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Animal, Jawan, Gadar 2: Bollywood makes a blockbuster comeback in the second half of 2023
As we near the end of 2023, trade experts term it the ‘golden year’ of movie business as films hit the mark with the audience and rake in the moolah
From the roar of Tiger 3, thrill of a Jawan to shrill of Animal, Bollywood splashed myriad shades of emotions and drama on the big screen, which the audience lapped with full vigour -- something which is proved by the box office numbers. Now, the industry is happy with the box office getting back on track, and are calling it a ‘golden year’ for movie business.
“It has been a golden year for Bollywood, be it Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, OMG 2 to now Animal. There have been other films such as Kerala Story also which have contributed in a big way to the success of Bollywood. The business is booming. If we compare it to last year, it has been a great year,” says trade expert Taran Adarsh, adding, “And we are expecting it to end on a high note with Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki and Prabhas’ Salaar slated to release later this month”.
When it comes to opening numbers, this year, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan has been on number one, amassing ₹75 crore across India on its opening day. Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal holds the second spot with the film minting ₹63.8 crore (nett) in India, which is followed by Pathaan, which made ₹57 crore on its first day and Tiger 3 as it collected ₹44.50 crore on its first day.
According to trade expert and producer Girish Johar, it has been a flamboyant year for the films at the box office. “They have done fantastically. Not just the big budget films, the small gems such as 12th Fail, Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway and 1920, have done well. The revenue is expected to be around ₹12,000 crore, which is 15-20 percent more than the previous best,” he says.
In the similar vein, trade expert Atul Mohan shares, “We have already crossed the earning of 2022, which was around ₹1900 crore. We had crossed that at the time of Jawan only. When we talk about 2019 business, which was the high point for Bollywood, we are past that mark. It is ringing in festive cheer in the industry”.
Here, the experts mention that the box office business has also helped wipe off the narratives like “OTT is a threat to theatres, people are not willing to come to the big screen”.
“Now, the theatres are running in full capacity. It has been a golden year for Bollywood films at the box office. And it will end on a high note with Dunki. All the wrong narratives have been wiped off this year,” Mohan says, adding, “The sequels are working, and so is original content, which is a positive sign”.
Johar adds, “It is a great sign for the filmmakers as they know the power of box office and great content. Now, they know that the audience is willing to spend on a movie ticket, no matter if the film is out on a non holiday or was granted A certificate”.
Talking about the year, OMG2 maker Amit Rai says, “It has been a great year for Bollywood, and a historic one. The footfall has been great, and the audience has shown that good content will work. It puts confidence in the makers. Jo acha hoga woh his stand out karega, and it has been the case this year”.
