In 2024, the Indian box office recorded a gross collection of Rs 11,833 crore, making it the second-highest year of all time, trailing behind 2023, which achieved Rs 12,226 crore, according to the Ormax Media report. Despite this impressive milestone, the year witnessed several trends and shifts across various film industries in India.
Hindi cinema saw a decline in 2024, with collections dropping from Rs 5,380 crore in 2023 to Rs 4,679 crore. Its box office share reduced by four percentage points to 40%, with 31% of its revenue coming from dubbed South Indian films. Excluding these dubbed versions, the decline in Hindi cinema’s box office was a steep 37%. Footfalls for Hindi films plummeted by 16% to 23 crore, significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels. Despite this, tentpole films like Pushpa 2: The Rule (Hindi) and Stree 2 contributed Rs 1,587 crore to Hindi cinema’s total collections, highlighting a growing reliance on big-budget films.
Malayalam cinema emerged as a standout performer in 2024, doubling its box office share from five percent in 2023 to 10% and crossing the Rs 1,000 crore mark for the first time ever. The industry also saw an 88% growth in footfalls, driven by successful films like Manjummel Boys and Aavesham. Manjummel Boys became the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time, crossing Rs 150 crore, while 26 Malayalam films grossed over Rs 10 crore, doubling the count from 2023.
Tamil cinema recorded a strong performance, crossing Rs 1,500 crore for the third consecutive year, despite a seven percent decline from 2023. Footfalls fell below pre-pandemic levels, with only three Tamil films crossing the Rs 100 crore mark in 2024. However, the industry saw reduced reliance on the top 10 films, with mid-range productions contributing significantly to its success.
Telugu cinema achieved its best-ever year domestically, with collections surpassing Rs 2,000 crore for the third consecutive year. This growth was driven by higher Average Ticket Prices (ATP), despite a 12% decline in footfalls. Pushpa 2: The Rule and Kalki 2898 AD ranked among the top three highest-grossing Telugu films of all time, though Pushpa 2 fell short of the record set by RRR.
Hollywood experienced the steepest decline in 2024, with collections dropping by 17% to below Rs 1,000 crore for the first time since 2015 (excluding pandemic years). Footfalls stood at just 3.8 crore, and no Hollywood film crossed the Rs 200 crore mark in India for the second consecutive year. The industry relied heavily on franchise films, mirroring global trends.
Gujarati cinema achieved remarkable growth, with collections increasing by 66% over 2023 and crossing the Rs 80 crore mark for the first time. This success was led by the blockbuster Jhamkudi, which grossed over Rs 20 crore. Similarly, footfalls grew by 57%, marking 2024 as the best year ever for Gujarati cinema.
In contrast, Kannada cinema faced another challenging year, with collections declining by 13% compared to 2023 and footfalls dropping below the three crore mark for the first time in over a decade. Only three Kannada films grossed over Rs 25 crore in 2024, reflecting a lack of big-ticket successes.
Punjabi cinema saw a 14% decline in collections and a 20% drop in footfalls in 2024, with the total annual footfalls falling below the two crore mark. Jatt & Juliet 3 emerged as the top performer, contributing 22% of the industry’s total collections. Similarly, Marathi cinema experienced a 12% decline in collections, with total revenue falling below Rs 200 crore. Footfalls remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels, despite five Marathi films surpassing the Rs 10 crore mark.
Bengali cinema witnessed minimal growth in 2024, with collections remaining flat compared to the previous year. Blockbusters like Khadaan and Bohurupi crossed Rs 15 crore, but overall footfalls stayed steady at six million.
The report also highlighted that the Average Ticket Price (ATP) saw a marginal growth of 3% to Rs 134 in 2024, compared to double-digit growth in previous years. Footfalls across all languages declined by six percent from 2023, underscoring the increasing dependence on rising ticket prices for higher box office collections.