While yet another year is set to come to an end, it’s been a lukewarm year for Bollywood. But of course, some biggies coming in made it worthwhile but those box office hits are far and few and can be counted on our fingers. However, the last quarter of 2024, is the best, as compared to the first three quarters and that has largely got to do with ‘Pushpa 2‘. But even the Diwali releases which came in November added a lot to this quarter. ETimes brings to you a detailed box office analysis of the year gone by, especially this last quarter from October to December.
List of hits 2024
The year had very few releases which proved to be box office hits. The year kick-started with ‘Fighter’ which was an average hit. Then there was ‘Munjya’, ‘Article 370’ which were small wonders that did bring in some profitable business as they were also mounted on a small budget. Other films which did some average notable business, include ‘Crew’, ‘Teri Baaton Mein Uljha Jiya’. But of course, the last quarter had the biggest hits – with ‘Singham Again‘, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3‘ and now ‘Pushpa 2’. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, “This year has been a mixed bag, I would say. There have been certain films which have done well, I am not denying that, but the biggest surprise is Pushpa 2. It was given that it could take a very good start, an excellent start, but the way it is performing, nobody expected the kind of numbers that are coming in, especially in second week, that too on weekdays. I think it is a hurricane, typhoon, tsunami, whatever you call it.”
Analysying the last quarter
The last three months have been the best time of the year as it had three major releases. As compared to the earlier quarters which had one 1 hit. Infact, that one big hit this year, came only between July-September and not before that. Trade analyst Karan Taurani says, “Performance in this quarter has been strong. We are going to see a box office growth of anywhere between 30 to 35 percent versus the earlier quarter. So, October, November, December will be 30-35 percent higher box office collections versus July, August, September and this is primarily because of Pushpa 2 and the Diwali releases. There was a low base in the previous quarter, because July, August, September had only one big hit ‘Stree 2’ which was there. So, that’s how the performance it will be a very robust growth on a quarter on quarter basis.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh further elaborates, “”In this quarter, Jigra did not work, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video’, was below average. Then Banda Singh Chaudhary, there was, which Arshad Warsi came and went without any noise. Yes, there was, on Diwali, the two major releases, Bhool Bhulagya 3 and Singham again. But it was Bhool Bhulagya 3 which eventually did better business. That’s a super hit. ‘Singham Again was average plus. Then of course, ‘Pushpa 2’ was huge. Overall, I think the last quarter was better thanks to these three franchises. Now, ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ also cannot be ignored as it as voice over from Shah Rukh Khan. It’ a hollywood biggie. That also can do well along with Baby John“
In-depth analysis of October to December including OTT releases
Trade expert Girish Wankhede gives a detailed analysis of the quarter. He states, “October began with some anticipation, particularly surrounding the film “Vicky Vaidhya Ka wo wala Video” which managed to garner considerable box office success. However, the month was largely characterized by a series of lackluster releases, including “The Signature” and “Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani,” both of which failed to capture the audience’s imagination. The most significant letdown, however, was ‘Jigra’ featuring the talented Alia Bhatt, which was met with widespread rejection from audiences. Even on the OTT front, titles such as “Do Patti,” “The Miranda Bros,” and “Control,” starring Ananya Pandey, struggled to make an impact, rendering October a rather disappointing month for the industry.”
He further adds, “As November rolled in, it brought with it a wave of action-packed excitement with the release of “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” and “Singham Again”. While “Singham 2” fizzled out quickly, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2” emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the month, revitalizing the box office. Other notable releases like “The Sabarmati Report” and “I Want to Talk,” featuring Abhishek Bachchan, were met with disappointment, failing to resonate with audiences. Even on OTT platforms, the modestly budgeted series “Freedom at Midnight” struggled to find its footing, and “Citadel ” underperformed, leading to a rather subdued atmosphere. “Ye Kali Kali Aankhen 2” did manage to achieve moderate success, but it was not enough to uplift the overall sentiment of the month.”
“December, however, marked a transformative moment for the industry with the release of “Pushpa 2.” This film not only broke records but also became the fastest Indian film to gross ₹1000 crores worldwide. In stark contrast, other releases during the month, such as “Mufasa ,” achieved only moderate success, while “Baby John” has yet to prove its mettle. The OTT release “Agni” also received a lukewarm reception, failing to spark significant interest among viewers,” says Wankhede.
Pushpa 2′ is the saving grace of the year
Be it the single screens or multiplexes, ‘Pushpa 2’ has hugely dominated at the box office and proved that massy entertainers will get footfalls to the cinema halls. The film is still running in theatres but it has already crossed Rs 1000 crore at the domestic box office and beaten ‘Stree 2’, ‘Jawan’. Manoj Desai, Executive Director, Gaeity Galaxy and Maratha Mandir Cinemas, says, “I’m only running ‘Pushpa 2’ in all my cinemas. The rates at my cinema is also less and thus, it’s going housefull during the weekends even in its third week run and has occupancy of around 60-70 percent during the weekdays.” He added that even in terms of benefit to the exhibitors, ‘Pushpa 2’ has been the most fruitful.
Film expert and producer, Girish Johar, says, “I think this quarter with Pushpa 2 going ballistic has been decent so far and we have a couple of more releases. We have Baby John and Mufasa. So, things are looking positive and upbeat. We were trailing this year by 20 percent as compared to last year’s fourth quarter, but with Pushpa 2 doing well in the Hindi market, we can be at best equal at the moment.”
Lesson learnt from this year
As barring 3-4 movies, we’ve not had any major hits this year, clearly. The industry must take a lesson from this. Taran Adarsh opines, “The lesson to learn is that, we must make basic content that people enjoy beyond metros also. We can’t be making Colaba to Bandra and Bandra to Versova films. We need to cater to the large chunk of audience which is hungry for good entertainers and we need to make those kind of things.”
Wankhede agrees and states, “When we reflect on the entirety of these three months, it is abundantly clear that “Pushpa 2” has been a game changer for the Indian film industry. It has not only emerged as the biggest blockbuster of the year but has also played a crucial role in revitalizing the quarter, consolidating its position as the top-grossing Hindi film. The success of “Pushpa 2” stands as a testament to the resilience of Indian cinema, reminding us of its capacity to captivate audiences and drive significant revenue. As we move forward, the industry will undoubtedly look to build upon this momentum, inspired by the remarkable achievements of “Pushpa 2.”