Over 40 days has passed since the beginning of 2025, and we have already seen numerous Bollywood releases, many of them featuring star casts. However, all of the releases turned out to be box office disappointments, despite spending crores on marketing, and movies having star casts. None of the high-profile movies were able to meet expectations, and they didn’t even earn enough to meet the budget. This shows us that there is a growing disconnect between mainstream Hindi cinema and its audience, and there is a serious need for the industry to come up with stories that resonate with the common people, if it really wants to survive in the long run.
Recent Box Office Performances
In January 2025, multiple films debuted with significant anticipation but delivered disappointing results:
Emergency: Released on January 17, 2025, this political drama garnered only ₹23.75 crore against a budget of ₹60 crores, leading to its classification as a flop. Along with Kangna Ranaut in the lead role, the film also featured well-known actors such as Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, and Satish Kaushik, but despite this, the flip didn’t even earn half its budget.
Fateh: This action thriller released on January 10, 2025, and it earned ₹19.02 crore. It failed to recover its production costs and was subsequently labeled a flop. With Sonu Sood in the lead role, the film also starred well-known actors such as Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Raaz and Jacqueline Fernandez, but the movie hardly made half its budget.
Azaad: Releasing on January 17, 2025, the film starred Ajay Devgn in the lead role with newcomers Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani. Despite having a budget of ₹80 crores, the film only managed a mere ₹8.69 crore, proving to be one of the biggest disasters of the year.
Sky Force: With Akshay Kumar in the lead role, with actors such as Veer Paharia, Nimrat Kaur, and Sara Ali Khan, the movie released on January 24, 2025. This film achieved an opening day collection of ₹12.25 crores and accumulated ₹110.15 crore as of February 10, 2025. However, if we consider its production budget of ₹140 crore, the film has yet to reach the breakeven point, which indicates that this movie can also be considered a flop at the box office.
Deva: Released on January 31, the film stars Shahid Kapoor in the lead role. It opened with ₹5.5 crore and showed modest growth over its first weekend, collecting ₹19.49 crore. Given its estimated budget of ₹50–80 crore, Deva is still struggling to recover its costs, and we can assume that like the rest, it is most likely going to be a flop.
Why are movies failing at the box office?
Several elements have contributed to Bollywood’s recent struggles:
- Content Saturation: Audiences are now getting increasingly critical of repetitive storylines and the lack of originality. Who wants to come all the way to the theatre and spend so much money just to see the same stories again and again?
- Competition from Regional Cinema: South Indian films have gained nationwide popularity, often outperforming Bollywood releases. Movies like RRR and Kalki 2898 have set new benchmarks, with not just high production values but fresh stories that are actually based on Indian culture.
- Shift to Digital Platforms: The rise of OTT platforms has obviously changed our viewing habits, and many people today prefer the convenience of home entertainment. This shift has impacted box office collections to a huge extent, especially for films that do not promise a compelling big-screen experience. Why would anyone want to go all the way to the theatre, when they can watch the best international content at the comfort of their homes?
- Economic Factors: High ticket prices and the overall cost of a theatre experiences also deter audiences, especially when alternative entertainment options are more affordable. And with the rising cost of living overall, why would anyone want to waste money on an experience that is most likely not going to be favorable?
- Preachy and “Woke” content: Bollywood has faced criticism for prioritizing preachy content in the last few years—films that attempt to address social issues but often do so superficially or in a manner that feels forced. This trend has led to alienating audiences even further, as viewers are tired of these kinds of movies and see them as inauthentic or preachy. Even movies that attempt to tackle mental health issues have been criticized for their lack of depth and sensitivity. To reconnect with viewers, it’s essential for Bollywood to integrate social themes organically, ensuring that their screenplay remains engaging at the same time.
Embracing Originality, Rejecting Star Culture and Giving Writers the value that they deserve
To reverse this decline, Bollywood needs to work on its storytelling. Crafting scripts that connect with the common people, reflecting their everyday experiences, problems, challenges, and aspirations, can help in fostering deeper connection with audiences.
Moreover, there’s a rising trend of films exploring India’s rich cultural heritage. Despite this, many untold stories remain, and they will not just be engaging but will also have something of value to teach us. There are numerous freedom fighters who laid down their lives for the nation, and yet their stories remain untold.
Focusing on these kinds of stories can provide fresh perspectives and move away from the prevalent practice of remaking foreign films, which often fail to capture the essence of Indian society.
Writers aren’t Valued?
In addition, the industry needs to value its writers. There is no dearth of good writers in India, but the same industry that can pay hundred crores to film stars cannot pay 1 or 2 crores to a good writer. One forgets that the story is what drives a movie forward.
There was a time when audiences came to the theatre just to see their favourite stars, but with the rise of social media, we are living at a time where people can see their favorite stars always anytime they want. However, instead of paying writers well, the industry is blindly copying movies from Hollywood or from South Indian movies.
Industry Introspection
The current scenario has shown the need of introspection within the industry. Even the renowned Anurag Kashyap announced his departure from Bollywood, citing frustration with the industry’s profit-centric approach over creative storytelling.
The recent box office performances show the downfall of the industry, but it also gives Bollywood a chance to reinvent itself by focusing on original content that reflects the diverse experiences and traditions of India. Otherwise, like all the movies we saw this year, we will keep seeing flop, after flop, after flop!
