Bollywood couldn't have been more conspicuous by its absence in movie theatres this year, with nearly the full April-June quarter going by without any big releases. The industry was hit hard by the Lok Sabha elections and IPL (Indian Premier League) between April and May, and just a handful of titles attracted audiences to the theatres.
Trade experts estimate Hindi film revenue in 2024 to be at least 30-40% lower than in 2023, and the overall Indian movie box office, across languages, likely flat or 10-15% lower this year. Last year, the movie industry earned ₹12,000 crore in earnings, according to consulting firm Ormax.
There is more bad news for Bollywood: at ₹72 crore, the Hindi-dubbed version of Telugu action film Pushpa 2: The Rule has made for the second highest opening day ever in the Hindi-speaking belt, beating many original Hindi language films. In terms of total collections, it has beaten all original Hindi language hits, and is now the highest grosser in the Bollywood market.
The only Bollywood titles to have made a mark this year are horror comedy Stree 2 (₹627.02 crore), Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (₹278.42 crore) and Singham Again (₹268.35 crore). The numbers have been sourced from Bollywood Hungama.
On the other hand, success stories in the Tamil and Malayalam industries are quite a few-Amaran (Tamil, ₹216 crore), Manjummel Boys (Malayalam, ₹153 crore), Vettaiyan (Tamil, ₹143 crore), Aavesham (Malayalam, ₹97 crore), Premalu (Malayalam, ₹75 crore), and Maharaja (Tamil, ₹72 crore).
"The box office is currently tracking similar to or slightly lower than last year's numbers," said Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, executive director, PVR Inox Ltd.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Treasures of Nimrud Pieced Together Again
Archaeologists Have Been Reassembling Bas-Reliefs, Sculptures and Decorated Slabs
How Bhansali elevates the first encounter
An excerpt from a new book on the Hindi director considers the importance of first sightings in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's cinema
From arrack to wine, a bar crawl across Sri Lanka
Cocktail bars in the island nation are drawing on local traditions and flavours to give a heady twist to familiar spirits
Only human-centred AI can charm humans to adopt it
The AI industry could learn from carmakers how to focus on the consumer and modify perceptions
How Emerging Economies Could Prosper in a Protectionist World
As manufacturing export success gets harder, they should focus on service exports. These are unlikely to face big trade barriers
The Asian Dream Is Waking Up To Realities Of Middle-Class Life
Asians are realizing that staying middle-class is not guaranteed
Fix India's bond market to lift economic growth
As India's economy slows, we should revive public-private partnerships to attract private investment. But, for debt funding, we'll need to reform and invigorate our market for bonds
Lessons from the 75-year-old National Sample Survey
Its impressive history tells us much about innovation, autonomy and state-level data collection
We should let clarity prevail over nonsense: Here's a handy guide
We must use simple language, empathize with people, not take ourselves too seriously and be kind
Clear Goals and Discipline: How Small Investors Can Build Lasting Wealth
There is no one-size-fits-all, the answer will depend on your needs, personal preferences
