Bollywood 2024: Telugu pan-Indian films triumphed after Hindi cinema failed to perform at the box office.

Bollywood 2024: Telugu pan-Indian films triumphed after Hindi cinema failed to perform at the box office.

Delhi, Bollywood's dream factory failed to meet the expectations of viewers who looked to Telugu blockbusters like "Pushpa 2" and "Kalki 2898 AD" for epic tales, while its predictable plots and action plays were a box office bust.

The only significant hit for the Hindi film industry, which relied heavily on the nostalgia of re-releases like "Laila Majnu," "Tumbbad," "Veer Zaara," and numerous more to draw audiences to theaters, was the horror comedy "Stree 2," which brought in ₹597 crore nett. No other Hindi film, aside from "Stree 2," came close to earning ₹500 crore at the box office in 2024.

With Allu Arjun in the lead role, "Pushpa 2" was released on December 5 and has made over ₹700 crore in Hindi box office receipts alone. According to the film's makers, the film has made over ₹1,700 crore worldwide.

In a creative marketing move, Arjun traveled all the way to Patna for the film's trailer premiere, suggesting that the producers were positioning the film as a pan-Indian production rather than a Telugu one. Released in 2021, "Pushpa 1" performed remarkably well in the Hindi belt.

The success of movies like "Pushpa 2" is crucial for the Indian cinema industry, according to Malayalam actor Mohanlal.

"It's not easy to become an entertainer and achieve great popularity. In addition to many other things, it takes a great deal of patience. No one is aware of the formula for this miracle recipe. The actor told PTI that movies like "Pushpa" are revolutionizing the Indian cinema industry.

According to trade website Sacnilk, Nag Ashwin's futuristic adaptation of the Mahabharata, "Kalki," which starred Telugu superstar Prabhas and featured notable performances by Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, generated over ₹290 crore in Hindi alone in June of this year.

This is in sharp contrast to 2023, when Bollywood recorded four box office successes with "Pathaan" and "Jawan," which brought in over ₹1,000 crore apiece, as well as "Gadar 2" starring Sunny Deol and "Animal" starring Ranbir Kapoor.

"I wouldn't say that Bollywood had a poor year, but when compared to the previous year, four of our films made over ₹400 crore at the box office. Apart from the Telugu release of "Stree 2" and "Pushpa 2," this year hasn't been all that wonderful.

"There are phases and the box office might be unpredictable. However, there are lessons to be learned; we must produce movies that appeal to viewers throughout India. Hopefully, Bollywood will make a significant comeback the following year," trade analyst Taran Adarsh told PTI.

Amit Sharma, MD of Miraj Entertainment Ltd., claims that 2024 was "disastrous" for Hindi film.

In comparison to 2023, when we had "Pathaan," "Gadar 2," "Jawan," "Animal," "Dunki," "Fukrey," and "Dream Girl 2," the business is down by at least 30%. It is impossible to discuss Bollywood in 2024 without mentioning "Stree 2," "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3," "Singham," and movies like "Laapata Ladies" and "Shaitaan." But in terms of business, 2024 and 2023 cannot be compared," he told PTI.

Not only did "Stree 2" do well at the box office, but Kartik Aaryan's "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3" and Maddock Films' "Munjya" also did well, suggesting that horror-comedies are the most popular genre in Bollywood.

However, "Fighter," the year's opening action film, was a poor investment for Hindi cinema.

"Fighter," which starred Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone and was directed by Siddharth Anand of "Pathaan" fame, was unable to duplicate the popularity of the Shah Rukh Khan film from 2023.

Sacnilk claims that despite having high-octane action scenes and a large budget (about ₹250 crore), the film did poorly at the box office, only making ₹212 crore in nett at the Indian box office.

The most recent film in director Rohit Shetty's cop universe, "Singham Again," starring Ajay Devgn, made ₹247 crore nett, did a respectable job, but was not a blockbuster.

It's possible that the film's conflict with "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3" during Diwali this year affected both films' box office performance. The movies did well on their first day of release, but they lost their appeal after only two weeks.

Sidharth Malhotra's "Yodha," Akshay Kumar's "Bade Miyan Chote Miyan," Devgn's "Maidaan," Aaryan's "Chandu Champion," and Alia Bhatt's "Jigra" were also big letdowns at the ticket booth.

Once "Bade Miyan Chote Miyan" ended, Akshay's films continued to struggle at the box office, with "Sarfira" and "Khel Khel Mein" both performing poorly.

Medium-budget movies including "Shaitaan," "Munjya," and "Crew" did well at the box office during this year.

Starring Devgn and R Madhavan, the horror movie "Shaitaan" became an unexpected smash with a nett collection of ₹148 crore.

Starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tabu, and Kriti Sanon, the heist comedy "Crew" brought in ₹89 crore, over double its budget.

In order to fill the theaters during the dreary run of Hindi films at the ticket booth, exhibitors turned to a few timeless favorites.

"Karan Arjun," "Kal Ho Naa Ho," "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge," and "Chak De! India" starring Shah Rukh Khan made a comeback to the big screen.

Salman Khan's "Maine Pyar Kiya," "Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein," which starred Madhavan and Dia Mirza, "Rockstar," "Jab We Met," and "Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani," as well as Anurag Kashyap's 2012 hit "Gangs of Wasseypur," also returned to theaters.

Audiences especially enjoyed actor-producer Sohum Shah's period mythological thriller "Tumbbad" and Imtiaz Ali's "Laila Majnu," which starred Avinash Tiwary and Triptii Dimri. Both films did better at the box office than when they first came out.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee acknowledged that Hindi cinema is experiencing a slump in a recent interview with PTI.

"It is undoubtedly making filmmakers reevaluate their methods. Furthermore, it is quite acceptable. It is, in my opinion, a calm moment and a churning. I'm optimistic that it will quickly return to its original state. Since creative individuals usually find a solution, I don't view it as an issue," he remarked.

According to Bajpayee, one of the reasons why people aren't swarming to theaters to watch Hindi films in large numbers is the growing expense of movie tickets.

"The individual attending the theaters is a mass guy who is unable to pay for a multiplex ticket. Even though the majority of our audience is unable to attend the multiplex, they still want to see "Animal," "Jawan," or "Pathaan."

"The public sees Allu Arjun as their hero, and the single screens are crowded. He is providing them with the type of movie that ought to be seen in theaters," he continued.