Box Populi
India’s box office collects Rs 5723 crore in blockbuster first half of 2025
MUMBAI: India’s cinemas have found their groove and the numbers are singing. The first half of 2025 has grossed Rs 5,723 crore at the domestic box office, marking a 14 per cent jump over the same period last year, according to the newly released India Box Office Report by Ormax Media. That puts it just Rs 12 crore short of the 2022 January–June record, signalling a cinema resurgence powered not by a few blockbusters, but a wide net of Rs 100 crore-plus earners.
A total of 17 films crossed the Rs 100 crore threshold in the January–June window up from just 10 in the first half of 2024. Topping the charts by a wide margin was Chhaava, clocking in at a whopping Rs 693 crore, followed by the Telugu release Sankranthiki Vasthunam. Notably, only one film breached the ₹250 crore mark in this period, suggesting a shift from reliance on tentpole spectacles to consistent mid-sized performers.
June wrapped up on a strong note, with monthly grosses topping ₹900 crore, thanks to titles like Sitaare Zameen Par and Housefull 5, both touching the ₹200 crore mark. Tamil-Telugu title Kuberaa and Hollywood’s F1: The Movie also revved up the box office engines.
Hindi cinema continues to rule with 40 per cent of the total gross, mirroring its 2024 share. Telugu and Tamil films followed with 20 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. In a welcome plot twist, Hollywood returned to double digits, breaching the 10 per cent mark for the first time since 2022.
If the current pattern holds, 2025 is poised to close at Rs 13,500 crore, making it potentially the biggest box office year in Indian history. This hinges, of course, on the performance of the star-studded second half, which includes biggies like Kantara: Chapter 1, Avatar: Fire and Ash, War 2, Coolie, Akhanda 2, Thama, and OG.
What’s especially noteworthy is the spread of success, this year is less about outlier mega-hits and more about a healthy, steady churn of solid performers. This could signal a structural rebound for Indian exhibition circuits, driven by a slate-first strategy instead of pinning hopes on a few blockbusters.
Whether you’re team multiplex or mass single-screen, 2025’s box office is scripting a hit—and there’s plenty more showtime left.
MUMBAI:If there is a soundtrack to cinema-going, it is the crackle of popcorn and in 2025, audiences at Cinépolis India clearly couldn’t get enough of it. The multiplex chain has revealed its annual popcorn consumption data, showing that moviegoers across its network devoured close to five million tubs of popcorn last year. Broken down, that works out to around 570 tubs every hour, or roughly 10 tubs disappearing every single minute, enough to keep the kernels popping almost non-stop.
In sheer volume terms, Cinépolis sold around 12,000 tonnes of popcorn during the year, underlining just how central the snack has become to the big-screen ritual. Long after the opening credits roll and before the end credits fade, popcorn remains the constant companion.
To celebrate National Popcorn Day on January 19, 2026, the cinema chain is now turning the spotlight on the snack itself. From January 20 to January 31, Cinépolis will run a nationwide “Popcorn Happy Hour”, offering a buy one get one free deal on popcorn across its locations. The limited-period promotion is designed to add a little extra crunch to the moviegoing experience, without adding to the bill.
“Popcorn is the official movie partner, and at Cinépolis, it is the sensory anchor of the cinema experience,” said Cinépolis India managing director Devang Sampat. “With the Popcorn Happy Hour offer, we are making it easier for audiences to add that to their visit, without compromising on quality.”
Sampat added that the consumption data is more than just a fun statistic. Tracking what patrons buy and when they buy it helps the chain refine its food and beverage offerings and shape the overall in-cinema experience. “Our 2025 data helps us understand what patrons are choosing, so we can keep improving the menu and the experience,” he said.
The popcorn push sits within Cinépolis India’s broader Foovies framework, an in-house strategy that treats food and beverages as a core part of cinema-going rather than a side order. The approach focuses on curated menus, value-led campaigns and data-driven decisions, using consumer behaviour to guide what lands at the concession counter.
As theatres continue to compete not just with streaming platforms but with every other leisure option vying for attention, the numbers suggest one thing remains rock-solid: when the lights dim, popcorn still rules the aisle. And with millions of tubs already behind it, Cinépolis is betting that the humble kernel will keep audiences coming back for another bite and another show.
