Hindi film viewers now seek diverse content, not just action and spectacle

As many as 15 original Hindi films grossed more than ₹100 crore each last year compared with six in 2024. Action-drama Dhurandhar ( ₹894.45 crore) was the highest grosser of the year, followed by period drama Chhaava ( ₹600.1 crore), romantic film Saiyaara ( ₹337.8 crore) and the dubbed Hindi versions of mythological epics Kantara: A Legend–Chapter 1 ( ₹224.39 crore) and Mahavatar Narsimha ( ₹182.8 crore).

According to experts, this proves that audiences are receptive to good content and innovative marketing in general, and not just specific genres or faces. Music, too, played a key role in the box office successes last year.

Devang Sampat, managing director of Cinépolis India, noted that 2025 was a significant year for genre diversity, especially in Hindi cinema.

“Action and drama continue to lead the box office – that fundamental audience preference hasn’t changed. What has changed is that other genres are now finding commercial success alongside tentpoles, not in isolation,” Sampat said.

He referred to this trend not as a replacement of what works but an expansion of what can work. The immediate post-pandemic years were defined by audience caution, Sampat pointed out. People returned to theatres selectively, gravitating toward spectacle and proven franchises.

“In 2023, that translated into near-unilateral dominance of action and mass entertainers. That concentration has eased. Audiences remain drawn to event cinema, but they’re also rewarding conviction in execution across genres. A well-made romantic film can work. A horror film can work. A family drama can work, provided the craft justifies the ticket,” he added.

Changing audience preferences

Agreeing that genre variety is much stronger today than immediately after the pandemic, Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director of multiplex chain Miraj Entertainment Ltd, said audiences are now confident again about coming to theatres. They are not only chasing scale or stars, but also strong stories.

“Filmmakers have realized that the audience has changed. Formula cinema alone is not enough anymore. There is more focus on original storytelling, tighter scripts and genre experimentation,” he said, adding that it’s a very healthy sign since a strong box office cannot depend only on five or six big films in a year.

When multiple genres work and more films cross meaningful milestones like ₹100 crore, it brings stability. For exhibitors, this means better weekday footfalls, repeat visits and a more sustainable cinema-going culture, which is the most positive takeaway from 2025.

Experts emphasize that the creative community must be credited for reading the room correctly. After 2022 and 2023, when action and mass entertainers dominated almost exclusively, there was introspection. Filmmakers recognized that while tentpoles will always anchor the box office, not every film can or should compete in that space.

Back to basics

Independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan emphasized that Hindi cinema, which had become too realistic in the past few years, has gone back to its roots with melodious music, hardcore romance and dialogues that appeal to audiences beyond the saturated urban, metro centres.

“The strong performance of films across multiple genres is a meaningful signal of a maturing and increasingly resilient industry,” said Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer – cinemas, BookMyShow. “As audience choices diversify, the box office is no longer overly reliant on a few tentpole releases to drive momentum. Instead, success is being distributed more evenly across the calendar, creating a healthier cadence of footfalls and a more sustainable revenue base for the industry.”

Audiences plan visits more intentionally, respond strongly to films anchored in scale, familiarity or emotional depth, Saksena added. These patterns point to an audience that is evolving in how it engages with cinemas.

A key factor behind this is the increasing discernment of audiences and greater clarity on what they want to watch on the big screen, rewarding films that offer distinctive storytelling or strong theatrical value, irrespective of the genre, he added.