Buoyed by the success of movies like Gadar-2, Jailer, OMG-2 and Jawan, Indian box office collections are set to cross a record Rs 3,000 crore in the July-September quarter. The collections have already reached Rs 2,766 crore, a first for the third quarter of a calendar year, according to data compiled from film industry experts and analysts.
But this stupendous success is not just because of Hindi (Bollywood) movies, it also includes English (Hollywood) and regional-language cinema. While July saw regional films in Marathi (Baipan Bhari Deva) and Punjabi (Carry On Jatta 3) as well as Hollywood movies such as Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One, Barbie and Oppenheimer performing well at the box office, August had releases such as Gadar 2, OMG 2 and Jailer that drew audiences to theatres. This month has seen Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan setting the cash registers ringing at cinemas.
So far, Jawan has crossed Rs 300 crore in terms of net box office collections in India, becoming the first Bollywood film to achieve this number in six days. Worldwide, the film has grossed Rs 600 crore in terms of collections and continues to remain strong, trade experts said.
When compared with the July-September quarters in calendar years 2019 (pre-Covid period) and 2022, the growth seen in net-box office collections this year works out to 65% and 36%, respectively (See chart). Calendar years 2020 and 2021 are not comparable because cinema halls were shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Experts say that the October-December period of a calendar year is generally the strongest for cinemas since it is the festive quarter and a time when exhibitors and distributors look forward to doing good business.
However, that premise appears to have been turned on its head this calendar year, said top multiplex operators, as audiences were drawn to movie halls during the July-September period on account of a spate of much-anticipated releases across languages. Incidentally, the October-November period this year may be weak for cinemas due to the Cricket World Cup, which will be held during the period and may see viewers turn their attention to action on the cricket field.
“The timing of films in the July-September period was just right,” says Kunal Sawhney, chief operating officer at CineLine India, which runs the MovieMax chain of multiplexes.
“There were back-to-back releases across July, August and early September, which were strong on content and star power. Good reviews and positive word-of-mouth only aided the process of getting cine goers into movie halls,” he says.
After a difficult first half of 2023, which saw the Indian box office trailing the same period in 2022 and 2019 by 23% and 16%, respectively, despite Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan doing well, the record performance in the September quarter is a relief for theatre owners, said experts.
Going forward, film exhibitors and distributors expect movie releases such as Vicky Kaushal’s The Great Indian Family and Fukrey 3, both comedy dramas, which will hit theatres on September 22 and September 28, respectively, to rake in the moolah.
“Fukrey 3 is part of strong franchise, while audiences have liked Kaushal’s past performances in comedy dramas. So, his fans will look forward to his upcoming release in the genre,” says Komal Nahta, film trade expert.
Kamal Gianchandani, president of the Multiplex Association of India, an apex body of multiplex operators in the country, says that the September quarter may end on a high note for theatres.
“Given the way some of the existing movies continue to draw audiences and a few releases up ahead in September, the quarter may breach the `3,000-crore-mark in terms of collections,” he says.
For cinema owners, business is booming for now.