Hindi cinema witnessed a 4 per cent drop in its annual box office share in India in 2024, a year that generated the second-highest revenue in the history of Indian cinema, media consulting firm Ormax said in a report released recently.
The year 2024 witnessed a collection of Rs 11,833 crore gross, slightly short of 2023’s Rs 12,226 crore, Ormax said in its report, highlighting a decline in footfall and a mixed performance across regional and international cinema industries.
Hindi cinema saw a significant downturn, with collections dropping from Rs 5,380 crore in 2023 to Rs 4,679 crore in 2024. Its share in the overall box office reduced by 4 per cent to 40 per cent. Moreover, 31 per cent of its revenue came from dubbed versions of South Indian films. When excluding dubbed films, the market share of Hindi cinema dropped by 37 per cent.
One of the most notable trends of the year was the rise of Malayalam cinema. Its box office share doubled from 5 per cent in 2023 to 10 per cent in 2024, crossing Rs 1,000 crore for the first time. Tamil and Telugu cinema held steady in their contributions to the box office, with only marginal fluctuations compared to 2023.
Gujarati cinema, however, posted an impressive 66 per cent growth over the previous year, the second-highest increase after Malayalam cinema.
Hollywood films faced a challenging year in India, with gross collections falling by 17 per cent compared to 2023, according to Ormax.
The Ormax report highlighted that Allu Arjun-starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule emerged as the highest-grossing film of 2024 with a collection of Rs 1,403 crore. The film’s dubbed Hindi version amassed Rs 889 crore, setting a new record as the highest-grossing Hindi film ever.
Kalki 2898 AD and Stree 2 were the only other films to cross the Rs 500 crore mark at the Indian box office. Meanwhile, Devara - Part 1, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, and The Greatest Of All Time joined the elite club of films grossing over Rs 300 crore.
India registered 88.3 crore footfall in 2024, a 6 per cent drop from 2023. This marked the third consecutive year with lower footfall than the pre-pandemic phase, reflecting a persistent struggle to bring audiences back to theatres. Average Ticket Price (ATP) rose marginally by 3 per cent, from Rs 130 in 2023 to Rs 134 in 2024.