Mumbai: Amid the din created by big-budget Indian and Hollywood movies, several faith-based films that amalgamate personal stories with cardinal ideas of deities and saints have scored strong success at the box office. These include films such as Laalo - Krishna Sada Sahaayate (Gujarati, 2025), Hanuman Ansh (Hindi, 2026) and Irumudi (Telugu, 2026), all of which were made on small budgets and feature faith-based but non-mythological stories.

Made on budgets ranging from Rs. 2 crores to Rs. 35 crores, these films have collected Rs. 45-Rs. 140 crores from the box office. Critically, some of the films have weathered stiff competition from big-budget movies such as Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-ups, Dhurandhar The Revenge and Hollywood spectacle films in India.

These films drive the importance of community experiences, faith and spirituality in bringing audiences to theatres, producers, distributors and exhibitors told ET.

A key aspect that binds these films is that they are not devotional in the traditional sense. They are about existential problems and how fundamental teachings of a saint, or a deity, help people to deal with these problems.

"These films weave faith into mainstream storytelling elements such as family, emotion, mythology and culture, thereby extending their appeal beyond believers," said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director of film production and distribution firm Karmic Films.

Irumudi is the story of an alcoholic father. On his daughter's request, he performs a 41-day Ayyappa Deeksha by abstaining from alcohol. After dealing with big challenges, he gets reformed. Laalo features an auto-rickshaw driver who is guided by Lord Krishna to come to terms with his past and mistakes. Hanuman Ansh tells the legendary stories that occurred in the life of the saint Neem Karoli Baba.

In India's vast cinematic history, there are many examples of successful faith-based films. Jai Santoshi Maa, which was released a few months before Sholay in 1975, stood up to the competition and collected close to Rs. 5 crore on a budget of Rs. 30 lakh.

"Faith has always been part of our storytelling. As the world becomes more uncertain and complex, people often return to faith for comfort and strength. That is also why films like Laalo, Irumudi and Deool Band 2 connect with audiences," said film producer Naveen Chandra.

According to a 2025 study by the Pew Research Centre, 82% of Indian adults describe religion as very important in their lives. Also, a 2026 study across 180 countries reported in the academic journal Wellbeing, Space and Society found that chances of people reporting stress nearly doubled in the past eighteen years. Audiences have appreciated the simplicity of these faith-based films, said exhibitors.

"These films have been made with the right intentions. Audiences who value culturally rooted stories rewarded it," observed Vishek Chauhan, chief executive of Roopbani Cinema, a single-screen theatre in Bihar.

Producers increasingly believe that faith-based films can be a sustainable genre given their favourable economics of low budget, no reliance on stars, community experience and high word-of-mouth communications.

Mumbai: Hollywood is experiencing a standout performance in India this year buoyed by box-office wins of several releases. Total collections reached Rs. 1,424 crores in the first seven months of 2026, per a study by Ormax Media study, a media and entertainment research firm. Notably, the figure is close to Hollywood's historically high collection of Rs. 1,595 crores in 2019.

Films such as Obsession, Michael, Project Hail Mary, The Odyssey, Evil Dead Burn, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Lee Cronin's The Mummy, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day helped drive the stellar show.

Producers, distributors and film trade analysts are optimistic that the share of international films in India's total box-office collections will reach 20-25% this year, surpassing the historical high of 15% in 2019.

A key aspect in the success of Hollywood films is its appeal across genres. While biopics and epics such as Michael, The Odyssey and original IPs such as Project Hail Mary and Obsession found strong appeal among cinegoers, franchises such as Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Evil Dead Burn proved the power of loyal audience following.

"There is a Hollywood resurgence in India," said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director at Karmic Films.

The share of international films in total box office collections slipped from 15% in 2019, to 9% in 2023, before recovering to 10% in 2025, said film trade analysts.

According to Ormax Media, between this January and July, this share has jumped to 17%. "Hollywood films' share in India's box office will cross 20% market share by the end of 2026," said Wadhwa of Karmic Films.

Producers are confident of the robust momentum sustaining thanks to the release lineup of mass and cult franchise films such as Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part Three, Godzilla Minus Zero, and Jumanji: Open World.

"Spider-Man is the highest-grossing Hollywood film in India," said producer Rajesh R Nair. "I estimate Avengers: Doomsday will be another blockbuster. It has already crossed $100 million in pre-sales globally. Indians have loved its trailer. Also, there is Dune: Part Three, which will release in the IMAX format, thereby further boosting collection. So, the overall Hollywood share could rise sharply."

Social media and streaming platforms are increasingly playing a key role in expanding the Indian audience base of Hollywood films.

Mumbai: The mid-budget theatrical space is increasingly seeing signs of clear recovery. This is demonstrated in the box office performance of recent mid-budget films across languages.

Recent mid-budget films, such as Awarapan 2 (Hindi), DC (Tamil), and Chennai Love Story (Telugu), have each collected Rs 59-Rs 100 crore at the box office. These films have been made in the budget range of Rs. 15-50 crore,

This impressive box office yield, especially amid the stupendous and sweeping success of Hollywood spectacles or event films such as The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, has challenged the general assumption that audiences prefer to watch mid-budget films only on streaming platforms and not in theatres, the film fraternity told ET.

In the past few years, the mid-budget theatrical space has gradually turned into a risky bet as a category. High ticket prices, rapid acceptance of streaming platforms, increasing focus of streamers on profitability and costs, and a clear preference for big-budget films among streamers to boost their brand equity impacted the recovery of investments in mid-budget theatrical films.

Additionally, many mid-budget theatrical films have bombed, reducing audience interest in this space.

But recent successes show that audiences have not abandoned this space.

“A strong story, emotional connection, music, nostalgia and word-of-mouth can still turn a mid-budget film into a theatrical event,” said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films.

Historically, mid-budget films have always been realistic stories. Interestingly, after the pandemic, audiences have become more open to realistic stories than escapist fares, seasoned regional producers told ET.

“Usually, one would expect audiences to lap up light content, especially after a life-changing pandemic period. But the data shows that audiences have been liking horror and realistic content. Unlike in the past, today’s audiences want to watch realistic stories and not escape from them. And this expectation is being fulfilled by mid-budget films,” said Naveen Chandra, founder and CEO of 91 Film Studios, a company that produces, finances, and distributes regional films.

Also, high acceptance of streamers for entertainment has not necessarily killed appetite for mid-budget films. On the contrary, streamers’ content has raised audience tastes.

“Streamers have made audiences selective about mid-budget movies and not anti-theatrical,” said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade analyst.

Audiences, too, want community experiences outside their personal devices. This craving has brought about a certain openness toward genres and sizes of films. If they find a connection or reason for watching a film of any size through their social media networks, then they watch it.

“After almost indulgent content consumption on streamers during the pandemic and a few years after it, today’s audiences are experiencing a sense of fatigue about watching streaming content on devices. They are finding a sense of community in theatre visits and live events,” explained Girish Johar, producer and film business expert.

In the past few years, producers have been supporting the idea of high mid-budget films due to increasing uncertainty in box office performance of films.

“The future cannot be only about Rs. 300-500 crore spectacles. A Rs. 10-50 crore film that audiences turn into a Rs. 100-150 crore success is a more sustainable model,” said Wadhwa of Karmic Films.

Mumbai: Marvel Studios has staged a strong comeback at the Indian box office with Spider-Man: Brand New Day becoming the country's highest-opening Hollywood film.

The movie collected Rs 60.60 crore on its first day and recorded an average occupancy of 72.3% across India, according to Sacnilk, marking a sharp resurgence for the studio after several recent releases received mixed and modest response.

"The extraordinary response to Spider-Man shows that Marvel Studios' resurgence has truly begun. The film's first-day collection is around 60-70% higher than that of the previous Spider-Man film. This makes it a major win for both Sony and Marvel in India," said Kamal Gianchandani, chief business planning & strategy, programming, PVR INOX.

In the past seven years, barring long-established and familiar characters such as Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and Thor, Marvel Studios' films featuring new characters from its cinematic universe have received a mixed or modest response in India. Films such as Eternals (2021) and The Marvels (2023) did not perform well, largely because of superhero fatigue among audiences and the swift introduction of new Marvel characters for which audiences were unprepared.

Among Marvel's characters, however, Spider-Man continues to be a dependable theatrical franchise for Sony Pictures.

"The film's success reflects the enduring appeal of Peter Parker as a character and demonstrates that when audiences connect with a compelling story and a cinematic experience, they show up in huge numbers in theatres," said Shony Panjikaran, general manager and head, Sony Pictures Releasing International, India.

Producers pointed out that the frenzy for the Spider-Man franchise among Indian audiences can be gauged from the significant contribution of its dubbed versions to the film's total India collection. They also pointed out that the opening day collection show there is no superhero fatigue among Indian audiences.

"This opening sends a strong message about Marvel's position in India. Audiences have not moved away from superhero cinema; they have simply become more selective,” said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films.

"Spider-Man today is a genuinely pan-India theatrical brand. Over 40% of its advance business comes from dubbed versions. When a globally loved character combines franchise equity, spectacle and true event value, Indian audiences continue to respond in extraordinary numbers. Brand New Day could well mark the beginning of fresh theatrical momentum for Marvel in India," added Wadhwa.

Another aspect that could serve as the foundation for a solid and successful second innings for Marvel Studios in India is the point at which the last Spider-Man film ended, distributors said.

"The ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home was not just a good ending for Peter Parker. It was a strategic reset that gave Marvel Studios enormous creative freedom and helped rebuild the Marvel Universe organically. Spider-Man is likely to provide Marvel Studios with fresh momentum and a breeding ground for new stories featuring familiar characters in India," said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade analyst.

Film trade analysts estimate that the film will easily surpass the previous instalment's India collection. Spider-Man: No Way Home, the previous film in the franchise, collected Rs 218 crore in India.

"The Spider-Man success is not happening by chance. It is part of a carefully planned strategy by both Sony and the Marvel team, with a fresh approach focused on stronger storytelling and its most-loved characters. I think the film will surpass the last Spider-Man movie's collection," said Girish Johar, producer and film business expert.

Mumbai: Hollywood director Christopher Nolan’s appeal in India is no longer confined to urban, English-speaking audiences. Dubbed versions of the acclaimed filmmaker’s movies are steadily gaining ground, contributing a major chunk of box-office receipts over the past decade, signalling the growing reach of his cinema beyond its traditional audience base.

The contribution of Nolan’s films dubbed in multiple Indian languages to their total India collections is as high as 30%, sealing his position as arguably the only international director with a genuine pan-India following, distributors, producers, and executives at dubbing companies told ET.

The dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu of past Nolan releases such as Inception and Tenet contributed 30% each to their total India collections, according to the data shared by Warner Bros. Theatrical, a division of Warner Bros. Discovery. In the past, Warner Bros. Theatrical has distributed all key films of Nolan in India—The Batman Trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet.

Continuing with this trend, in ten days since its release, the dubbed versions—Hindi, Tamil and Telugu—of Nolan’s latest release, The Odyssey, contributed 20% (Rs. 28 crore) to its total India collection of Rs 140 crore, showed the data shared by Warner Bros Theatrical division.

This is a noteworthy feat, especially for an English film in India. Warner Bros. Theatrical, also called as Warner Bros. Pictures, has a licensing deal to market and distribute all Universal films in India. Universal Pictures is the distributor of the film The Odyssey.

Distributors highlighted a fundamental shift in the audience base of Nolan’s films in the country as new fans across Indian languages discover his productions.

“Since its release, more audiences have experienced The Odyssey in their own language in India than in the entire run of any Nolan film,” said Denzil Dias, vice president and managing director, India Theatrical at Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of Warner Bros. Pictures.

“These are not converted fans. These are new fans who are discovering a Nolan film for the first time in Hindi, in Telugu, in Tamil. This is not a box office but an audience story.”

Distributors and producers say despite primarily being a Hollywood release, universal themes across Nolan’s films help cross any language barriers.

“Even though Nolan’s films are intellectually layered, they transcend language barriers largely because they contain universal themes,” said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder & director, Karmic Films. “I experienced this when I released Inception in the Mysore (Karnataka) territory in 2010.”

Seamless and effective dubbing has also contributed to this trend, said dubbing companies.

“Today, the dubbing quality of films has improved considerably,” said Ashim Shakti Samanta, Aradhana Films, a company which dubbed The Odyssey in multiple Indian languages. “It is quite faithful to the original films. What drives audiences from different Indian languages to Nolan’s films is strong emotions.”

“Apart from the badge of bragging rights, audiences across India watch a Nolan film largely for an intellectual experience in which understanding acquires more significance than emotional depth,” said Yogesh Parkar, a banking professional and a Nolan admirer. “He fulfils this expectation in almost every film.”

“Over the years, Nolan has become the ‘event’ in all his event films,” he said. “In India, there is a fanbase for Hollywood superhero and horror films. But the nationwide excitement Nolan’s films generate cannot be matched even by films of acclaimed directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.”

Mumbai: Film narration in India’s entertainment industry has entered a new phase as producers in the Hindi film and some regional industries have begun using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) while pitching their ideas to investors and distributors.

Increasingly, producers are creating AI-assisted trailers and, in some cases, even AI-assisted short films based on scripts to give a glimpse of the final product, as filmmaking costs rise and uncertainty over box-office performance increases, industry sources told ET.

“AI has completely changed how people present their ideas. Today, producers in the industry are creating AI-assisted trailers based on film scripts and explaining their films’ vision in a clearer manner,” said Akul Tripathi, filmmaker and former COO at IN10 Media Network. “These AI-generated trailers help financiers, actors, writers and other collaborators clearly understand a film’s idea and vision,” he added.

The ability to provide greater clarity on the look, tone and feel of a film has accelerated the practice of generating AI-assisted trailers and films, producers said.

“Earlier, there was no option but to sit through a film narration. Today, a studio like ours reads at least 300 screenplays in different languages. With the help of AI, one can turn a screenplay into storyboards and then storyboards into a fully visualized film. This makes it easier to judge a story, its look and even the budget before production,” explained Naveen Chandra, founder of 91 Film Studios that produces and distributes regional films.

“In Kerala, there are companies providing AI tools for creating AI-assisted trailers and AI-assisted feature films. In fact, producers in Kerala have been using AI tools to create AI-assisted feature films to show funders their vision for the film,” said a film distributor, requesting anonymity.

Even as a section of producers is using AI to make film pitches more effective, another section remains wary of using AI in film pitches. They are concerned that creating AI-assisted trailers and films could make their work vulnerable to intellectual property and copyright risks.

“There is a big challenge in making AI-assisted trailers or films from scripts. When one uploads a screenplay in an AI tool one is exposed to a risk of losing control of it. Scripts, storyboards, and AI-generated outputs can become available for others to copy or use to create their own works. Even if one pays to use an AI software, there is no guarantee one’s ideas are protected,” said Shaaminder Malik, distributor and film trade analyst.

However, high filmmaking costs and increasing uncertainty in predicting box-office performance have also contributed to accelerate this trend, producers said.

Also Read: Indian film studios are using AI to cut costs, speed production, despite mixed audience reactions

“Today, costs have risen across every stage of production. Theatrical performance has become increasingly unpredictable. Naturally, investors are asking more questions before financing projects. AI-generated pitch trailers and concept films have emerged as an effective solution because they help producers convert a written script into a visual experience,” explained Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director of Karmic Films.

“For many projects, spending a few lakhs on an AI-assisted proof of concept can significantly improve the chances of raising funds for a film worth several crores,” Wadhwa added.

Today, AI can create a two-hour visual version of a screenplay, producers said. Producers have been creating AI-assisted trailers (4–5 minutes long) based on film scripts. The cost of creating AI-assisted trailers and films primarily comprises AI software and manpower costs for generating prompts. The cost of creating an AI-assisted trailer based on a film script is less than Rs 5 lakh, producers said. The cost of generating an AI-assisted film, without original music and based on a film script, is Rs 70–80 lakh, they added.

Mumbai: Well-established heroines based in South Indian film industries with fan followings are being increasingly cast in mainstream Hindi films as Bollywood grapples with a thinning bench of bankable female stars.

Unlike in the past, when south-based actresses entered the Hindi film industry at a very early phase of their acting careers like Vyjayanthimala, Rekha and Hema Malini, in recent years, well-established south-based actresses such as Rashmika Mandanna (Cocktail 2, Animal), Sai Pallavi (Ek Din, Ramayana), Keerthy Suresh (Raftaar), Nayanthara (Jawan, a new untitled film with Salman Khan) and Pooja Hegde (Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai) are filling the gap in mainstream heroines in Bollywood, producers, casting directors and distributors told ET.

In the past few years, the pool of dependable and well-established heroines has shrunk. This is a key reason why filmmakers are considering established south-based actresses, casting directors said.

“Today, the pool of established Hindi film heroines is relatively small. Also, accessing this pool can often be a lengthy and complicated process. In contrast, many south-based actresses are highly professional, approachable and easy to collaborate with. Even audiences enjoy seeing fresh on-screen pairings,” said Kunal M Shah, a casting director known for works such as Phule and Bhaukaal.

“For instance, the pairing of actor Salman Khan and actress Nayanthara in one of my upcoming films is creating buzz. Also, Bollywood filmmakers have a much wider and more exciting talent pool to choose from with south-based heroines in contention,” he explained.

“On the one hand, well-established Hindi film actresses such as Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt are entering a different phase of their careers. On the other hand, the frequent failure of films featuring the new crop of very young actresses has proven that they lack striking talent. This has shrunk the pool of mainstream heroines in Bollywood,” observed Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade analyst.

Also, economics favour casting well-established south-based actresses, producers said.

“Established south-based heroines have pan-India appeal thanks to their acceptance among non-south audiences through dubbed films. Casting these actresses in mainstream Bollywood films also boosts collections from their home territories,” said producer Vishesh Agrawal.

Producers also cited factors such as rootedness, freshness and the range of south-based heroines as reasons for their increasing presence in mainstream Bollywood films.

“Today, the industry is compelled to rethink the archetype of a mainstream Bollywood heroine. Audiences are demanding fresher, more rooted and more authentic female leads,” explained Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director of Karmic Films.

“Established south-based actresses have been successfully filling this gap with their range and suitability for both rural and urban roles,” he added. “For instance, Rashmika Mandanna looks suitable not only as a village woman in the Pushpa franchise films but also as an urban mainstream heroine in Cocktail 2,” he explained.

Though there is a shift towards casting established south-based heroines, casting directors bemoan the larger problem of a lack of interesting roles being written for heroines.

“Though there is no denying that the new crop of heroines in Bollywood either look very young or lack acting chops. Also, their exposure on social media is relatively higher than that of south-based heroines. But where are the interesting roles for heroines in today’s films?” said a casting director, requesting anonymity.

Mumbai: Film producers and distributors fear tighter release schedules and greater uncertainty after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting discontinued the Central Board of Film Certification’s ‘Tatkal’ or priority certification scheme.

The withdrawal of the fast-track system – which allowed filmmakers to get CBFC certification within 10-15 days by paying a premium – from June 1 could aggravate delays in film clearances, already worsened by the abolition of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) in 2021, industry executives said.

It could particularly affect multilingual releases, last-minute edits and films locked into fixed theatrical windows, while increasing legal and operational uncertainty for producers, they said.

“The impact will be felt most by independent producers and regional films, where production timelines are often compressed and release windows are highly competitive,” said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director at Karmic Films.

Executives said the absence of both FCAT and the Tatkal route could slow dispute resolution, forcing producers into prolonged litigation and making release schedules harder to predict.

The ministry had floated a public consultation in February proposing discontinuation of the priority scheme before formally withdrawing it from June 1 through the notification of the Cinematograph (Certification) Amendment Rules, 2026, on May 20.

Some regional producers and industry veterans welcomed the move, saying the priority system had long disproportionately benefited large studios and influential production houses, often disrupting release plans of smaller producers who finalise theatrical windows months in advance.

“Situation becomes chaotic when big producers release films without advance communication,” said Naveen Chandra, founder of 91 Film Studios. “This disturbs the release schedule of films which have been planned months in advance.”

He said the growing volume of films requiring certification had made the priority system increasingly difficult to sustain.

“India’s long-term average suggests that nearly 1,800 films are produced annually across languages, amounting to almost five films a day. Besides this, there are festival films in sizeable numbers,” Chandra said. “It is not possible to physically watch films on a Tatkal basis and remain objective.”

Distributors highlighted practical challenges in certifying big-budget films, noting that Indian filmmakers, including big directors, often re-shoot and work on visual effects until just days before a film’s release.

“Unlike in the West, where studios plan films well in advance, one hardly sees big directors presenting full films to CBFC one month prior to release,” said Shaaminder Malik, film distributor and trade analyst.

The ministry, while proposing discontinuation of the scheme, had argued that routine use had diluted its intended purpose and created a “two-tier certification system” where applicants with deeper pockets secured faster clearances.

Government data tabled in parliament showed CBFC-certified theatrical films rose to 2,687 in FY25 from 2,031 in FY22. The ministry said average certification timelines for feature films currently stand at 18 working days against the prescribed 48 working days under the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024.

Mumbai: The micro-drama sector is increasingly emerging as a new avenue for experienced television writers in India, as the TV industry grapples with shrinking audiences and rising competition from other entertainment platforms.

The trend is being driven by a mix of higher content volumes, faster payments, greater creative freedom, flexibility to write around commercial breaks, opportunities to explore diverse subjects, lower time commitments and the ability to work remotely, writers, producers and senior executives at micro-drama platforms told ET.

According to estimates by senior executives at micro-drama apps, a micro-drama app in India produces 50-200 hours of content a month, depending on its scale.

At present, there are 40-45 micro-drama apps available for download in India. This shows the volume of micro-drama content being produced in India.

Generally, key people at micro-drama apps collaborate with production houses to create content. “The micro-drama ecosystem has opened up genuine opportunities for creative professionals, including writers. Most of these professionals previously had a TV background,” said Saurabh Pandey, founder and chief executive of Story TV, a micro-drama streaming app.

The low entry barrier is a key reason why experienced TV writers, and even inexperienced writers, are entering the micro-drama space, writers said.

“The micro-drama space is quite democratized. There is so much micro-drama content being created today. In my long experience as a writer, for the first time I am seeing such a high demand for writers,” observed veteran television writer Sanjay Bhatia, who wrote the crime television series Encounter and recently ventured into the micro-drama space.

On the lower side, micro-drama writer fees generally range between Rs25,000 and Rs1 lakh per series, senior executives at micro-drama apps said. On the higher side, fees may go up to Rs3–4 lakh per series depending upon a platform and its scale of operation.

Lower time commitment compared with TV and demand for diverse subjects are among key factors that triggered high interest among writers.

“Unlike TV, where TRPs define content preference, in micro-drama, a writer can work on diverse subjects. On average, a micro-drama series is made in 10-15 days, which gives high scope for writers to experiment,” said Shakeb Sayed, a veteran television writer associated with serials such as Saraswatichandra. “Today, a lot of first-time writers are coming into the micro-drama space. In fact, there is a shortage of writers and other creative professionals in the micro-drama space.”

Remote working and faster payments have added to the attractiveness of the segment, writers said.

“Micro-drama has decentralized the way writers work. Today, a writer can be in Indore and write a micro-drama series and earn money. Also, payment is faster in this segment. Unlike TV (45 days), micro-drama writers receive payment in a month or less,” said a writer requesting anonymity.

According to producers, TV experience has helped these writers do well in this space.

"Micro-dramas are creating a major opportunity for fast writers and young creators because the format rewards speed, relatability, storytelling agility, constant cliffhangers, and the ability to keep audiences engaged every 60 seconds," said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director of film production and distribution company Karmic Films, adding: “Experienced TV writers pull these things off well.”

From theatres to living rooms, South Indian cinema is increasingly dominating the showbiz, accounting for nearly 60% of all theatrically successful films acquired by streaming platforms across Indian languages in 2025.

While this marks a significant shift in OTT content-buying strategies, it is driven by stronger viewer engagement for South Indian titles on streaming platforms, with a higher proportion of viewers tending to watch them till the end after starting them, senior executives at large media and entertainment networks said.

Of the 125 films that each drew more than one million admissions in theatres and bought by leading streaming platforms, 74 were South Indian titles, according to a study by media and entertainment research firm Ormax Media.

“South Indian titles generally show strong engagement patterns, often delivering high completion rates and sustained viewing, which improve long-term platform value,” said Krishnan Kutty, head of entertainment business, south cluster, at JioStar. “At streaming scale, consistent engagement matters more than opening spikes, and regional content is increasingly delivering that consistency,” he added.

In addition, the share of South Indian content in total watch time on streaming platforms has been increasing, industry executives said.

“Across films and web series, we are witnessing phenomenal growth from the South, which accounts for more than 41% of total watch time on ZEE5,” said Siju Prabhakaran, chief business officer at ZEE5. “Every region in South India brings a unique flavour and intellectual depth that resonates across age groups and geographical boundaries.”

Producers said South Indian titles also offer advantages in terms of acquisition costs and content supply compared with Hindi films.

“These titles also provide pipeline stability,” said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director at Karmic Films. “A larger volume of theatrical films with stronger audience retention in the post-pandemic period comes from the South, giving streamers a more dependable content acquisition ecosystem.”

Language affinity and the cultural rootedness of South Indian stories have helped these films attract audiences well beyond their regional markets, independent streaming consultants said.

“In addition to subtitles and dubbing, audiences’ affinity for their mother tongue and the cultural authenticity of these stories and their presentation have helped South Indian titles find viewers beyond their traditional markets,” said Shrirang Nargund, an independent consultant to the streaming industry. “Today, audiences outside the metros increasingly prefer such stories.”

The next 100 million subscribers to India’s streaming ecosystem are expected to come from markets beyond the major metropolitan cities.

According to the Ormax study, Netflix acquired 34% of all South Indian titles bought by streaming platforms in 2025, followed by JioHotstar (19%), ZEE5 (18%) and Prime Video (17%).

“We studied films that recorded one million footfalls in theatres across all languages in India. The South emerged as a bigger content market for streaming platforms,” said Keerat Grewal, head of business development for streaming, TV and brands at Ormax Media.

Streamers also acquired 35 theatrically successful Hindi films, with Netflix accounting for 57%.

In the past two years, Bollywood production houses are increasingly diversifying into film distribution space. Though not unprecedented, a notable aspect of this shift is that today diversification into film distribution space has become a structural and survival imperative for production houses to deal with rising costs of filmmaking and grab larger share of revenues available across the value chain of filmmaking, producers, exhibitors and film marketing experts said.

Dharma Productions, and most recently Jio Studios, are the two prominent production houses that diversified into film distribution space in noteworthy manner in the last two years.

"Cost of making films has gone up due to the huge talent cost. Then, distributors are doing away with minimum guarantees (upfront cash) to producers. A combined effect of these is production houses venturing into distribution,” explained Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films.

A key rationale behind production houses diversifying into distribution is to retain a larger share of revenues that a film can generate, noted established producers.

A key rationale behind production houses diversifying into distribution is to retain a larger share of revenues that a film can generate, noted established producers.

Functioning as distributors helps production houses reduce their dependence on sub-distributors, explained independent exhibitors.

"Production houses are going full throttle. They have set up offices in Bihar and West Bengal," said independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan. “They are not dependent on sub-distributors. So, a distributor’s commission is their savings,” he explained.

Independent distributors earn 5-10% of revenues as commission income. “For instance, consider Dhurandhar. The film collected Rs. 1000 crore. And if a sub-distributor’s billing is Rs 450 crore, then 10% of it is Rs 45 crore. This is a huge number,” explained Chauhan.

Unfavourable experiences with studios have also contributed to this trend, noted producers. “There are studios who offer promotion, marketing and distribution to production houses for a fixed fee. These studios take a huge share of revenues earned through a film for the money they invest. This is in the range of 10-50% of box office revenues. This is a reason why production houses have diversified into distribution,” explained producer Rajesh R Nair.

Digitalization is another enabler for production houses to venture into distribution, explained distributors.

“Today, distribution is centralized, thanks to digitalization. One can keep a tab of everything sitting in Mumbai. Due to nuanced data, production houses have been able to negotiate with exhibitors on programming and revenue-sharing,” explained Shaaminder Malik, distributor and film trade analyst.

At present, apart from production houses, players such as AA Films, Pen Marudhar, YRF and PVR Inox distribute films.

In the long run, power dynamics in the distribution ecosystem is likely to shift in favour of multiplexes, said industry veterans.

“Today, multiplexes generate 70-75% of box office revenues. This shows their power in the entire distribution ecosystem. In the long run, the power dynamics will shift in favour of multiplexes,” said Neeraj Joshi, a film marketing and strategy consultant.