While franchise films like Stree 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 performed well, reflecting audiences' preference for familiar content, 2024 was largely defined by missed opportunities and underwhelming releases like Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Auron Mai Kahan Dum Tha, Maidaan, and Baby John, among others. In contrast, 2023 saw a significantly stronger box office performance, with four Hindi films—Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, and Animal—each crossing the Rs 500 crore mark. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap revealed that he is moving out of Mumbai. He also expressed his discontent with the Hindi film industry, stating that the joy of filmmaking has been sucked out. He said, “Now it is difficult for me to go out and experiment as it comes at a cost, which makes my producers think about profit and margins. Right from the beginning, before the film starts, it becomes about how to sell it. So, the joy of filmmaking is sucked out. That’s why I want to move out of Mumbai next year. I am going to the South. I want to go where there is stimulation. Otherwise, I will die as an old man. I am so disappointed and disgusted by my own industry. I am disgusted by the mindset. The mindset is to remake what’s already worked. They won’t try anything new.” Director Sudipto Sen echoes Kashyap’s sentiments as he shares, “Hindi cinema is on life support right now. There is a lack of new ideas, talented people and the people who have talent don’t get patronage of the industry. Bengali and Malalayam film industry are doing so much better, even going to such great international film festivals. Unless a new idea comes along, the pattern will not be changed. A new wave needs to come and fresh talent must be given the space for that.” ALSO READ | Hindi cinema’s best to worst in 2024: Of Pushpa 2 and Stree 2, Chamkila and Laapataa Ladies Franchise films ruled the box office in 2024 In 2024, the industry’s reliance on sequels and franchise-driven stories left no space for fresh scripts, and the audience took less risks with independent films. Film trade expert and producer Girish Johar says, “Franchise films are definitely safe bets because they are well established brands and have familiar characters. But, people will never watch them just for the heck of it. They also have to be appealing. It gives an advantage, but we can’t say they can carry Bollywood on its shoulders.” Producer Ramesh Taurani weighs in and says that even a sequel gets a nod from producers when there’s meat. “There has to be a good script only then a sequel or franchise will work. It can’t work only because of the name. We don’t approach a film thinking that original script is riskier and franchise is not.” Film producer Anand Pandit adds, “Franchises and remakes benefit from pre-existing familiarity and an established fanbase, making them seem safer bets. However, this doesn’t mean original scripts have lost their charm, as audiences remain eager for fresh and engaging narratives.” Magic of re-releases Nostalgia was a significant factor which brought moviegoers to theatres in 2024. From Avinash Tiwary and Triptii Dimri’s Laila Majnu to Ranbir Kapoor–Nargis Fakhri starrer Rockstar, there were many re-released films that received acceptance and earned better at the box office as compared to the original release window years ago. “If there’s nothing else good in the theatres, people will go for something. You can’t really avoid going to theatres; you start missing it. Then, with re-releases, they feel that the films they couldn’t watch in theatres at that time, it can be an added experience to watch them now. These re-releases are doing so well at the box office,” says film trade analyst Atul Mohan. “I am glad that films are being re-released. At least, some buzz is being created for Hindi films because of that. If people don’t have anything fresh to watch, they will choose old films. It is not surprising to me,” adds Sudipto Sen. Is Bollywood doomed? Telugu film Pushpa 2: The Rule emerged as the the highest Indian grosser of 2024. It was made at a budget of Rs 400–500 crores, and its lifetime box office collection stands at around Rs 1,831 crore. However, Bollywood is suffering in terms of footfalls, box office collections, as well as content. Johar reasons, “Post pandemic and with the advent of OTT, the theatrical pattern and parameters for the audiences to come to the cinema hall have completely changed. And, I feel that the ticket prices are also pinching their pockets a bit.” He adds, “Their (audience) levels of quality content consumption have also changed. People are watching either extremely smart content or extremely commercial mass entertainers. These are the reasons why the 2024 box office was unimpressive.” ALSO READ | ‘Bollywood panicked during pandemic,’ Resul Pookutty explains why South cinema is doing better than Hindi: ‘Roller coaster of crisis you created’ Ramesh Taurani doesn’t agree with Johar's take as he says, “We mostly see these pan-India films like RRR, KGF, and Pushpa. But, if you take out the total history of Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, they also have several flop films. Only a few work just like Hindi cinema. The ratio is practically the same.” Meanwhile, Atul Mohan feels that the mistake lies in following the same kind of storytelling in Bollywood. “The same format and routine of storytelling is going on. Telugu and Tamil industry are evolving and moving forward. They are not making routine films. It is a bigger canvas now. Each and every story is different in their cinema; no regular films now." Director Anil Sharma points out that Bollywood actors have become far more visible on social media, resulting in less appeal to watch their movies. “To create the audience appeal, there is a need to cast a star. People had a craze for actors and they used to go to the theatres for them, deciding good or bad later. The stars are now seen on social media daily, leading to no craze to watch them on the big screen. It has become normal now. Stars kam influencers zyada hogaye hain. They have watched them for free daily. Why give money?” "Hardcore commercial cinema, like what we saw in Pushpa or Jawan, was noticeably absent last year. The larger-than-life aura of heroes seems to be fading. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan had a star, but lacked a compelling character. In the past, people connected with strong, well-defined personas—whether it was Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘angry young man’ or Sunny Deol’s Taara Singh. Today, that depth in characterisation is missing," he adds. Huge budget was the enemy? In Bollywood’s 2024 graph, it also looked like films were not able to earn profits because of unusually high budgets at which they were made. “Overspending without evaluating a story’s scalability or market potential is undoubtedly a risk. Hindi cinema is not doomed but is certainly undergoing a transition. The budgets should be spent in a more controlled way for a better outcome,” stresses Anand Pandit. “Budgets are high because of the fees of actors. Producers can’t take risks more than this,” says Atul Mohan. Anil Sharma agrees and adds, “That is a huge problem. Actors ki fees hi itni zyada hai, hum kya karein? They want all their entourage and high fees that the budget naturally rises. It would be a huge support if this can be managed somehow.” ALSO READ | Akshay Kumar on his disappointing box office run in 2024: ‘It’s not like this has happened for the first time’ What to expect from 2025 Bollywood stands at a crucial crossroads in 2025. This year will determine whether the industry continues to rely on proven formulas or takes bold risks with fresh narratives and emerging talent. There is a dire need for the audience to reconnect with fresh releases again, and it has become crucial for producers to invest money in wise film choices. Taurani emphasises, “We are definitely rethinking our investing strategies for 2025. It has to be a good script with superb casting. All the leading producers are concentrating on big event films and franchise films to bring people back to theatres.” “The trends of 2024 have been eye-opening, revealing that while some big-budget films struggled, smaller, content-driven films succeeded in finding their audience. OTT platforms played a crucial role in expanding the reach of many such films,” says Anand Pandit. For 2025, the producer feels that we should take insights and learnings from the last year. “Stories that resonate emotionally and provide a larger-than-life experience will continue to draw audiences back to theatres. Historical dramas, mythological epics, and socially relevant yet entertaining films hold strong potential. Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies is the best example. It successfully blended comedy with social commentary,” he says. "What was expected to succeed in 2024 didn’t pan out as predicted. There’s been a significant shift in audience preferences, and star power alone no longer guarantees a strong opening—a realization that has struck the entire industry. Today, it’s the content and its quality that hold equal, if not greater, importance," concluded Johar.
