As 2025 comes to an end, in this Bollywood Hungama Special Feature, we take a look at 14 interesting trends of the box office and the Bollywood film industry of the year.
Notable box-office trends of 2025: Franchise tag no longer a guarantee for success; India not ready currently for Sitaare Zameen Par-style PPV YouTube release; Dhurandhar SHUTS down “South takeover” narrative; ORIGINAL Hindi film emerges India’s BIGGEST hit across languages
1. Runtime doesn’t matter, but not all lengthy films will get accepted
There was a time when it was said that the attention span of the audience has diminished and hence, films should not be more than 2 ½ hours long. But Animal (2023), Pushpa 2 (2024) and now Dhurandhar has proved that run time doesn’t matter as long as the film engages the viewers. At the same time, it’s not a recipe to success either. The Bengal Files’ 204 minutes of length went against the film.
2. Post-pandemic reality: critically loved niche cinema can’t pull crowds
Earlier, films like Peepli [LIVE] (2010), The Lunchbox (2013), Talvar (2015), Newton (2017), etc. got some audience and even managed to collect in the Rs. 20-30 crore range. Post-pandemic, the audience for such films got too comfortable watching such niche films on OTT on smart TV in the comfort of their homes. Consequently, these films suffer big time at the box office. Homebound was loved by everyone who saw it. Yet, it barely collected Rs. 3 crores. Nishaanchi struggled to earn Rs. 1 crore despite being directed by Anurag Kashyap; pre-pandemic, this film would have done 15-20 times more at the bare minimum. Agra made a lot of noise due to the controversy over screens. However, its target audience didn’t come out in hordes and are still waiting for its digital release.
3. Openings can mislead; word-of-mouth can rewrite the verdict, as proven by Dhurandhar
Earlier, the fate of a film was clear by the first-day or first-weekend collections. Now, it’s difficult to say so, for some films. Looking at the first three-day earnings, no one imagined in their wildest dreams that Dhurandhar would emerge as the biggest Hindi film of all time. The same applies to Chhaava, which earned nearly Rs. 600 crores. Sitaare Zameen Par had a slow start but went on to do more than Rs. 160 crores. Many expected Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari to fold under Rs. 50 crores. But it had some appreciation and hence, it crossed the Rs. 65 crore mark. Even Metro…In Dino picked up later. Meanwhile, Saiyaara seemed like a sure-shot Rs. 400-500 crore grosser but was thwarted in Week 2 by Mahavtar Narsimha.
4. Tuesday offer is here to stay; proves yet again how cheap tickets are important
The Tuesday offer was introduced on April 22 and became a game-changer. The trend now is that the film falls more than before on Monday, only to see a rise on Tuesday. Viewers have been acquainted with this offer and plan their movie-watching activity accordingly. However, the said offer might not be applicable for high-demand films like Dhurandhar and Sitaare Zameen Par.
5. ‘South takeover’ narrative cools down
It’s a habit for some netizens and skeptics to claim that South has ‘eaten’ Bollywood. But in 2025, not a single Telugu Pan-India film even crossed the Rs. 20 crore mark. The two exceptions down South were the multi-language animated flick Mahavatar Narsimha and Kantara: A Legend Chapter – 1. The fact that an ORIGINAL Hindi film, Dhurandhar, is the biggest hit of the year across languages and the biggest hit ever of Hindi cinema, has provided a big boost to Bollywood.
6. Heartbreak films are ruling the roost, but fatigue may be around the corner
There’s crazy demand for films that talk about aggressive male characters suffering heartbreak, as evident by the success of Sanam Teri Kasam (re-release), Saiyaara, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat and Tere Ishk Mein. It has prompted filmmakers to jump on the bandwagon, which might not be a good idea, as with every overused genre, a saturation point may arrive sooner than expected.
7. Franchise doesn’t always guarantee success
In 2025, only a few selected franchise films got success like Raid 2 and Sitaare Zameen Par. Metro…In Dino was a decent success considering its genre. Kesari Chapter 2, Jolly LLB 3, Thamma, Housefull 5 and De De Pyaar De 2 underperformed though they still put up good numbers and trended well. Meanwhile, Dhadak 2, Son Of Sardaar 2, Andaaz 2, War 2, Baaghi 4, The Bengal Files, Mastiii 4 and Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2 bombed.
8. Horror comedy didn’t have a great run this year
The horror comedy was seen as a sure-shot recipe for success. But in 2025, The Bhootnii and Kapkapiii sank without a trace. Thamma underperformed as well, though the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe is safe due to the extreme goodwill.
9. Aamir’s YouTube release strategy didn’t get the desired result; hope for a new streaming revenue model dashed, but only for now
Aamir Khan made news as he released Sitaare Zameen Par on YouTube under the pay-per-view model, six weeks after its theatrical release. He also refused lucrative offers from OTT platforms. It gave hope in the industry that this new model can help them avoid the OTT diktats. However, Aamir’s experiment got mild success, which is why no other film has attempted to take this route. But one never knows; the audience might warm up to this idea in the future, like their Western counterparts. Right now, it’s probably too new for our desi audience.
10. Cost control is survival; fees, budgets, and overheads need a reset
There’s no guarantee of how a film would perform today. But the costs of films are rising, especially due to the actor fees. Hence, it’s imperative that cost-cutting measures are adopted immediately.
11. Several theatrical films still have no OTT home
If you are interested in a particular film and if you plan to skip it in cinemas and wait for its OTT premiere, it may not be a good idea. Several small and mid-sized films are yet to stream online, like Tumko Meri Kasam, Pintu Ki Pappi, Phule, Kapkapiii, Kesari Veer, Nikita Roy, Andaaz 2, Heer Express, Love In Vietnam, Jugnuma, Ajey – The Untold Story Of A Yogi, Lord Curzon Ki Haveli, The Taj Story, etc.
12. CBFC roadblocks continue
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) continues to make life difficult for those whose films they don’t want to see the light of day. It happened with Santosh and what unfolded with Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Panjab ’95 was shocking.
13. Self-booking is now the norm
The industry often panics when a film doesn’t sell the desired number of tickets on the first day. Hence, it resorts to feeding. This practice is easily visible to even the layman – when one particular show in a multiplex is sold out and others are not even 5% full, anybody can understand what the makers are up to. It is important for the industry to understand that times have changed and people are adopting the wait-and-watch strategy more than ever. It means that movie buffs wait for initial reviews and then decide to buy the expensive ticket for a film. As a result, opening is bound to suffer for certain films. Instead of wasting money buying tickets of their own film, it’s important that the industry to use its influence (and influencers) to spread the word that its completely fine if films don’t open to the desired numbers and that they can pick up if they have the merit.
13. No shame in postponing when a tsunami hits
Sometimes a film turns into a once-in-a-blue-moon wave after release and starts dominating screens, shows and audience attention. In such exceptional cases, it makes complete sense for the next release to move by a week or two. The best example in 2025 was the Dhurandhar wave, which hurt the films that arrived immediately after it. Trade experts feel that if Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri had been postponed by even a week, it would have got better programming, a stronger start and, eventually, better lifetime numbers.
15. ‘No promotion’ can work, if the film creates its own buzz
One surprising common factor between Saiyaara and Dhurandhar was their minimal promotion strategy. In Dhurandhar’s case, the makers held a grand trailer launch, but after that, actor Ranveer Singh and director Aditya Dhar largely stayed away from interviews. For Saiyaara, the team went a step further – no interviews, and no events before or after release as well. This made the industry sit up and take notice. Many believed they had to be everywhere to create noise around a film. But 2025 showed that sometimes, if the content and buzz are strong, ‘less is more’. Don’t be surprised if more films try this low-key model in 2026.
More Pages: Dhurandhar Box Office Collection , Dhurandhar Movie ReviewTags : Aamir Khan, Aditya Dhar, Akshaye Khanna, Animal, Bollywood, Bollywood Features, CBFC, Censor, Censor Board of Film Certification, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Dhurandhar, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, Features, Franchise, Harshvardhan Rane, Hrithik Roshan, OTT, OTT Platform, Pushpa 2 – The Rule, Ranveer Singh, Saiyaara, Sara Arjun, Sitaare Zameen Par, Thamma, War 2
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2025 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.