Despite the underwhelming performance of several big-star films, established actors continue to be the biggest draw for opening and sustaining movies in theatres.
However, an analysis by media consulting firm Ormax highlights a growing structural concern: the average age of the top five male Hindi film stars rose to 54 years in 2025 from 47 years in 2019, even as theatrical audiences remain overwhelmingly young.
Around 57% of the Hindi box office comes from viewers aged 15-30, according to Ormax. The mismatch raises questions about the absence of younger, top-tier stars capable of delivering event-worthy theatrical films and keeping the cinema ecosystem thriving.
An ageing lineup
To be sure, the average age has risen not because audiences have shifted towards older stars, Ormax said. It has increased because the top layer has remained largely unchanged, and the same stars have simply grown older over the past six years.
In 2025, the top five male stars were Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan and Ranbir Kapoor (in that order). In 2019, the list comprised Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan.
“One of the biggest problems that ails the movie business at this point is that there are no big stars in the younger generation who have enough appeal that can cut through audience segments,” said Rahul Puri, managing director of Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas.
This also has to do with the fact that the younger generation has its own set of stars—from actors in web series to social media content creators, Puri added.
Moreover, filmmakers are no longer creating vehicles for younger movie actors to achieve that level of stardom. Projects being conceptualized today are more niche and slice-of-life, making relatable faces more valuable than larger-than-life personalities.
Other than opening films, big stars create aspiration, continuity and cultural memory, helping audiences form lasting emotional relationships with the industry itself—not just with individual titles, Ormax said in a blog.
They also give producers the confidence to back ambitious films, new genres and large-scale theatrical bets. Therefore, a healthy star system is not just about fame—it is about sustainability, the blog pointed out.
As the current generation of stars ages further, a vacuum will inevitably emerge. If the next line of stars has not been built by then, the industry is bound to face structural weakness, it added.
South's advantage
The southern film industries have handled this transition far more organically, said Kaushik Das, founder and chief executive officer of OTT platform AAO NXT.
“The rise of Allu Arjun, Yash, Vijay, and Prabhas has built mass stardom at scale, while simultaneously a new wave of actors including Junior NTR post RRR, Fahadh Faasil in Malayalam cinema, and Dhanush straddling multiple industries have built credible, differentiated star identities,” Das said.
Importantly, the South has also shown that content can create stars rather than waiting for inherited star power to greenlight content.
That is a healthier model, Das said, adding that this is the direction the entire industry needs to move in.
The content debate
To be sure, many industry experts believe the South has demonstrated that if filmmakers back a compelling story featuring a fresh face with strong production values, audiences will turn up.
The Hindi film industry, they say, needs production houses willing to make those bets more consistently.
On the OTT side, the story is already unfolding, with newer talent steadily finding its footing on streaming platforms. The challenge lies in translating that success to theatres, which requires a different level of investment, marketing and patience.
“It is not age but dated content that fails at the box-office. Rather than fixating on a static star system, we need to change static systems of content creation,” film producer Anand Pandit said.
The Malayalam film industry has struck the perfect balance between star-driven vehicles like Drishyam 3, starring Mohanlal, and younger films like Vaazha II: Biopic of a Billion Boys, which has raked in millions on the strength of its fresh theme and vibrant energy, Pandit said.
When a megastar like Mammootty can produce and star in an unconventional film like Kaathal: The Core, it shows that it is possible to keep experimenting with stories and characters at any age.
“We must also encourage ecosystems where young writers, makers and actors feel seen and heard and are given creative freedom to tell the stories that will automatically draw their peers into theatres,” Pandit added.