The year 2023 was a landmark one for global film. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a protracted dry spell, but people started going back to the theater in large numbers. For those of us who have witnessed the industry lose thousands of dollars, gig artists going without, theaters, production companies, and film magazines closing their doors, this was incredibly comforting. According to Ormax Media’s Box Office Report for November 2023, Indian films are expected to have made a total of Rs 11,000 crore by December 2023, with over 41% of that amount coming from Hindi language films. This sets a new record; in 2019, the highest gross earning Indian film industry record was Rs 10,948 crore.
In Hindi cinema, the pandemic had a profound and enduring effect. Viewers looked to the small screen for solace in 2020 when theaters were closed. The amount of money that wealthy people could afford to spend on OTT platforms increased dramatically. Targeting the Hindi audience, OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Hotstar+, and others began to create and add new content alongside growing collections of Hindi movies. Jaideep Ahlawat in Paatal Lok, Pankaj Tripathi in Mirzapur, and Manoj Bajpayee in Raj and DK’s show The Family Man all rose to fame.
South Indian cinema had already outperformed Hindi films, which appeared to be lacking in creativity and were failing at the box office, by the time the second and third waves of COVID-19 emerged. Pushpa: The Rise and KGF: Chapter 2 were two other huge hits that helped directors like SS Rajamouli ride this wave with RRR (2022). Thanks to the availability of subtitles on OTT platforms, Malayalam films attracted new audiences throughout India.
Furthermore, the industry suffered a further blow in 2020 with the passing of Sushant Singh Rajput. Divisive Indians launched social media campaigns and staged widespread boycotts of Hindi movies. The decline in popularity of Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar was demonstrated by the 2022 failure of Aamir’s ambitious Forrest Gump remake, Laal Singh Chaddha.The year 2023 was a landmark one for global film. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a protracted dry spell, but people started going back to the theater in large numbers. For those of us who have witnessed the industry lose thousands of dollars, gig artists going without, theaters, production companies, and film magazines closing their doors, this was incredibly comforting. According to Ormax Media’s November 2023 Box Office Report, by the end of December 2023,Hindi-language films would have brought in more than 41% of the total revenue from Indian films, which would have made Rs 11,000 crore. This sets a new record; in 2019, the highest gross earning Indian film industry record was Rs 10,948 crore.
In Hindi cinema, the pandemic had a profound and enduring effect. Viewers looked to the small screen for solace in 2020 when theaters were closed. The amount of money that wealthy people could afford to spend on OTT platforms increased dramatically. Targeting the Hindi audience, OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Hotstar+, and others began to create and add new content alongside growing collections of Hindi movies. Jaideep Ahlawat in Paatal Lok, Pankaj Tripathi in Mirzapur, and Manoj Bajpayee in Raj and DK’s The Family Man all rose to fame.
When the second and third waves of COVID-19 emerged, South Indian film had already outperformed Hindi films, which appeared to be lacking in creativity and were failing at the box office. With RRR (2022), directors like SS Rajamouli rode this wave; other notable hits included Pushpa: The Rise and KGF: Chapter 2. The availability of subtitles on OTT platforms allowed Malayalam films to reach a wider audience across the country.
Furthermore, the industry suffered a further blow in 2020 with the passing of Sushant Singh Rajput. Divisive Indians launched social media campaigns and staged widespread boycotts of Hindi movies. The decline in popularity of Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar was demonstrated by the 2022 failure of Aamir’s ambitious Forrest Gump remake, Laal Singh Chaddha.
