The year 2015 has been a remark able one for Bollywood for varied reasons. At the start itself, films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha (a romcom), Baby (an espionage drama) and NH10 (a thriller) were noticed. Anushka Sharma, who turned producer with it, gave a commendable performance in the movie. Fifty-eight films released in the first quarter and netted a business of around Rs 391 crore.

However, optimism reigned in the second quarter (Q2) (April-June) when only 49 films released and the monies saw a jump when the net collections for Q2 went up to Rs 576 crore. As a popular trade magazine said, “Fortunes changed with Akshay Kumar's Gabbar is Back on May 1 and Varun Dhawan's ABCD 2 on June 19. Following closely were four actresses who rewrote the box office rules. Yes, Deepika Padukone's Piku and Kangana Ranaut's Tanu Weds Manu Returns along with Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma's Dil Dhadakne Do got people to sit up and notice that the girls were as good at the game as were their male counterparts.“

The third quarter or Q3 (July-September) saw 51 releases and netted a staggering Rs 885 crore, according to trade sources. The man spearheading the collections was none other than the darling of the masses, Salman Khan, who kept his Ramzan Eid date with Bajrangi Bhaijaan. This Kabir Khan directorial crossed the Rs 300-crore mark despite having the stiffest competition from SS Rajamouli's Baahubali: The Beginning, the first dubbed film to cross the Rs 100-crore mark in Hindi. Welcome Back was a super hit at the box office.

Drishyam, a riveting drama between a cop and a common man, was a sleeper hit. Meghna Gulzar's Talvar, which dealt with the Aarushi Talwar murder case, won accolades and set the cash registers ringing as it proved that good cinema rightfully deserves its due at the ticket windows.

Typically the last quarter (October-December), which is considered the most important in the trade because it sees the Diwali and Christmas releases, has also kept the Bollywood flag flying high. Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, a rib-tickling comedy, was a hit, especially with the youngsters. Salman Khan-Sooraj Barjatya's Prem Ratan Dhan Payo has reached approximately Rs 188 crore, while the Christmas releases - Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani and Rohit Shetty's Dilwale are both sitting pretty in the Rs 100-crore club already only in the domestic market. What's more, they are still counting big numbers. While Bajirao Mastani has received a terrific word of mouth, Dilwale is leaning big on Shah Rukh Khan and Varun Dhawan's charisma. This entertainer has kids and families cheering for it. Where the final tally of the two December 18 releases ends is anyone's guess at this point.

Aamir Khan had no release this year but he still had reason to cheer. His PK (2014) was the highest domestic earner, sitting pretty at around Rs 324.30 crore. It also went on to break records in the Chinese market as it became the highest grossing Hindi film till date.

HOLLYWOOD GAVE BOLLYWOOD A RUN FOR ITS MONEY THIS YEAR
If daddy can do it, Big Daddy can do it better. Yes, Hollywood, which at one time contributed to a mere 13 per cent of the cinema ticket sales in India each year, showed the desi market that it knows the art of multiplication better than us.

Deepika Padukone may have bagged her next with Vin Diesel but she seriously made a blunder by dropping out of his April 2015 release, Furious 7 (F7). The film crossed the Rs 100-crore mark in India leaving many Bollywood films behind. Three weeks after F7 came another Hollywood biggie - Avengers: Age of Ultron. This one netted around Rs 72-odd crore in our domestic market.

Now Bollywood knows that distant Hollywood is not to be taken lightly. So, they have started to clear the decks when the likes of a James Bond 007 (Spectre) or the latest instalment of a huge franchise like Star Wars comes.

The force has awakened.