Regional films lead box office in 2024 as Hindi cinema sees 13% decline
New Delhi: Regional cinema outshone Bollywood and Hollywood in 2024, marking a transformative year for the Indian film industry. According to the Ormax Media Box Office Report, Indian cinema’s gross collections stood at ₹11,833 crore, reflecting a 3% decline from the record ₹12,000 crore in 2023.
Hindi cinema faced a 13% drop in gross collections, falling from ₹5,380 crore in 2023 to ₹4,679 crore in 2024. Contributing just 40% to the total box office, down from 44% last year, Bollywood struggled to maintain its dominance. Dubbing of South Indian films accounted for 31% of Hindi cinema’s collections, with Pushpa 2: The Rule becoming the highest-grossing dubbed Hindi film at ₹889 crore. Excluding dubbed films, original Hindi releases saw a steep 37% decline.
Hollywood also faced challenges, with collections dropping 17% to ₹941 crore from ₹1,139 crore in 2023. The year’s top Hollywood film, Mufasa: The Lion King, earned ₹172 crore, ranking 11th in the overall box office.
The Telugu action thriller Pushpa 2: The Rule dominated globally, grossing ₹1,403 crore and becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. Its Hindi-dubbed version set a record as the highest-grossing Hindi-language film ever. Other major hits included Kalki 2898 AD (₹747 crore), Stree 2 (₹674 crore), and Tamil thriller The Greatest Of All Time. Films like Devara – Part 1 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 also crossed ₹300 crore each.
Regional industries recorded remarkable growth. Malayalam cinema doubled its market share to 10%, crossing ₹1,000 crore for the first time, led by the survival thriller Manjummel Boys (₹164 crore). Tamil and Telugu cinema maintained their strong positions with 15% and 20% market shares, respectively. Gujarati cinema saw a notable 66% growth, collecting ₹84 crore.
Despite robust earnings driven by higher ticket prices, theatre attendance fell to 88.3 crore, a 6% drop from 2023 and 14% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The average ticket price rose to ₹134, a 26% increase from ₹106 in 2019.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Beauty of democracy: Tharoor congratulates BJP on civic body poll win in his constituency
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday, while lauding the win of the UDF in Kerala local bodies elections, also congratulated the BJP for its historic performance in his Thiruvananthapuram constituency, calling it the "beauty of democracy".
In a post on X, he said the people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in his constituency.
"What a day of amazing results in the Kerala local self-government elections! The mandate is clear, and the democratic spirit of the state shines through.
"A huge congratulations to @UDFKerala for a truly impressive win across various local bodies! This is a massive endorsement and a powerful signal ahead of the state legislative elections. Hard work, a strong message and anti-incumbency have all clearly paid off to achieve a much better result than in 2020," Tharoor said.
He said he also acknowledges the historic performance of the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram, and "offer humble congratulations on their significant victory in the city corporation - a strong showing that marks a notable shift in the capital's political landscape."
Tharoor said he campaigned for a change from 45 years of the LDF "misrule", but the voters have ultimately rewarded another party that also sought a clear change in governance.
"That is the beauty of democracy. The people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in my constituency.
"We will continue to work for the betterment of Kerala, advocating for the people's needs and upholding the principles of good governance. Onwards and upwards!" Tharoor, who is the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said.
The lotus bloomed in the state capital as the BJP-led NDA achieved a resounding win in the polls for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, snatching it from the CPI(M)-led LDF and marking an end to 45 years of continuous Left rule in the local body.
The win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will act as a boost for the BJP in the 2026 Assembly polls, especially in the state capital.
Of the 101 wards in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP won 50, LDF 29, UDF 19 and two wards were won by independent candidates.
The BJP is one seat short of a decisive majority in the corporation.
Besides this, the NDA retained the Palakkad municipality after a close battle with the Congress-led UDF and wrested the Thrippunithura Municipality from the grand old party.
In Thrissur, from where Suresh Gopi won in the Lok Sabha polls last year, the BJP won 18 out of the 46 wards in Kodungallur Municipality, eight in Thrissur Corporation, two each in Guruvayoor and Vadakkancherry municipalities, seven in Kunnamkulam Municipality, six in Irinjalakuda Municipality and one in Chalakudy Municipality.
