Niche language films widen box office beyond native states with strong storytelling

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, a Malayalam female superhero flick, and Gujarati hits Jhamkudi and Umbarro, are among the relatable, emotionally engaging yet visually appealing films that have aided this segment, so far known for compelling stories but languishing in the shadows of Hindi, Tamil and Telugu cinema as far as commercial success went. Their box office collections aren't comparable to the big blockbusters, but new milestones have been achieved in these individual markets.

Lokah, released in August, grossed ₹184 crore at the domestic box office and emerged as the first Malayalam film to cross the ₹300 crore mark globally. Gujarati cinema achieved a major milestone in 2025, with ₹103 crore in gross box office collections and 10 million footfalls as of October.

These not only broke previous records in Gujarati film history but also helped overtake Punjabi and Marathi cinema at the total box office and footfalls in 2025. Gujarati films had overtaken Bengali cinema in 2024, becoming the strongest box office language in India outside Hindi and the four south Indian languages.

Marathi cinema has been showing long legs too, with suspense thriller Dashavatar having made ₹30 crore domestically, more than three times any other film released in the language this year and higher than many Hindi titles.

According to Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director of Miraj Entertainment Ltd, an operator of multiplexes, there has been strong growth in regional films post-covid, especially in Malayalam and Kannada cinema, outside their native states.

Strong storytelling

“Films like Manjummel Boys, Aavesham, Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life, Premalu, RDX, and now Lokah have set new records in Malayalam cinema, both in Kerala and outside the state. Similarly, Kannada films like Kantara and KGF Chapter 2 broke all previous benchmarks and took the industry to a national level," said Mendiratta. “These films are not just working locally—they are drawing audiences across states, with multiplex chains reporting steady occupancy in non-traditional markets. That shows how strong storytelling and word of mouth can now travel faster than ever before."

According to experts, audiences began exploring a wide range of global content during the pandemic—from K-dramas and anime to international films—and they became more comfortable watching stories in other languages, with subtitles or dubbed versions.

This mindset carried over to Indian cinema, too. People are now open to watching a Malayalam or Marathi film if the story excites them.

“The recent rise of regional cinema is largely driven by powerful storytelling and deep cultural resonance," said Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer, cinemas, BookMyShow. “Audiences are gravitating toward narratives that feel authentic yet have universal stories that mirror their realities, emotions and aspirations. These industries have struck a fine balance between rooted content and relatable, modern themes, creating films that connect across geographies."

Strong performances, tighter scripts and enhanced production values have raised the bar, while effective release strategies and stronger marketing have amplified their impact. The consistent driver of this success remains high-quality content and strong word of mouth, which sustain footfalls well beyond the opening weekend, Saksena added.

Elevated standing

He cited the example of Lokah, which has set new benchmarks, while earlier successes such as L2: Empuraan, Thudarum, Manjummel Boys, Alappuzha Gymkhana and Premalu expanded the footprint of Malayalam films among national audiences. Kannada cinema too has seen major traction, led by titles such as the Kantara franchise, Su From So and Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, which performed strongly within Karnataka and across other markets.

Marathi films Ved, Baipan Bhari Deva and Navra Maza Navsacha 2 have rewritten records, bringing fresh energy to regional storytelling.

“Collectively, these films have not only surpassed pre-pandemic records in their respective markets but have also elevated regional cinema’s cultural and commercial standing across India," Saksena said.

Independent trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai pointed out that many regional films that were looked down upon have thrown up successes thanks to the power of storytelling and strong theatre-going habits among the people. A lot of this also has to do with reasonable ticket pricing for regional language movies.

“Streaming has impacted the cinema business massively as far as Hindi films go, but in a lot of states, especially down south, there is still an entrenched movie-going culture," Pillai pointed out.