Footfalls for Hindi films slump up to 50%

Yash Raj Film's Pathaan has offered a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered Hindi film industry, but cinema attendance in Hindi-speaking markets has plummeted by nearly half post-covid.

- Latajha lata

Even though big hits such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Drishyam 2 have reported 15 million ticket sales, theatre owners lamented that they are only a fraction of the pre-covid blockbusters such as Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Dangal, which raked in a staggering 50 million each.

Footfalls for Hindi cinema fell to 189 million in 2022 from 341 million in 2019,316 million in 2018 and 301 million in 2017, according to media consulting firm Ormax.

A major chunk of the growth in box office collections is due to the rise in ticket prices, which is keeping several audience segments away from theatres. Further, discount initiatives like National Cinema Day have proven to be oneoffs and will not work when the film is known to start streaming on home devices within four weeks.