The year 2024 has been tough for Bollywood, with fewer films crossing the coveted ₹100 crore mark at the Hindi box office. As we enter the last quarter of the year, only a handful of movies have made a significant impact compared to the previous year.
While last year saw 14 films entering the ₹100 crore club, this year only five films have achieved that milestone so far. This underperformance has left many producers reconsidering their release dates, hoping for better results later in the year or even in 2025.
Only a Few Big Hits in 2024
One of the biggest surprises of the year has been Stree 2, which was released around Independence Day. The horror-comedy sequel exceeded all expectations by earning a staggering ₹600 crore at the domestic box office. Stree 2 now joins Shahrukh Khan’s Jawaan from 2023 in the ₹600 crore club, becoming the second Hindi film to reach this mark.
However, other Hindi films have struggled to follow suit. The Telugu film Kalki 2898 AD (Hindi dubbed version) earned ₹294 crore, making it the highest-grossing film in Hindi after Stree 2. Among Bollywood films, Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter, which was released on Republic Day, earned ₹212.73 crore, taking the second spot among Hindi films. Ajay Devgan’s Shaitan, released in March, managed only ₹149 crore.
Surprises and Postponements
One film that did surprise many was the horror-comedy Munjya, released in June. The film managed to enter the ₹100 crore club, a rare feat for this year. But even with its success, only five Hindi films have crossed ₹100 crore at the box office, a disappointing outcome compared to previous years.
The underwhelming performance has also caused several producers to postpone the release dates of their films, hoping for better box office numbers in the future. With the festive season and major holidays yet to come, there is still hope for Bollywood to recover.
Last Year’s Successes
In contrast to 2024, the year 2023 was quite successful for Bollywood. Fourteen films made it into the ₹100 crore club, with major hits like Pathan, Jawaan, Gadar 2, and Animal even crossing ₹500 crore. This was a huge improvement over 2022, which saw only seven films reaching the ₹100 crore mark.
The pandemic-hit years of 2020 and 2021 had a severe impact on the industry, but Bollywood was at its peak in 2019, when 17 films entered the ₹100 crore club, setting a record.
Will 2025 Bring a Revival?
Looking ahead, industry experts believe that 2025 could break all previous records, with more films expected to enter the ₹100 crore club. However, before that, the films slated for release in late 2024 still have a chance to turn the tide and match or even surpass the seven films that hit ₹100 crore in 2022.
