Showing posts with label Mahavatar Narsimha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mahavatar Narsimha. Show all posts
Viewers chose theatres more to watch Hindi films in 2025
9:24 AM
Box office collections grew 18% to Rs. 5,504 cr for Hindi films and 13.2% for all-India mkt
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; January 21, 2026)
Mumbai: Hindi cinema saw a significant growth in footfalls in movie halls in 2025, topping those for other language films, according to Box Office 2025 report by Ormax Media, a media and entertainment research firm.
The report said that in 2025, Hindi film ticket sales grew by 11.3% from 2024 to 256 million. The growth bucked the general downtrend, as the all-India figure for footfalls across all language films declined by 5.7% to 832 million.
“Today, only content works in theatres. Gone are the days footfalls would come to theatres merely on the strength of stardom of a star,” said Bhuvnesh Mendiratta, managing director at Miraj Cinemas. “The successes of Hindi films across diverse genres from historical (Chhaava), romance (Saiyaara), animation (Mahavatar Narsimha) and Spy (Dhurandhar) in 2025 prove this trend.”
This optimism is evident in the performance of Hindi films when compared to the all-India box office collection.
Last year, the box office (gross) of Hindi films grew by 18% from 2024 to Rs 5,504 crore. In the same period, the all-India box office (gross) grew by 13.2% to Rs 13,395 crore.
Although this growth in footfalls weakens the argument that people are averse to going to theatres, producers had a nuanced argument. Community experience in theatres may not be passe but the frequency of going to theatres for films has declined.
“Footfalls in theatres for Hindi films have shown visible improvement in 2025 compared to 2024. This growth has come despite a continued rise in average ticket price (ATP),” said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director of Karmic Films. “It indicates that audiences are selectively returning to theatres for Hindi films which provide them genuine theatrical experiences.”
After the pandemic, the recovery in the industry’s business has been led more by increase in the average ticket price than footfall growth. The ATP of Hindi films grew by 6% to Rs 215 in 2025 from Rs 203 in 2024. In comparison, the all-India ATP grew by 20.1% to Rs 161 in 2025 from Rs 134 in 2024. A large part of the growth in all-India ATP was contributed by the ATP of southern films, which grew by 21.8% to Rs 123 in 2025 from Rs 101 in 2024.
Producers shared that theatres and entertainment avenues outside theatres will not be a threat to each other’s existence.
“I think there will be a lot of movies which audiences will watch in theatres. And there will be a lot of movies because of short windows, audiences will watch in their home theatres,” said Naveen Chandra, founder, 91 Film Studios, a studio that produces and distributes regional films. “Both forms of entertainment experience will co-exist.”
Lastly, producers also shared that audiences are the biggest promoters and campaigners of a well-made film.
“Today, audiences have become the biggest promoters and campaigners of a well-made film through strong word-of-mouth communications. No amount of out-of-the-box film marketing helps a bad film,” said producer Ameya Naik. “This is reflected in the successes of Hindi films such as Saiyaara and Mahavatar Narsimha in 2025.”
Indian movies ditch the formula to get Mojo back, net box-office collection up by 12% in 2025
9:09 AM
Net collections of the film industry rise 12% in 2025 as audiences lap up diverse fare ranging from romance to animation
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; December 29, 2025)
The Indian film industry saw broader and diverse success across genres, themes and movie lengths in 2025, with audiences favouring strong storylines over star casts, industry executives told ET.
Net box-office collection of the Indian film industry grew to Rs. 10,453 crore in 2025, up by 12% from 2024, data gathered by ET from the website of box office research firm Sacnilk showed. For Hindi films, net box-office collection grew by 20% to Rs. 4,792.7 crore.
Experts said there was a palpable shift in the way audiences responded to films.
"Today's audience has a mind of its own. The control has shifted in the hands of audiences in terms of what, when and where they will watch content. They are clear about this," said Vikram Malhotra, founder and CEO of Abundantia Entertainment.
"These elements have reset and defied the norms in which Hindi films will be made. The success of Dhurandhar, which is the highest grosser of 2025 (net Rs. 668 crore), is a key example. It was written off much before its release. But audiences have lapped it up."
Producers said that audiences showed an inclination towards watching films in theatres and were not "particularly" focused on the "length" of films.
"There has been increasing traction for rooted stories speaking inclusively to the Indian heartland as well. And contrary to earlier belief of keeping a film's length to around two hours, 2025 has shown that the length of a film does not matter to the audience," said Sunir Kheterpal, producer, Athena E&M.
In 2025, 14 Hindi films, most of which were over two hours log, grossed more than Rs. 100 crore at the box office. In comparison, 2024 had 10 films which grossed more than Rs. 100 crore. The smash hits of 2025, such as Saiyaara, Mahavatar Narsimha, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Tere Ishk Mein, Chhaava and Dhurandhar, showed that audiences across geographies preferred "stories" over star cast and that a film's size has a little role to play in its success.
"2025 proved that scale alone doesn't guarantee success. Several big-ticket titles underperformed, while mid-budget, content-led films quietly delivered returns," said Suneil Wadhwa, co-founder and director, Karmic Films. "2025 wasn't about volume. It was about conviction, clarity of positioning and timing."
In addition to these aspects, consistent failure of solely business-focused franchise films, and increasing success of films across genres such as romance (Saiyaara), animation (Mahavatar Narsimha), anime (Demon Slayer) and mythology (Chhaava) are a few developments which showed that audiences are looking for value-for-money entertainment and not just a visit to theatres.
Lastly, 2025 also saw the standout performance of Hollywood films such as F1: The Movie, Avatar: Fire And Ash, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Jurassic World: Rebirth. Consequently, the net collection of Hollywood films in India grew by 42% from 2024 to Rs. 673.2 crore in 2025.
Mid-budget Hindi films shine as cine goers bet on experience
9:06 AM
Unexpected success of Saiyaara, Mahavatar Narsimha & Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat signals shifting audience tastes: Experts
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; November 26, 2025)
Mumbai: At a time when big-budget Hindi films are increasingly failing at the box office, the unexpected success of three mid-budget films - Saiyaara, Mahavatar Narsimha and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat - gives a solid indication of changing tastes and preferences of Indian cine goers.
Saiyaara, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, and Mahavtar Narsimha, which were made on modest budgets of Rs. 10-Rs. 30 crore each, have collected Rs. 80-Rs. 400 crore at the domestic box office.
According to producers and industry experts, these films resonated with Generation Z and tier-2 and tier-3 audiences with high affinity to themes observed in South Korean content and old-school Bollywood template films.
"For a long time, Gen-Z and audiences beyond metros who have a strong affinity towards South Korean content and old school Bollywood template films were deprived of films which appealed to their sensibilities. Saiyaara and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat contain similar themes and tropes found in South Korean content and old school Bollywood template films. Hence, these audiences lapped up these two romances," said Ameya Naik, producer and founder, Fantasy Films, an event management company.
Agreeing with Naik, film business strategist and producer Vaibhav Garg explained, "The success of Saiyaara and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is not manufactured. It is real resonance meeting perfect timing, which is reflected in their collections."
Increasingly, producers pointed out today audiences are not swayed by scale or stars of films but prefer experiences. They pointed out that audiences have begun to prefer films which warrant family viewing and provide factual entertainment or infotainment experiences.
"Today, audiences are not chasing budgets. They are chasing experiences. They want sincerity - whether it is emotional truth, devotional depth or a topical narrative that sparks conversation. They are rewarding clarity of intent of the makers," said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films.
"The extraordinary success of Mahavatar Narsimha is a proof that a strong idea and honest storytelling in a mid-budget film can help it beat a big-budget film in terms of box office collections," explained Wadhwa.
Music is another factor which has worked for these films, said producers.
"These films are fresh takes on themes seen in old Bollywood films. But what really worked for these films is their music. The music in these films resonated with audiences who have been deprived of the traditional Hindi film music for a long time," shared Vicky Bahri, producer and founder & CEO of KLIP, a micro-drama app.
Lastly, producers are also of the view that there is an increasing appeal among audiences for stories which trigger debates and polarized points of view.
"In recent years, there is a conscious effort among makers to write films in such a way that it provokes debates and extreme and divided reactions among audiences. Characters and motivations behind their actions are tied logically well. But audiences realize that characters' actions do not match, complement, justify or represent what they say or feel in films. In this way, a film piques the audience's interest and sparks hot debates which in turn compel audiences to come to theatres," explained Naik of Fantasy Films.
Mid-budget films, not big starrers driving audiences-PVR Inox MD Ajay Bijli
9:11 AM
12 films crossed Rs. 100 cr in Sept qtr, signalling shift towards good content, says Ajay Bijli
Javed Farooqui & Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; November 18, 2025)
Multiplex audiences are no longer driven solely by large-scale spectacle films. Ajay Bijli, managing director of PVR Inox, told ET that a steady run of mid-budget releases has quietly reshaped the market, turning several into sleeper hits that have each crossed the Rs. 100-crore mark at the box office.
Bijli pointed out that in September quarter 12 films crossed the Rs. 100-crore mark. This, he said, signals a structural shift towards content-led performance.
In the first half of FY26, 22 films crossed the Rs. 100-crore mark, most of them mid-sized productions.
Titles such as Saiyaara, Mahavatar Narsimha, Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra, and Su From So drew large audiences despite modest budgets.
"The most encouraging aspect is that we no longer need big starrers. The script has become the star," he said. "People are asking for good content, and what I appreciate is that the appetite to go out and watch films remains strong. The content does not need a major star for audiences to come and watch."
Bijli highlighted the example of the Gujarati film Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate. "It opened with only 17 shows. It is now playing in a thousand shows. Ultimately, the consumer decides a film's fate," he said.
The PVR Inox head stressed that exhibitors' interests are fully aligned with those of producers. "We are simply a conduit," he said, adding that the cinema exhibition industry is just another out-of-home entertainment category.
"It is similar to hotels, concerts or restaurants. It is simply another form of physical, out-of-home entertainment that comfortably coexists with what is available at home," he said.
Bijli said that while a 12-week theatrical window is preferable, the current eight-week gap still gives films adequate breathing room through wide releases and orderly monetization. Films currently release on OTT after an eight-week theatre run. He argued that cinemas and OTT platforms will continue to coexist since India is an "and market, not an or market".
"A 12-week window is certainly better than eight, but the current structure is acceptable because films still receive wide exposure across many screens. This gives them adequate breathing room for a strong theatrical run," he said.
According to him, the current window works for all stakeholders. "It is a well-balanced arrangement," he said. Bijli reiterated that streaming and cinemas are not in a zero-sum battle. India's entertainment market, he said, thrives on coexistence.
PVR Inox logs strong quarter as footfalls, content hold firm
8:49 AM
Steady film content, higher footfalls and rebound in ad revenue help
THE ECONOMIC TIMES (October 18, 2025)
Cinema exhibitor PVR Inox posted a net profit of Rs 127 crore for the quarter ended September, up sharply from Rs 22 crore a year earlier, driven by steady film content, higher footfalls, and a rebound in advertising revenue.
Revenue rose 12% year-on-year to Rs 1,843 crore, while EBITDA jumped 58% to Rs 327 crore, with margins improving to 17.8% from 12.6% a year ago. Footfalls increased 15% to 44.5 million, the average ticket price rose 2% to Rs 262, and spends per head on food and beverages fell marginally by 1% to Rs 134.
Advertising revenue touched Rs 126 crore, the highest since the pandemic, rising 15% from a year earlier on the back of longer brand campaigns linked to major film releases.
“There’s no question that the momentum is back,” said Ajay Bijli, managing director of PVR Inox. “Cinema, like any other out-of-home leisure and entertainment format, is here to stay. People can shop online, but they still go to malls; they can order food, but still go out to restaurants; they can listen to music at home, but they still attend concerts. Cinema fits in the same category.”
The September quarter saw no Rs 500-crore blockbusters, but 12 films crossed the Rs 100-crore mark, underscoring a structural shift towards content-led performance. Titles such as Saiyaara, Mahavatar Narsimha, Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra, and Su From So drew large audiences despite modest budgets.
“Hardly any major blockbusters came this quarter, but smaller films and sleeper hits did exceptionally well,” Bijli said. “People have fatigue from staying home and watching on smaller screens. They want to come out.”
PVR Inox’s gross box office collections (GBOC) grew 17% to Rs 1,170 crore, led by a 21% rise in Hindi films to Rs 542 crore, while Hollywood revenues nearly doubled to Rs 286 crore, driven by F1: The Movie and Jurassic World: Rebirth. Regional films brought in Rs 308 crore, up 3% from last year. Hindi contributed 46% to the exhibitor’s total GBOC, followed by regional (26%) and English (24%).
Industry-wide box office collections for the first half of FY26 stood at Rs 6,241 crore, up from Rs 5,446 crore a year earlier. Collections from films earning between Rs 100 crore and Rs 500 crore surged to 59% of total receipts, compared with 21% a year ago, indicating that mid-range performers are now driving growth.
Bijli said the return of audiences is also spurring a renewed emphasis on quality content from filmmakers. “From the content creators’ point of view, they’ve realized that good storytelling connects with audiences,” he said. “Big-budget films are important, but at the end of the day, it’s the script, music, and cinematography that pull people in.”
He said this was the second-highest quarter PVR Inox has had post-COVID. “So both engines that drive our business — the consumer and the content creator — are firing well,” he said. “While there were no Rs 500-crore films, it has been a blockbuster quarter for the industry.”
The exhibitor continued to pare down debt, with net debt more than halving to Rs 618 crore from Rs 1,430 crore at the time of the PVR-Inox merger. Bijli said the company remains on track to add about 100 new screens in FY26, with a mix of owned and asset-light FOCO (franchise-owned, company-operated) models.
He added that screen expansion will continue across tier-two and tier-three cities, particularly in South India. “India remains under-screened compared to other markets,” he said.
Looking ahead, Bijli expects the momentum to carry through the rest of the fiscal year. “Q3 has started off with a bang, with Kantara: A Legend Chapter – 1 expected to cross Rs 500 crore and major titles like Avatar: Fire And Ash and Dhurandhar lined up,” he said.
Chhaava, Saiyaara, Mahavatar Narsimha are surprise blockbusters of 2025 so far
5:10 PM
Box Office India Trade Network
There are a few months to go the end of the year and a couple of big films remain but at the moment the three biggest HITS of the year are CHHAAVA, SAIYAARA and MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA and all three are huge BLOCKBUSTERS. It would be unthinkable that these three would be the biggest films of the year with three months to go.
CHHAAVA was always likely to do well and there was always a chance it would be among the biggest films of the year but the 500 crore nett plus number was a surprise. The film also managed to hit the coveted 3 crore footfall mark. SAIYAARA and MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA have come out of nowhere and this sort of occurrence has started to happen more post the pandemic.
In the earlier days you had a JAI SANTOSHI MAA with a SHOLAY in 1975, an EK DUUJE KE LIYE with a KRANTI in 1981 and a PRATIGHAAT with a HUKUMAT in 1987. Since the 90's the surprise BLOCKBUSTERS have been very limited and this year you have all three films which are all surprises as to where they have reached.
Its a signal of changing times as the public avoid the regular and normal content and there has to be something fresh or novel in whatever form to get the public in. The fact of the box office today is there is minimum guarantee in terms of numbers for content that the audience does not like while there is no upside limit for the content which is liked. This is why these surprises are likely here to stay as sometimes it looks where is the next HIT is coming from and it comes from where it is least expected.
Saw it coming, says Ashwin Kumar on Mahavatar Narsimha crossing Rs. 100 crore
8:11 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 8, 2025)
The epic Mahavatar Narsimha crossed the Rs. 100 crore mark in just two weeks, becoming India’s highest-grossing animated film. It opened to Rs. 1.75 crore on day one, and rapidly expanded to more screens, giving stiff competition to the likes of Saiyaara, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Director Ashwin Kumar credits it all to “the people of Bharat embracing their own history”: “It is almost surreal, but we saw this coming. No one would believe us when we said this is the kind of momentum this film will build.”
Talking about why they went the animated route, he says, “I always felt that whenever you use a superstar, people have the tendency to project the God onto the actor, and vice versa. It loses merit in either. I wanted to keep everything pure.”
A universe of these films was announced earlier, with this film being the first. Clarifying the rumours of its budget, the filmmaker says that it was made on a budget of Rs. 40 crore and took five years to make. “The next part in the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe should take less time to come out. Bhakt Prahlad and Bhagwaan Narsimha are a part of our history. I feel it has only just begun,” he ends.
Mahavatar Narsimha: New animation wave is turning heads and screens
7:47 AM
Mahavatar Narsimha’s success amid big Hindi releases signals growing audience appetite for animated movies, say experts
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; August 8, 2025)
Mumbai: The extraordinary success of the multilingual Mahavatar Narsimha shows the increasing acceptance and appetite for animated films among the Indian audience, say producers and industry observers.
Without much marketing, the animated film made on a budget of Rs. 15 crore has collected Rs. 114 crore in the past two weeks, competing at the box office with the Hindi blockbuster Saiyaara and formidable films from big Bollywood names such as Dharma Productions, Jio Studios and Ajay Devgn.
This is the first Indian animated film to collect more than Rs 100 crore. As much as 73% of the film's collections came from the Hindi language version, indicating its pan-India acceptance.
"We always have had a huge market for animated films in India. This is reflected in the phenomenal success of animated films of Disney and Sony's Spider-Man Universe in India," said Vijay Kiragandur, founder of Hombale Films, the company which produced Mahavatar Narsimha. "But we feel Mahavatar has resonated with the audience also because of its content."
Hombale Films has now planned a Mahavatar Cinematic Universe in which it aims to produce several animated films between 2025 and 2037 based on the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu.
“India has a huge appetite for high-quality animated storytelling rooted in mythology. Audiences exposed to global animation content through streaming platforms are now ready to embrace animated films in theatres," said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director, Karmic Films. Wadhwa will be distributing an animated film, titled Chronicles of Devi – Chapter 1: Mahishasura.
According to industry estimates, big streaming platforms invest around 20-30% of their original content budget on animation. These estimates point out that India is the second-largest producer of animated content in the world. In fact, global anime (Japanese animation) brand Crunchyroll said recently that 60% of its estimated global growth would come from India.
"There is demand for animated films in India. But animation is under-penetrated in India. Over the years, global animated films have done well. We have talent, stories and resources. But economics is a challenge," said Harman Baweja, managing director of Baweja Studios, which produced the animated film Chaar Sahibzaade (2014) and an animated series called Super V.
The base of the animated film audience is increasing in India, largely because of its high emotional experience and wide appeal across age-groups.
"I feel performances in animated films are more evocative and emotional than recent feature films. The scale, imagination, and the exquisite use of technology in animated films are so pitch-perfect. Without sacrificing depth, these films appeal to most age-groups," said Ameya Naik, founder of Fantasy Films, an event management company. "Importantly, these films are suitable for a family watch which add to their broad appeal. India is a land of stories. We must make interesting animated films from stories handed down to us," he said.
Given the growth in audiences for animation films, industry observers said India's animated film market is estimated to grow to $14.7 billion by 2030 from $2.4 billion in 2024.
In the past five years, animated movies have dominated the global box office. According to boxofficemojo.com, the contribution of such movies to the worldwide box office collection of top ten films jumped to 54.3% in 2024 from 5.3% in 2021.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 894
4:08 PM
MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA REFUSES TO STOP; SAIYAARA CROSSES THE RS. 300 CRORE MARK
The box office is on fire right now, even though last week’s releases failed to attract the audience in hordes. This is thanks to Saiyaara, which continues to find an audience. Meanwhile, Mahavatar Narsimha has come out of the syllabus and is the second surprise blockbuster of the year.
After starting at Rs. 1.45 crores, Mahavatar Narsimha went on to collect Rs. 32.30 crores in its first week. In its second week, it has collected more; this was expected, but what surprised the trade and industry is that it went on to earn Rs. 11.75 crores on its second Saturday and a huge Rs. 17.25 crores on its third Sunday! The film has remained steady over the weekdays. On Tuesday, collections went up due to the Tuesday offer.
Mahavatar Narsimha’s two-week collections will be around Rs. 86-87 crores. It’ll cross the Rs. 100 crore mark on Sunday. The showcasing will be impacted due to the releases of War 2 and Coolie on August 14. Yet, it’ll continue to collect as it's clear that the demand is still there.
Saiyaara got mildly affected by the Mahavatar Narsimha wave. Without Mahavatar Narsimha, the romantic saga had chances of crossing the Rs. 400 crore mark. That will not happen now. By the end of its third week, it would have collected around Rs. 309 crores. With War 2 and Coolie coming up, even Rs. 350 crores won’t be possible. But that’s not a problem as the film has done more than what it was intended to. Also, its Overseas performance has been remarkable, where it has collected nearly Rs. 135 crores and can go upto the Rs. 175 crores mark.
Speaking of last week's releases, Son Of Sardaar 2 opened at Rs. 7.25 crores, as per the expectations. The collections did not grow as the word of mouth wasn't encouraging. It'll have a first week of around Rs. 33 crores, which ideally should have been its two-day earnings.
Dhadak 2 opened below expectations, at Rs. 3.50 crores. Despite positive word of mouth, there was limited interest in watching the film. This is the reason why it had a minor jump and collected Rs. 3.75 crores on Saturday and Rs. 4 crores on Sunday. Ideally, well-received films of this zone should have collected at least Rs. 4.50 crores on Saturday. Dhadak 2 will end its run with just Rs. 20 crores in its lifetime.
The box office is on fire right now, even though last week’s releases failed to attract the audience in hordes. This is thanks to Saiyaara, which continues to find an audience. Meanwhile, Mahavatar Narsimha has come out of the syllabus and is the second surprise blockbuster of the year.
After starting at Rs. 1.45 crores, Mahavatar Narsimha went on to collect Rs. 32.30 crores in its first week. In its second week, it has collected more; this was expected, but what surprised the trade and industry is that it went on to earn Rs. 11.75 crores on its second Saturday and a huge Rs. 17.25 crores on its third Sunday! The film has remained steady over the weekdays. On Tuesday, collections went up due to the Tuesday offer.
Mahavatar Narsimha’s two-week collections will be around Rs. 86-87 crores. It’ll cross the Rs. 100 crore mark on Sunday. The showcasing will be impacted due to the releases of War 2 and Coolie on August 14. Yet, it’ll continue to collect as it's clear that the demand is still there.
Saiyaara got mildly affected by the Mahavatar Narsimha wave. Without Mahavatar Narsimha, the romantic saga had chances of crossing the Rs. 400 crore mark. That will not happen now. By the end of its third week, it would have collected around Rs. 309 crores. With War 2 and Coolie coming up, even Rs. 350 crores won’t be possible. But that’s not a problem as the film has done more than what it was intended to. Also, its Overseas performance has been remarkable, where it has collected nearly Rs. 135 crores and can go upto the Rs. 175 crores mark.
Speaking of last week's releases, Son Of Sardaar 2 opened at Rs. 7.25 crores, as per the expectations. The collections did not grow as the word of mouth wasn't encouraging. It'll have a first week of around Rs. 33 crores, which ideally should have been its two-day earnings.
Dhadak 2 opened below expectations, at Rs. 3.50 crores. Despite positive word of mouth, there was limited interest in watching the film. This is the reason why it had a minor jump and collected Rs. 3.75 crores on Saturday and Rs. 4 crores on Sunday. Ideally, well-received films of this zone should have collected at least Rs. 4.50 crores on Saturday. Dhadak 2 will end its run with just Rs. 20 crores in its lifetime.
Saiyaara's box office success: How minimal promotion revolutionized Bollywood marketing strategies
8:29 AM
Saiyaara, Su From So are finding BO success thanks to ‘less is more’ promotional tactics, innovative filmmaking
Rajesh N Naidu (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 1, 2025)
Mumbai: The incredible box-office success of mid-budget Hindi film Saiyaara has sent ripples across Bollywood at a time when fear of failure has gripped the industry after months of mostly flops, kindling hopes of a turnaround.
Emerging as a ‘silent storm’ with minimal promotion, Saiyaara has collected Rs 274 crore in just 14 days since release, sparking curiosity among filmmakers and audiences alike.
The film was made on a reported budget of Rs 45 crore.
Interestingly, Kannada horror-comedy Su From So that employed a similar strategy of minimal promotion, also found success, collecting Rs 17.8 crore in a week.
In this context, ET spoke with film marketing experts, young adults, and a psychologist to decode Saiyaara’s success and whether it could impact future filmmaking and marketing strategies.
The intensity of Saiyaara’s marketing campaign was much higher after its release than pre-release and it focused more on showcasing audiences’ reactions (from emotional to exaggerated) than on their opinions, noted Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and cofounder of digital marketing agency TheSmallBigIdea.
“One must understand that the film’s frenzy was ‘captured’ in non-metro areas and ‘displayed’ in metro areas,” he said.
According to marketing experts, Saiyaara’s makers hired small influencers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities to create videos that focused on audience reactions.
As these videos became popular, many users (not hired by makers) joined the trend by creating their own short videos or reels. This added to the film’s popularity and triggered a favourable algorithm on social media, experts said.
Besides this, the makers piqued audience’s interest in the film by not exposing its lead pair. “The makers did not allow Saiyaara’s lead pair to socialise and over-familiarise with audiences,” said Nidhi Bubna Sadhwani, head of marketing and digital at Red Chillies Entertainment. “They held back on any promotional stuff. So, I think, there was an intrigue about the lead pair in terms of what they could do. This was exciting for audiences.”
The film’s music and trailer also played a critical role in creating favourable buzz, especially among young adults, experts said.
Film marketing experts also believe the release time was a paramount factor in lifting Saiyaara’s box-office fortunes.
“You feel amazing about a familiar thing if it is given to you after a long time,” Pillai of TheSmallBigIdea said. “There has been a romantic musical film drought period. Saiyaara’s release quenched this hunger.”
The film’s themes also largely resonate with young adults, experts said.
“It is a cleverly made film. It seems that the makers have considered often-discussed topics on social media,” said Tejas Nirbhavane, a clinical psychologist. “Scenes containing subjects such as nepotism, mental health, deserving people not getting opportunities, traumatic past, and commitment issues in relationships are shot as reels to appeal to young adults who have a short attention span,” he said.
But psychologist Nirvbhavane believes Saiyaara lacks emotional depth to a certain extent. “The film handles serious issues superficially,” he said. “It lacks moments which show the hero’s unwavering commitment towards his lover after he decides to choose her over his dreams.
However, Shruthi Narayan, a 27-year-old content writer, observed, “Young adults live in a world of dating apps and casual hookups. For them, ‘devoted love’ feels like a dream. They romanticise exclusivity and even the most basic form of commitment.”
So, has Saiyaara created a marketing template for future films? Well, film marketing experts believe they play only a small role in the fortune of a film.
“Filmmaking is not about marketing templates,” said Yash Suchak, cofounder of Grey Alchemy, a boutique marketing agency known to market tentpole films in India. “A film which has a strong story and genuine heart will always find an audience.”
Marketing only works till the film lands in theatres, experts said. Subsequently, only a film’s content elongates its life in theatres.
“Even amidst the wave of Saiyaara, who would have predicted the multi-lingual animation film Mahavatar Narsimha to perform so well? It’s a testament to the enduring power of storytelling,” Suchak said.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 893
10:51 AM
WILL SON OF SARDAAR 2, DHADAK 2 CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM AT THE BOX OFFICE?
The month of July was maybe the best one for the industry in a long time. Every week, at least one film managed to be a success at the box office, across languages. On July 4, Metro…In Dino started on a slow note but then picked up and held steadily. Jurassic World: Rebirth was a hit from day 1 and will cross the Rs. 100 crore mark. A week later, Superman also managed to do well. On July 18, Saiyaara opened with a bang and is now all set to be a Rs. 350 crore grosser, shocking one and all. Not much was expected from Mahavatar Narsimha, but it showed a historic trend. After opening at just Rs. 1.45 crores, it collected Rs. 3.50 crores on Saturday and a huge Rs. 6.85 crores. On Tuesday, thanks to the discounted ticket offer, it earned Rs. 5.50 crores. At this rate, it’ll have first week collections of around Rs. 28-29 crores and can hit the Rs. 50 crore mark or even more in its lifetime.
Meanwhile, two significant films will be out tomorrow, August 1. Son Of Sardaar 2 was all set to be out on July 25, but was postponed on July 19 due to the unstoppable Saiyaara wave. The decision was a good one, as Son Of Sardaar 2 would have faced problems in getting screens.
The comic caper stars Ajay Devgn, Mrunal Thakur, Ravi Kishan, Neeru Bajwa, Deepak Dobriyal, Kubbra Sait, Chunky Panday, Sharat Saxena, Vindu Dara Singh, Roshni Walia, Sanjay Mishra, Ashwini Kalsekar and the late Mukul Dev. From the trailers, it looks like a fun entertainer with the song 'Pehla Tu Duja Tu' becoming a rage, especially its unusual dance step.
However, the buzz for the film is limited. It’ll open at around Rs. 7-8 crores and might have an outside chance of crossing the Rs. 10 crore mark. A good word of mouth will help in better collections on Saturday and Sunday.
Dhadak 2, meanwhile, is backed by Karan Johar and is a remake of the 2018 acclaimed Tamil film, Pariyerum Perumal. It stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri and was in the news as it faced issues over its censor process. The Central Board of Film Certification finally passed the film in May but with several cuts. The trailer is decent but for a film like this, songs need to be chartbusters, which hasn’t happened here.
Dhadak 2 should open around Rs. 4-5 crores. Both films have a discount offer and that would help in a push in the footfalls.
The month of July was maybe the best one for the industry in a long time. Every week, at least one film managed to be a success at the box office, across languages. On July 4, Metro…In Dino started on a slow note but then picked up and held steadily. Jurassic World: Rebirth was a hit from day 1 and will cross the Rs. 100 crore mark. A week later, Superman also managed to do well. On July 18, Saiyaara opened with a bang and is now all set to be a Rs. 350 crore grosser, shocking one and all. Not much was expected from Mahavatar Narsimha, but it showed a historic trend. After opening at just Rs. 1.45 crores, it collected Rs. 3.50 crores on Saturday and a huge Rs. 6.85 crores. On Tuesday, thanks to the discounted ticket offer, it earned Rs. 5.50 crores. At this rate, it’ll have first week collections of around Rs. 28-29 crores and can hit the Rs. 50 crore mark or even more in its lifetime.
Meanwhile, two significant films will be out tomorrow, August 1. Son Of Sardaar 2 was all set to be out on July 25, but was postponed on July 19 due to the unstoppable Saiyaara wave. The decision was a good one, as Son Of Sardaar 2 would have faced problems in getting screens.
The comic caper stars Ajay Devgn, Mrunal Thakur, Ravi Kishan, Neeru Bajwa, Deepak Dobriyal, Kubbra Sait, Chunky Panday, Sharat Saxena, Vindu Dara Singh, Roshni Walia, Sanjay Mishra, Ashwini Kalsekar and the late Mukul Dev. From the trailers, it looks like a fun entertainer with the song 'Pehla Tu Duja Tu' becoming a rage, especially its unusual dance step.
However, the buzz for the film is limited. It’ll open at around Rs. 7-8 crores and might have an outside chance of crossing the Rs. 10 crore mark. A good word of mouth will help in better collections on Saturday and Sunday.
Dhadak 2, meanwhile, is backed by Karan Johar and is a remake of the 2018 acclaimed Tamil film, Pariyerum Perumal. It stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri and was in the news as it faced issues over its censor process. The Central Board of Film Certification finally passed the film in May but with several cuts. The trailer is decent but for a film like this, songs need to be chartbusters, which hasn’t happened here.
Dhadak 2 should open around Rs. 4-5 crores. Both films have a discount offer and that would help in a push in the footfalls.
(Crisp) Movie Review: MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA by FENIL SETA
4:11 PM
Mahavatar Narsimha is an animated mythological film backed by the producers of Salaar and KGF. It tells the story of Prahlad, the ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, and how it deeply affects his asura father, King Hiranyakashipu. The tale is fascinating and the second half is very well executed. A few scenes and especially the climax will lead to claps in the theatres. The animation is mostly decent. On the flipside, the music doesn't work. A major chunk of the first half is devoted to the back story and this bit is not as exciting. Also, the violence is at another level in this film. Though the makers are being authentic, the level of gore might put off a section of the audience. The makers should have ideally gone the Hanuman or Ramayan: The Legend Of Prince Rama way. Nevertheless, Mahavatar Narsimha makes for a nice, one-time watch.
My rating - *** out of 5!
My rating - *** out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 892
10:41 PM
SAIYAARA IS UNSTOPPABLE; SURPRISE BLOCKBUSTER OF THE YEAR
As predicted last week, Saiyaara opened at Rs. 21.50 crores. The industry was stunned as no one expected a non-action and non-big scale film with a new star cast to open in such a manner. The word of mouth was positive and as a result, the film earned Rs. 26 crores on Saturday. On Sunday, it earned a huge Rs. 35.75 crores.
Usually, films on Monday drop to 40-50% of Friday’s collections. Hence, in an ideal situation, it should have earned around Rs. 11-13 crores on Monday. But Saiyaara managed to earn more than Friday, that is, Rs. 23.75 crores. Thanks to the cheap ticket offer, the Tuesday collections amounted to Rs. 24.50 crores. On Wednesday, the film earned as much as it earned on Friday – Rs. 21.50 crores. The Thursday collections are expected to be around Rs. 18-19 crores. As a result, its first week collections are Rs. 172 crores.
Realizing that Saiyaara is going to be unstoppable, Ajay Devgn and Jio Studios made the sound decision and postponed their film Son Of Sardaar 2 from July 25 to August 1. Had Son Of Sardaar 2 been released on its original date, there would have been a fight between distributors of both films over screen sharing. Thankfully, that ugly situation has been averted.
Saiyaara is expected to earn around Rs. 240-250 crores by the end of the second weekend. The hold on the weekdays will determine its lifetime earnings. It will surely cross the Rs. 300 crore club and if all goes well, it might even earn more than Rs. 400 crores. It has all the time until War 2’s release on August 14 to earn, which is more than enough.
Often, the industry and trade are sad over Bollywood’s state of affairs. Films that are expected to do well fail miserably. But on the other hand, a film like Saiyaara comes out of nowhere and rewrites records. This is what makes the box office unpredictable and therefore, exciting.
Tomorrow, two films will be up for release. The Fantastic Four: First Steps might surprise despite the Saiyaara wave and earn around Rs. 6-7 crores. Mahavatar Narsimha is an animated mythological flick. Due to the genre, it has a chance to pull in the audience.
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