3 weeks ago
Bollywood Gets Big-Budget Shy: Dhurandhar Is Rare Blockbuster
Bollywood is India's big movie industry.
Some of its biggest movie companies make very expensive films.
Lately, those expensive films are not making as much money as they used to.
A movie called Jawan made lots of money in 2023, but since then big studios have not had another huge hit.
One new movie series called Dhurandhar made more than Rs 3,100 crore.
But movie experts say that is a very rare event, not something that happens all the time.
People are going to the cinema less often than before the pandemic, even though tickets cost more.
Audiences now want movies with great stories and feelings, not just big stars and explosions.
Watching movies on streaming services has also made people more picky.
That is why movie companies must work harder to give people a reason to visit the cinema.
Red Chillies Entertainment's last mega-blockbuster was Jawan (2023, ~Rs 1,150 crore globally), Yash Raj Films' benchmark remains Pathaan (2023, over Rs 1,050 crore), and Dharma Productions' Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva (2022) collected around Rs 430 crore.
The Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar franchise has crossed Rs 3,100 crore globally across two films, but trade analysts call it a once-in-a-lifetime exception rather than a new trend.
2025 was Hindi cinema's biggest-ever year with over Rs 5,500 crore in domestic box-office collections, and India's overall box office grew 11% year-on-year to Rs 13,519 crore in FY26.
Original Hindi films' share of India's box office rose from 29% in FY25 to 42% in FY26, even as average ticket prices stayed about 22% above 2019 levels and admissions remained roughly 8% below pre-pandemic numbers.
Ormax Media says Bollywood's male star system shows limited renewal — Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan and Ranbir Kapoor still dominate — while younger audiences contribute 57% of Hindi box-office collections and the female pipeline is stronger with Kriti Sanon joining established names.
- Who
- Bollywood's biggest studios — Red Chillies Entertainment, Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions — actor Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar franchise, and analysts like film critic Taran Adarsh and Ormax Media.
- What
- An examination of why Bollywood's big-budget films have struggled to repeat blockbuster success despite a record 2025 for Hindi cinema.
- Where
- India — the Hindi-language (Bollywood) theatrical film market.
- When
- Reporting on 2025–2026 box-office data, with comparisons spanning releases from 2022 (Brahmastra) and 2023 (Jawan, Pathaan) through War 2 and Dhurandhar in 2025.
- Why
- Post-pandemic audiences demand distinctive, emotionally engaging stories rather than formulaic scale alone, while ticket prices have risen and cinema visit frequency has not fully recovered.
Transformative-Era View
Cautious-Analyst View
Meaning of Dhurandhar's success
Transformative-Era View
Actor Saif Ali Khan says there is a time before Dhurandhar and a time after it, and that filmmakers must adapt and make bolder, unconventional choices in the new environment.
Cautious-Analyst View
Film critic Taran Adarsh cautions that 'not every film can be Dhurandhar' — it is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, so it should not be treated as proof that frequent mega-blockbusters are returning.
Health of the theatrical market
Transformative-Era View
The market is growing: 2025 was Hindi cinema's biggest year (over Rs 5,500 crore) and India's overall box office rose 11% to Rs 13,519 crore in FY26, with Hindi originals' share jumping to 42%.
Cautious-Analyst View
Audience habits have not fully recovered — admissions remain about 8% below pre-pandemic levels despite tickets costing about 22% more, and the market is increasingly polarised between exceptional hits and struggling average films.
Role of star power and scale
Transformative-Era View
Stars generate excitement, visibility and strong opening momentum, and industry figures say the right combination of star power, scale and storytelling remains crucial to theatrical impact.
Cautious-Analyst View
Profitability is not determined by scale alone — films like Gadar 2, Stree 2 and Animal earned enormous returns against modest budgets through audience connection and authentic storytelling.
Key facts
- Dhurandhar franchise global haul
- Over Rs 3,100 crore across two films (Rs 1,350+ crore and Rs 1,850 crore)
- Last big-budget benchmarks
- Jawan (~Rs 1,150 crore, 2023); Pathaan (Rs 1,050+ crore, 2023); Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva (~Rs 430 crore, 2022)
- 2025 Hindi domestic box office
- Over Rs 5,500 crore — biggest-ever year for Hindi cinema
- India's overall box office FY26
- Rs 13,519 crore, up 11% year-on-year
- Hindi originals' share of box office
- 42% in FY26, up from 29% in FY25
- Ticket prices vs. admissions
- Prices ~22% above 2019; admissions ~8% below pre-pandemic
- Highest-grossing franchise
- YRF Spy Universe: over Rs 3,200 crore across six films
- Younger audiences' contribution
- 57% of Hindi box-office collections; male star rankings largely unchanged
Quotes
Murlidhar Chhatwani
CEO of Panorama Studios
“Not every film can be Dhurandhar. Films like Pathaan and Jawan have delivered phenomenal box office numbers, but Dhurandhar is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon that comes very rarely.”
financialexpress.com
“Every two to three years, Bollywood witnesses a big year followed by a relatively slower one because our biggest stars do not release films annually.”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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