On the other hand, films made in Hindi language saw a 37% dip in collection to ₹3,215 crore from ₹5,085 crore in the previous year. The share of dubbed Hindi films in the total collection of films in Hindi language surged to 31.2% in 2024 from about 6% in 2023, according to the report.
“The increasing contribution of dubbed films to the Hindi box office can be attributed to successful storytelling in south Indian films, particularly Telugu cinema. This aligns more closely with the evolving preferences of Hindi theatrical audiences and their perception of ‘theatrical worthiness’ of films,” said Sanket Kulkarni, head of business development (theatrical), at Ormax Media. “Increasing viewership of films on streaming platforms and box-office successes of several dubbed films have encouraged exploration of diverse cinemas beyond Hindi.”
Among the dubbed southern films released in 2024, Pushpa 2 -The Rule contributed ₹889 crore and Kalki 2898 AD ₹348 crore to the Hindi film collection.
Producer Rajesh R Nair, known for films such as Kaminey and Adipurush, said, “Today, southern films are targeting the northern Hindi market. After Allu Arjun released Pushpa 2: The Rule’s trailer in Patna, Bihar, Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi released a song of their upcoming film Thandel in Varanasi.”