Trade experts discuss what can one expect at the box office in 2024: “Films like Singham Again and Pushpa 2 – The Rule have the potential to do UNPRECEDENTED numbers”

By Fenil Seta -

January 3, 2024 - 12:58 PM IST

The year 2023 was one of the best or maybe the best year ever for Bollywood. We asked trade what can one expect in 2024 from the box office point of view

Trade experts discuss what can one expect at the box office in 2024: “Films like Singham Again and Pushpa 2 – The Rule have the potential to do UNPRECEDENTED numbers”

Film exhibitor and distributor Akshaye Rathi said that the momentum will continue, “We have quite a few tentpole films that are coming in like Fighter, Shaitaan, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, Singham Again, Pushpa 2 – The Rule, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan etc. We also have some interesting mid-segment films. Merry Christmas trailer was very intriguing.”

He remarked, “What worked this year is directors of Southern fraternity casting Hindi actors to create mass appealing content. For example, Atlee is producing Varun Dhawan’s film, which is a remake of Theri (2016). This can be a new formula that can really kick in and do wonders. A lot of our young talent is raring to do such films after they have seen what happened with Jawan and Animal. They have suddenly opened their eyes to movies that are made for the audience and not the critics or niche audience. I hope this new thought process continues for a long time to come so that they stop focusing on the Mumbai-Delhi-Kolkata-Pune-Hyderabad-Bengaluru belt and instead, start looking at India as a market.”

Raj Bansal, the owner of Entertainment Paradise in Jaipur, said, “2023 was one of the best years. In fact, if I recollect correctly, it was the biggest in terms of box office. Unfortunately, I do not see 2024 as great as 2023. There are no Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan films. Neither there will be a Ranbir Kapoor-starrer”

Trade guru Komal Nahta opined, “The Khans don’t have any release. It’s like a despondent note on which the new year is beginning. But I just feel that there are other commercial films slated for release like Singham Again, Fighter, Pushpa 2 – The Rule, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Welcome To The Jungle, etc. It’s a given that it may not be as great as 2023. Nevertheless, without the Khans also, we might have a very eventful and successful year. People are saying ‘Koi film hi nahin hai’. What they mean is ‘Koi Khan ki film nahin hai’. But frankly, only one Khan ran this year (Shah Rukh Khan). Hence, we shouldn’t feel sad that there are no Khan releases. There are others who’ll carry the torch.”

We saw films crossing the Rs. 500 crores mark in 2023. Can a film cross the Rs. 600 crores mark? Akshaye Rathi replied, “The potential is always there. Films like Singham Again and Pushpa 2 – The Rule have the potential to do unprecedented numbers.”

Raj Bansal said, “It is possible. Pushpa 2 – The Rule is the only film that I feel can breach the Rs. 600 crore mark. Fighter and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan will be huge hits but it’ll be unlikely for them to collect so much.”

He also exulted that in 2023, we could have seen a film entering the Rs. 600 crore club, “Animal was a film which could have collected more than Rs. 600 crores. I got so many calls from people complaining ‘Animal dekhni thi lekin bahut theatres se woh film nikal gayi’. Hence, I believe that had Dunki and Salaar not been released or if only one of the two films had been released, then Animal would have been an Rs. 600 crores grosser.”

Komal Nahta disagreed, “It is impossible. A business of Rs. 600 crores will come only from the Khans. Later, it’ll become the rule. But, it’ll be these stars who’ll start these clubs.”

Less bloodbath at the box office, requests trade

The experts also fear that clashes will become common and so will the fights for screens. Dunki vs Salaar’s clash has left a sour taste. Singham Again and Pushpa 2 – The Rule will release on Independence Day 2024 and trade fears that it’ll lead to a repeat of what happened on Christmas 2023.

Akshaye Rathi rued, “What happened last week was not business. It was ugly and uncalled for and showed our industry in a really bad light. It only led to a lose-lose situation. It hampered the business of both films. It’s not like one benefited over the other. Both lost out on the business because the advance just didn’t open on time beyond the national chains till the day of release. A lot of business, which could have happened due to these advance ticket sales, didn’t happen. I hope that we can leave aside our squabbles and egos and try to think a little more holistically and sensibly. Here, we literally witnessed a scenario where two production houses and distributors, who were at each other’s neck, ensured that hundreds of distributors all over the country faced financial losses. That’s not healthy. I really hope we can be a little more sensible and mature in the year ahead so that such scenarios are handled with some dignity and grace.”

He signed off by saying, “I am not talking about these movies in particular. But movies that have hype and not-so-great content can benefit from advances opening up early and having a certain amount of sales. God forbid the advance don’t happen until release day and the content is not up to the mark, you miss out on a chunk of business that could have happened.”

Also Read: Ajay Devgn to kick off new schedule of Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again in Hyderabad from third week of January 2024: Report