8 months ago
Bumper openings fade as word of mouth trumps star power
In the past, many Hindi movies would make a lot of money on their first day in theaters, especially if they had big stars.
But now, people are waiting to see what others say about the movie before going to watch it.
This means that movies with big stars aren't always doing well on their first day, and smaller movies can sometimes do better over time.
Experts say that people are being more careful about where they spend their money on movies and are waiting to see if a movie is really good before going to the theater.
This change is happening in Hindi movies, but in some other languages like Malayalam, Kannada, and Gujarati, smaller movies are still doing well because of good word-of-mouth.
Overall, movies are making more money, but it's spread out over more movies instead of just a few big hits.
The number of Hindi films grossing over ₹10 crore on their opening day has declined from 18-20 pre-pandemic to 13 in 2025.
Audiences are prioritizing word of mouth and early reviews over star power and pre-release hype.
Mid-budget films with niche or unfamiliar faces are growing over time and posting respectable numbers.
Studios are reducing pre-release marketing spending due to the shift in audience preferences.
Regional cinema, particularly in Malayalam, Kannada, and Gujarati, is achieving excellent runs through strong word-of-mouth, even without big stars.
- Who
- Hindi film audiences, film studios, and industry experts
- What
- A decline in bumper first-day openings for Hindi films, with audiences prioritizing word of mouth over star power
- Where
- India, with variations across languages and regional cinema
- When
- 2025
- Why
- Audiences have become more selective, treating cinema as a planned outing rather than an impulse buy, and preferring to wait for word-of-mouth reviews
Key facts
- Number of Hindi films grossing over ₹10 crore on opening day (pre-pandemic)
- 18-20
- Number of Hindi films grossing over ₹10 crore on opening day (2025)
- 13
- Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha first-day opening
- ₹1.70 crore
- Sarfira first-day opening
- ₹2.50 crore
- Mahavatar Narsimha first-day opening
- ₹2 crore
- Mahavatar Narsimha total collection
- ₹200+ crore
- Saiyaara first-day opening
- ₹21 crore
- Saiyaara total collection
- ₹320 crore
- Raid 2 first-day opening
- ₹18.2 crore
- Raid 2 total collection
- ₹175+ crore
Quotes
Bhuvanesh Mendiratta
Managing director of multiplex chain Miraj Entertainment Ltd
“Openings have definitely softened. Audiences have become far more selective. A big star name alone doesn’t guarantee a strong Friday anymore; people wait to see if the film’s content feels fresh and worth the theatrical spend. Premium pricing also makes viewers treat cinema as a planned outing rather than an impulse buy.”
livemint.com
“The ₹10-crore opening will become rarer and more ‘earned’. Theatrical success is clearly moving towards sustained word-of-mouth instead of front-loaded Fridays.”
livemint.com
Vishek Chauhan
Independent exhibitor
“There is no FOMO (fear of missing out), and that proves that makers haven’t done enough homework around what audiences are looking for and aren’t exciting them enough.”
livemint.com
Devang Sampat
Managing director, Cinépolis India
“We have seen several examples of this trend this year. Mahavatar Narsimha began at around ₹2 crore but crossed more than ₹200 crore. Saiyaara opened at around ₹21 crore and finished at approximately ₹320 crore, and at the same time, Raid 2 opened at ₹18.2 crore and went on to collect over ₹175 crore.”
livemint.com
Sources
Related news
Bhopal Malayalee Association Celebrates Onam With Traditional Cultural Events
One Nation, Many Identities: How Diversity Strengthens India
Malavika Mohanan Criticizes Indian Cinema's Hesitation on Women-Led Films
Viral Photo Misrepresents Statue Demolition in Bangladesh
