Films dubbed in Hindi, especially South Indian movies, have seen an unprecedented surge in box office collections in 2024. These dubbed versions have become a significant force in the Hindi film market, contributing massively to the overall growth of India’s box office, which grossed Rs. 11,833 crores this year, making it the second-best year of all time. This growth came just behind the collections of 2023, which stood at Rs. 12,226 crores.
A notable trend this year was the contribution of dubbed Hindi films, which accounted for 31% of Hindi cinema’s total box office collections. This shift highlights the increasing reliance on South Indian cinema, with films like Pushpa 2: The Rule and Stree 2 driving Hindi cinema’s earnings. However, original Hindi films faced a steep decline, with collections dropping by 37% compared to the previous year. Despite these struggles, Pushpa 2 (Hindi) emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time, contributing Rs. 889 crores alone.
The heavy dependence on a few blockbuster films was evident, as just two films Pushpa 2: The Rule and Stree 2 accounted for 34% of Hindi cinema’s total revenue. Additionally, only six original Hindi films grossed over Rs. 100 crores in 2024, a sharp decline from 16 films in 2023.
Meanwhile, regional cinemas also saw impressive growth. Malayalam cinema had its best year ever, crossing the Rs. 1,000 crores mark for the first time. Films like Manjummel Boys and Aavesham performed well not only in Kerala but also in neighboring states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, helping Malayalam cinema double its box office share from 5% in 2023 to 10% in 2024.
Telugu cinema also saw success, with its highest-ever box office earnings in 2024, crossing Rs. 2,000 crores for the third consecutive year. However, footfalls in Telugu cinema declined by 12%, indicating that the rise in average ticket prices, rather than increased attendance, was the primary factor behind the higher earnings. Pushpa 2 and Kalki 2898 AD became the Top 3 highest-grossing Telugu films, only behind RRR.
On the contrary, Hollywood struggled in India in 2024, with a 17% drop in collections. This marked the first time since 2015 that Hollywood failed to surpass Rs. 1,000 crores at the Indian box office. Hollywood’s weak performance was largely due to the lack of any film crossing Rs. 200 crores for the second consecutive year, signaling a shift in audience preferences.
Gujarati cinema also showed impressive growth, with a 66% increase in box office collections, only behind Malayalam cinema’s rise. This highlights a broader trend of regional films gaining more prominence in the Indian film market.
Although overall footfalls in cinemas dropped by 6% to 88.3 crores in 2024, higher average ticket prices (ATP) helped maintain box office revenues. The ATP grew by 3%, from Rs. 130 to Rs. 134, especially due to the implementation of higher ticket prices for tentpole films in states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
As 2025 unfolds, South Indian cinema is set to deliver another wave of box office triumphs.
