EXCLUSIVE:Lacking big South Indian releases on the scale ofRRRand theK.G.F.franchise, Indias box office was down by 15% in the first half of 2023, compared to the same period last year, pulling in $592.68M (Rs48.68BN), according to figures from IndiasOrmax Media.
Yash Raj Films Hindi-language action picPathaan, starringShah Rukh Khan, was the highest-grossing film in India during this period, taking $78.65M and accounting for 13% of overall box office.
It was followed by multi-lingual action filmAdipurush, which grossed $40.54M, and Hindi dramaThe Kerala Storywith $32.02M.
Pathaan was the top-grossing film in India Jan-June 2023Yash Raj Films
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BothAdipurushandThe Kerala Storywere endorsed by Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but both have proved controversial.Adipurush, based on Indian epic Ramayana, crashed at the box office after a strong start with audiences criticizing its VFX, as well as its treatment of one of Hinduisms most important texts.
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Also intended to appeal to Hindu audiences,The Kerala Storywas slammed for factual inaccuracies in its allegedly true story of girls from Hindu and Christian communities who are missing from the state of Kerala after being recruited into ISIS and converting to Islam.
Universal PicturesFast Xwas the biggest Hollywood release, ranking at number eight with $16.44M (see Top Ten chart below).
In comparison,the first half of 2022saw S.S. Rajamoulis Telugu hit and eventual Oscar winnerRRRgrossing $105M on its March release, followed by the second part of the Kannada-languageK.G.F.franchise,K.G.F: Chapter 2, which grossed $117M in April.
The success of the two films pushed the market share of South Indian films to 50% in 2022, with Hindi films only taking a 33% share (which included the Hindi dubbed versions of bothRRRandK.G.F: Chapter 2).
So far this year, the biggest hit from the Telugu industry has been Mythri Movie Makers action picWaltair Veerayya, starring Chiranjeevi, while the Kannada industry has not had any major releases.
Three Tamil films made it into the first half Top Ten action dramaVarisu, starring Vijay; the second installment in Mani RatnamsPonniyin Selvanepic, and heist movieThunivu, starring Ajith Kumar.
Without the big Telugu and Kannada releases, the market share of films from the four South Indian film industries dropped to 44% in the first half of 2023, while Hindi films climbed to a 37% share.
January was the biggest month of the year so far, pulling in a total of $169M (Rs13.88BN), mostly due to the success ofPathaan, which accounted for 13% of total box office in the first half of the year.
However, June was also a strong month, with a total gross of $126M (Rs10.35BN), due toAdipurushand credible box office performances fromZara Hatke Zara Bachke(Hindi),Carry On Jatta 3(Punjabi),Baipan Bhaari Deva(Marathi) andMaamannan(Tamil).
Ormax Media estimates that if the market tracks at the same rate for the rest of 2023, it will be down 8% year-on-year to $1.19BN (Rs97.36BN) at the end of the year.
However, several big upcoming releases could push the market back to pre-pandemic levels (total box office of $1.33BN in 2019).
These include the September 28 release of Telugu-language action filmSalaar, starring Prabhas, from the team behind theK.G.F.franchise director Prashanth Neel and Bangalore-based production companyHombale Films.
From the Mumbai-based Hindi industry big upcoming releases include Shah Rukh Khans next two films Jawan, scheduled for September 7, and Christmas releaseDunki as well asTiger 3, the latest entry in the Yash Raj Films franchise starringSalman Khan, scheduled for November 10 to coincide with the Diwali holidays.
India Top Ten Box Office Jan-June 2023[Based on gross domestic box office across all language versions]
1.Pathaan (Hindi) $78.65M (Rs6.46BN)
2.Adipurush(Hindi, Telugu) $40.54M (Rs3.33BN)
3.The Kerala Story(Hindi) $32.02M (Rs2.63BN)
4.Varisu(Tamil) $25.81M (Rs2.12BN)
5.Ponniyin Selvan PS2(Tamil) $25.08M (Rs2.06BN)
6.Waltair Veerayya(Telugu) $23.13M (Rs1.90BN)
7.Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar(Hindi) $18.75M (Rs1.54BN)
8.Fast X(English) $16.44M (Rs1.35BN)
9.Thunivu(Tamil) $16.31M (Rs1.34BN)
10.Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan(Hindi) $14.98M (Rs1.23BN)
Source: Ormax Media
