During 2021-2022, Bollywood has seen its weakest years when it comes to the box office performances of films. Many commented that the Hindi film industry has lost its shine and it will be very difficult for it to make a comeback. However, Bollywood gave a fitting comeback in the year 2023, and it registered numerous big blockbusters in the form of Pathaan, Gadar 2, Jawan, and Animal. Also, films like OMG 2 and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani also gathered respectful numbers at the box office.
Coming to 2024, Bollywood failed to produce big hits. Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter was anticipated to be a big blockbuster, but the film turned out to be an average earner. Also, the EID season produced unexpected duds in the form of Bade Miyan, Chote MIyan, and Maidaan, though the latter received critical acclaim. Only Kalki 2898 AD, which is primarily a Telugu film, registered big numbers at the box office this year for Bollywood. Some trade experts and industry insiders pointed out that audiences are not coming into the theaters except for big-budget fantasy films or sequels. It can also be said that since the rise of OTT platforms, the audience has been exposed to many films, and it is not possible to satisfy anyone with ordinary content. However, the success of a small-budget film, Munjya, made everyone talk about the change in the audience’s mind once again. As said above, stars like Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan failed to register expected footfalls at the ticket windows.
The expenseive Ticket pricing in multiplex chains is also said to be one of the major reasons for audiences not turing to the theaters very often. If we think from an audience point of view, no one will be ready to pay heavy ticket prices provided that there is a guarantee of quality content from the promotions of a particular film. Every year, the National Multiplex Chains celebrate Cinema Lovers Day by putting ticket rates at 99 Rs for one day. The massive footfalls on the last two Cinema Lovers Days indicate that there is a significant amount of viewers who are not ready to watch a movie in theater at an unaffordable price. So there are multiple reasons for the inconsistent box office performance of Bollywood films, and a sincere approach in making a film, irrespective of its genre and its promotions, can only be the right kind of approach to make it a successful one.
