Bollywood's box office blues return after one big hit

Mumbai: After the blockbuster success of Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, Hindi cinema has slipped back into a slump, with at least seven consecutive box-office failures following the moderate performance of Bhooth Bangla, trade data showed.

Films such as Chanda Mera Dil, Ek Din, Daadi Ki Shaadi, Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai and Bandar, despite featuring well-known casts and filmmakers, have failed to draw audiences.

Industry experts told ET that Bollywood's continued dependence on outdated storytelling formulas, fading star power, inability to adapt to evolving audience preferences, weak marketing campaigns and the failure to turn films into social media-driven cultural events have all contributed to the poor performance.


Producers and exhibitors said the industry has struggled to organically build audiences around films before their releases, a strategy increasingly crucial for box-office success.

Also, increasingly, makers in the Hindi film industry have a huge disconnect with audiences' tastes, said exhibitors.

"These films are rejected. Audiences want to come to theatres. The successes of Tamil film Karuppu or even the small-budget experimental horror film Obsession prove it. One needs to bring the right product at the right time. This is how the business works. Smart producers adjust to genres and not make what they think audiences will like," explained Vishek Chauhan, CEO of Roopbani Cinema, a single-screen theatre in Bihar. "Earlier, big directors would constantly communicate with well-penetrated distributors to understand audiences' preferences and tastes. This is how they made films. This is not the case today," he added. Apart from animation, horror genre has emerged as a favourite among audiences in India and abroad. Recently, a small-budget franchise Hindi film Haunted 3D: Echoes of the Past, which was released without marketing, collected ₹13.5 crore in the first six days of its release.

Another reason may have been dated stories and style.

"These recent films are made in the old mould. You cannot make a Hindi film with the 1990s story and expect it to click with audiences. Today, audiences reward 'unique' writing. It is not about stars or a film's budget. Given the high costs that are involved in a theatre visit, these films made in the old mould do not provide a strong reason for audiences to come to theatres," said producer Rajesh R Nair.

"It is about intent. After the pandemic, I have not seen a major film launched which has matched up to the evolved taste of audiences. The intent is totally missing. If one starts a film then one must sense the audience's tastes 18 months in advance to be relevant," explained Girish Johar, producer and film business expert.