This was the first time that box office collection surpassed ₹12,000 crore, indicating a recovery in the Indian film industry, which had been battling a post-pandemic slump in business. Box-office collections in 2022 were ₹10,637 crore, just short of the previous record set in 2019.
“One of the key drivers for the success of box office in 2023 is the industry’s ability to deliver event films that are a ‘theatre-worthy experience’-a must for the film to emerge as a theatrical success,” said Ormax Media Head of Business Development (Theatrical) Sanket Kulkarni.
According to the report, cinema footfalls rose 6% in 2023 to 943 million, though it lagged the pre-pandemic high of 1.03 billion in 2019.
Kulkarni said footfalls have remained below pre-pandemic levels as audiences have turned selective in their theatrical choices because of post-pandemic inertia and the rise of video streaming platforms.
The average ticket price (ATP) increased by 9% over 2022, from ₹119 to ₹130, owing to a growth in box office contribution from Hindi cinema, which has a higher ATP compared to South-language films.
After a lacklustre performance in the post-pandemic phase, Hindi films had a record year in 2023, with gross box-office collection of ₹5,380 crore, crossing the ₹5,000-crore mark for the first time. As per the report, Hindi cinema’s box office share hit a pre-pandemic high of 44%, from 33% in 2022. Tamil and Telugu cinemas maintained their 2022 share with a box office collection of ₹2,265 crore and ₹1,961 crore, respectively, in 2023.
Meanwhile, the share of Hollywood movies fell by 3 percentage points in 2022 due to the absence of a ₹200-crore grossing film, with overall collection at ₹1,139 crore. Kannada cinema shed its box office share by 5% points to finish the year at ₹312 crore due to the absence of big-ticket films.
