The year 2025 has kicked off on a mixed note for Bollywood, with the release of Two big budget films Emergency and Azad today and Fateh last 
week. These films, expected to set the tone for the industry this year, have instead highlighted deeper issues plaguing Hindi cinema. Kangana Ranaut’s ambitious project Emergency and Abhishek Kapoor’s Azad starring Rasha Thadani and Aman Devgan opened to mixed reviews of critics and audiances. Meanwhile, Fateh, despite its massive promotional efforts, failed to connect with audiences and suffered a dismal box office performance. The film’s inability to draw crowds resulted in a loss of screens. Fateh’s failure underscores a recurring issue in Bollywood: an over-reliance on star power and marketing, often at the expense of strong storytelling.
Is Bollywood’s Fate Sealed for 2025?
Unfortunately, these early missteps suggest that Bollywood’s challenges from previous years may persist. The lineup of films for 2025 does not inspire much confidence, with few projects standing out as potential game-changers. If recent trends are any indication, the industry’s struggles are unlikely to abate this year. Last year, the Indian box office grossed ₹11,833 crore, marking a 3% decline from ₹12,226 crore in 2023. Bollywood’s contribution dropped from ₹5,380 crore in 2023 to ₹4,679 crore in 2024, reducing its market share from 44% to 40%. When excluding the contribution of dubbed films like Pushpa 2 and Kalki 2898 AD, the decline becomes even steeper at 7%.
In stark contrast, regional cinema is experiencing an unprecedented boom. Malayalam cinema, for instance, achieved a remarkable milestone in 2024 by surpassing the ₹1,000 crore mark for the first time. Hits like Manjumal Boys, Awesham, and Marco doubled Malayalam cinema’s market share from 5% in 2023 to 10% in 2024. Telugu films also dominated, with Pushpa 2: The Rule grossing ₹1,403 crore, including ₹889 crore from its Hindi-dubbed version. These successes highlight the growing appeal of regional films, which continue to captivate audiences with their high-quality storytelling and relatable themes.
Total footfalls in Indian cinemas decreased by 6% to 88.3 crore in 2024, reflecting reduced audience engagement. The average ticket price saw a marginal increase from ₹130 to ₹134, but this was not enough to offset the decline in attendance. This trend indicates a shift in audience preferences, with more viewers turning to streaming platforms and regional films for compelling content.
What Bollywood Needs to Do
For Bollywood to reclaim its former glory, fundamental changes are necessary. The industry must Elevate Filmmaking Standardsbecause the audiences today demand compelling narratives, nuanced characters, and high production values. Bollywood’s reliance on formulaic scripts and over-the-top masala films no longer suffices.
Also they should nurture fresh talent and remove or atleast ease out the entry barriers for new actors, writers, and directors remain prohibitively high. Creating opportunities for fresh voices will bring innovative perspectives, revitalizing an industry in desperate need of reinvention.
Most importantly diversify the content, Regional cinema’s success lies in its ability to tell authentic, culturally rooted stories that resonate universally. Bollywood should take a page from their playbook and focus on creating diverse, relatable content.
Without significant reform, 2025 might end up being yet another year of missed opportunities for Bollywood.
