After years of battling allegations of alienating family audiences with experimental, slice-of-life storytelling that largely appealed to urban, upmarket viewers, Bollywood may finally have learnt its lesson.
Recent releases such as Dhamaal 4 ( ₹158.62 crore) and Welcome To The Jungle ( ₹130.75 crore) are rooted in old-school comedy and, according to trade experts, have helped bring family audiences back to cinemas after their slower post-pandemic return.
Regional cinema has seen a similar trend. Films such as Sankranthiki Vasthunam (Telugu), Good Bad Ugly (Tamil), Thudarum (Malayalam) and Fakt Mahilao Maate (Gujarati) have resonated with family audiences, proving that stories with universal themes, emotional storytelling, music, spectacle or a sense of celebration continue to encourage group viewing.
Word-of-mouth has become even more critical for this audience because families are selective about cinema outings given the high cost of watching films together, and typically wait until a film has earned positive reviews before buying tickets.
Raised bar
“Families never lost their love for the big screen. The bar has just been raised. When you give them a movie that offers massive scale, high entertainment value, and a comfortable premium theatre experience, they will show up every single time," said Gautam Dutta, CEO– revenue and operations, PVR INOX Ltd.
While audiences initially became more selective and comfortable consuming content at home after covid-19, that shift pushed the industry to create bigger, more compelling cinematic experiences.
What is particularly interesting is where the revival is coming from, Dutta added. It is not limited to metros such as Delhi-NCR or Mumbai. The real momentum is coming from tier-II and tier-III cities, where moviegoing remains a communal experience. Going to the movies is no longer just a casual weekend activity; it has become a planned, celebratory family outing.
Selective return
Post-pandemic, bringing families back to cinemas has been one of the industry's biggest challenges, according to Sameer Munshi, vice-president— operations and F&B, Miraj Entertainment Ltd.
While younger audiences and franchise fans returned relatively quickly, family audiences remained more selective, often choosing only films that offered a compelling reason to step out. Concerns around value for money, the availability of content on streaming platforms and changing entertainment habits also shaped this behaviour.
“We are now seeing encouraging green shoots. Family turnout is improving, particularly for films that offer clean, universally appealing entertainment, strong word-of-mouth, and a genuine big-screen experience. Successful films across Hindi, regional, and Hollywood cinema have demonstrated that when content resonates across generations, families are willing to return to theatres,” Munshi said.
Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer— cinemas, BookMyShow, said family audiences were understandably more measured in returning to theatres immediately after the pandemic.
“The post-pandemic period was marked by a degree of uncertainty, as both filmmakers and audiences were recalibrating their expectations of the theatrical experience. As the industry experimented across genres and formats, certain audience preferences began to emerge more clearly. Family audiences have remained an important segment for theatrical releases, while genres such as comedy and horror continue to enjoy broad appeal,” Saksena said.
Event cinema
According to industry experts, the recovery is being driven by a combination of stronger content, the return of established franchises and popular stars, festive release windows, premium cinema experiences and a growing appetite for shared, out-of-home entertainment.
While the revival has been gradual rather than uniform, the trend is encouraging and reinforces that compelling content remains the biggest driver of family footfalls.
Film producer Anand Pandit pointed out that we also must acknowledge that it is not always easy to afford a family outing to the theatres. The cost of multiplex tickets, food, and beverages can be intimidating. For a film to be worth the time and expense of its audience, it should be truly original, rich with detailing, offering a big-screen experience and thoroughly entertaining.
Ashish Misra, head of commercialization, Cinépolis India, agreed that for a group of four or five people, a film must feel like an event that justifies everyone's time and money.
“What we are seeing now is the industry meeting that bar more consistently. Franchise titles and cross-generational event films are giving families a shared reason to come out together, and the in-cinema experience has improved meaningfully across the industry, whether that is premium formats or better food. So yes, these are genuine green shoots,” Misra said.