After an underwhelming February, the box office bounced back somewhat with a decent performance in March, as per The India Box Office Report by Ormax Media. With a gross collection of Rs 668 crore, March almost doubled February’s tally, reigniting some momentum for 2023. This also took the figures for the January-March quarter of the year to Rs 2,432 crore, which is 1.2 per cent lower than the numbers for the same period last year.

While different language industries use different parameters for assessing box office numbers (Gross, Nett or Share), Ormax’s report adopts Gross Box Office as the unified measurement. Under this, a film’s collection is always attributed to the month of its release, even if the film goes on to produce more or better numbers in the subsequent months. For films released in multiple languages, box office numbers reflect the contribution of such films to all the corresponding languages.

Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor’s easy chemistry propelled the Luv Ranjan-directed Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar to a collection of Rs 152 crore in March, giving it a wide and comfortable lead at the top of the month’s charts. In second place was Ajay Devgn-starrer Bholaa, which clocked in Rs 98 crore. Telugu period action drama, Dasara, wrapped up the podium places by accumulating Rs 91 crore.

John Wick: Chapter 4, led by an enigmatic Keanu Reeves, was the most successful Hollywood release of the month, roping in Rs 65 crore. This put the action entertainer well ahead of Kannada crime drama, Kabzaa, which closed out March at Rs 39 crore. Rani Mukerji’s return to the big screen in Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway tanked at the box office, bringing home only Rs 25 crore.

Pathaan is making an ordinary year look better

After the end of March, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan, which released in January, alone constitutes 27 per cent of the box office in 2023, having grossed a stellar amount of Rs 646 crore. Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar enters the top four highest-grossing films of the year, behind Pathaan, Varisu (Rs 212 crore) and Waltair Veerayya (Rs 190 crore). At its present rate, 2023 is projected to gross Rs 9,728 crore, which will be Rs 909 crore less than what 2022 gathered at the box office.

In terms of language share, Hindi remains more or less where it was in February, rising ever so slightly to 41 per cent, followed by Telugu at 23 per cent and Tamil at 19 per cent.