With none of the major festivals delivering hits this year, and in many cases post the pandemic in general, trade experts say the absence of big star vehicles is hurting, as is the trend of multiple titles competing for attention and eating into each other’s business. Theatre owners have also been accused of inflating ticket rates during major festivals, a strategy that backfires big time when the films don’t find draw in the first place. Theatre owners often hike ticket prices by 20-30% for festivals.
The Diwali release this year, horror comedy Thamma, made ₹123.60 crore in box office collections while the Independence Day (War 2 that earned ₹185.13 crore) and Eid (Salman Khan-starrer Sikandar that earned ₹103.45 crore) releases also fared below par. Last year’s Diwali releases Singham Again ( ₹268.35 crore) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 ( ₹283.80 crore) had done better, but both saw collections dented thanks to cannibalization of screens.
Eid was also a dampener in 2024 with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan ( ₹59.17 crore) and Maidaan ( ₹52.29 crore) and so was Diwali 2023 with Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 that had also underperformed.
In contrast, before covid, festive weekends had thrown up blockbusters such as Dangal ( ₹387.38 crore), Sultan ( ₹300.45 crore), Prem Ratan Dhan Payo ( ₹210.16 crore) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan ( ₹320.34 crore), with big stars coinciding releases with holidays and clocking impressive returns.
“The charm of festive weekends has definitely changed. A few years ago, a festival release almost guaranteed packed houses, but that’s no longer the case. Over time, audiences have evolved and they no longer come to cinemas just because it’s a holiday. They come when the film genuinely excites or moves them,” said Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director, Miraj Entertainment Ltd, a company that operates multiplexes. He added that somewhere, there’s also been an over-reliance on the holiday factor, with too many expectations that the festival itself will do the heavy-lifting.
Post covid, audiences are aware that films releasing in theatres would be available on streaming platforms in four to eight weeks, besides having discovered multiple other options on such services. Hiked ticket prices, in such cases, often feel unreasonable especially when the movies come with mixed reviews. Industry experts also point out that city dwellers are drawn to other entertainment experiences, often using holidays and extended weekends to step out of the city. In this situation, the film needs to really pack a punch on several counts to make for a blockbuster festive weekend.
Mendiratta cited the example of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (Eid 2024), which opened with massive hype and star power but couldn’t hold beyond the first weekend. This year, Sikandar saw a similar trend after a strong start during Eid while there were no tentpole releases during Diwali.
“The truth is, the festival date can give a head start, but only good storytelling and strong word-of-mouth can keep the momentum going. The star cast might bring audiences on opening day, but after that, the film must stand on its own merit,” Mendiratta said.
Festive weekends will continue to perform when backed by films that offer clear value for families and create anticipation, according to Devang Sampat, managing director of Cinepolis India. “What we are seeing in 2025, is linked to the slate rather than an erosion of festive pull. The films released this year during these windows did not carry the kind of scale and anticipation that earlier tentpole weekends have enjoyed. Audience behaviour remains consistent. They show up when the storytelling connects, irrespective of the release date,” Sampat said. He added that recent successes such as Saiyaara, Mahavatar Narsimha, Jolly LLB and Raid 2 demonstrate that strong content can perform very well outside holiday corridors.
Holidays are no guarantee of extraordinary business and come with their own limitations, agreed independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan. “Big stars no longer arriving for festivals is a problem, which means content has to do the talking. Plus, hiking ticket rates is a recipe for disaster. If the film doesn’t deliver, high-priced tickets ensure people don’t come back at all,” Chauhan pointed out.
That said, many are pinning hopes on the upcoming slate which includes Kartik Aaryan’s Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, Sriram Raghavan’s biographical drama Ikkis and the multilingual fantasy epic Vrusshabha starring Mohanlal—with all three slated for Christmas. Next year, Pongal and Makar Sankranti will see Prabhas’ The Raja Saab (Telugu) and Vijay’s action-drama Jana Nayagan (Tamil), followed by Republic Day’s large-scale war film Border 2 (Hindi) and Yash’s action-thriller Toxic releasing on Eid. That said, several big-ticket titles such as Alia Bhatt-starrer Alpha are scheduled outside of holiday weekends.
“Genres that deliver scale—action spectacles, rooted local stories and family entertainers—continue to drive sustained interest, while strong word-of-mouth often results in extended runs and repeat viewings. This demonstrates a healthy, audience-led momentum that is not restricted to any one period of the calendar,” said Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer, cinemas, BookMyShow.
