The opening act of the crucial festive season hasn’t stirred Indian movie theatres out of their slump, threatening to end the year with a thud.
Their only big-budget hope is Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar, besides a few dark horses.
At last count, Dharma Productions’ Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari had made only around ₹38 crore, and even the Kannada fantasy thriller Kantara has received traction only in specific markets, including the Hindi belt and Karnataka. Thamma, scheduled for a Diwali release, has generated mixed buzz so far.
Key holidays such as Diwali and Christmas will be celebrated in the coming weeks, but the absence of big star vehicles is pretty evident, says Rahul Puri, managing director of Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas.
Festive cheer
The festive quarter-the October to December period-usually brings in about 30% of the annual box office income. Yet, exhibitors’ income could end only 5-10% higher this year than in 2024, according to trade experts and film producers, but is likely to miss the benchmark set in 2023.
“The year 2023 set a high benchmark, which may have been a combination of increased ticket prices and footfalls for films that found a draw,” said Rahul Puri, managing director, Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas. “I’m not sure whether we will be able to get there even if we cross 2024 numbers.”
The year so far has only seen a couple of big hits: Chhaava in February and Saiyaara in July. According to Ormax, the January-to-August cumulative box office stood at ₹8,370 crore, 21% higher than a year earlier. But this growth came on a low base as 2024 saw major disruption due to the Lok Sabha elections and the IPL.
With gross collections of ₹4,679 crore in 2024, Bollywood-dominated Hindi cinema’s box-office income shrank 13% over 2023, according to media consulting firm Ormax. Its share in overall earnings, too, fell from 44% to 40%. Across languages, Indian cinema box-office income dropped 3% last year.
Historically, the October to December period has been peppered with big-budget films headlined by mainstream stars. Last year, Alia Bhatt’s Jigra ( ₹30.69 crore), horror comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 ( ₹283.80 crore), Ajay Devgn’s Singham Again ( ₹268.35 crore), Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2-The Rule ( ₹830.10 crore), and Varun Dhawan’s Baby John ( ₹35.98 crore) managed mixed box office takings.
In 2023, Salman Khan-starrer Tiger 3 ( ₹285.52 crore), Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal ( ₹556.36 crore), Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki ( ₹212.42 crore) and Prabhas’ Salaar: Part 1 ( ₹153.84 crore) had released during the festive period.
The current quarter doesn’t seem that exciting, according to Yusuf Shaikh, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Janta Cinema, a low-cost theatre chain. Other than the big gap between the few high-profile releases that are scheduled for now, some previously anticipated genres are no longer finding draw, he said.
Dhurandhar, scheduled for the first week of December, was conceived as a high-octane action film. But given the recent record with titles likeWar 2 and Sikandar, it is clear audiences are no longer flocking to such films.
Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director, Miraj Entertainment Ltd, a company that operates multiplexes, is still hopeful.
Regional cinema continues to punch above its weight, and Hindi cinema has some promising releases in the pipeline, said Mendiratta. If even two or three of them strike the right chord, the way Jawan or RRR did in earlier years, the industry could easily close higher than last year, he said.
The overall mood of audiences is positive, and the recovery in big cities and smaller towns is visible in theatres, he added.
But Mendiratta is worried that too many films bunched together during Diwali can end up splitting the audience.
“Any postponement of marquee titles can also hurt momentum. Add to that the rising pressure on family budgets during the festive season and the constant lure of OTT platforms, and the quarter becomes a high-risk, high-reward play,” he said. “Eventually, it all depends on how the big festive films perform – because that’s what decides whether the year ends on a high or just steady.”