearly Rs 50 crore on Day 1 and collected close to Rs 100 crore in its first two days in India. In contrast Fire and Ash is currently running almost 50 per cent behind at the same point. Is Dhurandhar affecting Avatar’s run in India? Trade analysts point to the continued dominance of Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar which is still pulling audiences even in its third week. On Day 16 alone the film reportedly collected Rs 33.50 crore net overshadowing new releases and limiting Avatar’s growth potential in several centres. How is the film performing internationally? Globally Avatar: Fire and Ash crossed USD 100.4 million (approx. Rs 8333 crore) within its first few days. China led overseas markets with USD 17.2 million (Rs 1428 crore approx.) followed by France at USD 8.7 million (Rs 722 crore) and Germany at USD 8.3 million (Rs 689 crore). India contributed USD 2.6 million (around Rs 216 crore) to the international tally. Early projections suggest a global opening weekend between USD 340–350 million (Rs 28220–29050 crore approx.). While Avatar: Fire and Ash is expected to maintain a steady run its real test will be whether it can break free from strong local competition and regain the franchise’s trademark box office momentum.