Recent Bollywood hits may be grossing more than ₹500-600 crore in domestic collections, but footfalls are nowhere close to that of blockbusters of the 1990s and 2000s. The success of today’s films, say trade experts, is more about ticket pricing than how many people flock to cinemas.
Stree 2, released earlier this year, just about crossed the 3-crore footfalls, and the numbers for Gadar 2 and Jawan also hover around the same. The 1994 family drama Hum Aapke Hain Koun holds the record for the highest footfalls for a Hindi film at over 7.39 crore. That’s followed by followed by Baahubali 2- The Conclusion (2017) at 5.25 crore and Gadar-Ek Prem Katha (2001) 5.05 crore.
“Footfalls have been on a steady decline across the world, including Hollywood. This has been offset by increasing ticket prices, but that has been driving the common man away from the movies,” independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said. While a developed market such as the US has moved to an average ticket price of $11 from $8 nearly 10 years ago, multiplex chains in India have been increasing rates by 10-15% every year, he said. “Ours is an under-screened market with many parts of the country enjoying no access to theatres, thereby reducing footfalls.”
In 2023, India’s box office revenue reached a record ₹12,226 crore—a 12% increase over the pre-pandemic 2019, according to the Ormax Box Office Report. However, footfalls fell 8% over 2019, suggesting that the growth in gross revenue was primarily driven by a rise in the average ticket price rather than higher footfalls, said Sanket Kulkarni, head, business development (theatrical), Ormax Media. The average ticket price in 2023 was 22% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Footfalls in 2023 fell despite some of the recent blockbusters released through year. Estimated footfalls for Gadar 2 and Jawan were about 3.5 crore and 3.1 crore, respectively, while Pathaan and Animal attracted around 2.9 crore viewers to cinemas.
“The combination of the pandemic and rise of OTTs has resulted in audiences becoming more discerning about their theatre viewing choices,” Kulkarni said. “Films that successfully offer a ‘theatrical-worthy’ experience can command higher ticket prices due to their differentiation and demand. For example, Stree 2 had ticket prices on its release day comparable to those of star-driven event films, making it one of the top five highest-priced films on its opening day since January 2023.”
Multiplex chains, however, argue that lowering ticket prices is not a guaranteed solution for increasing footfalls. The primary draw for audiences is the content itself—the film, the experience, and the emotional connection it creates.
“Footfalls for recent hits like Stree 2, Jawan, Pathaan, and Animal may not have reached the level of Hum Aapke Hain Koun or Baahubali 2, but they still draw large audiences,” said Niharika Bijli, lead strategist at India’s largest multiplex chain PVR INOX Ltd. “The audience base for Hum Aapke Hain Koun was broader, particularly in single-screen theatres, which contributed to higher footfalls. Over the years, many single-screen theatres have closed down, reducing the overall screen count.”
The annual increase in ticket prices has been lower than the inflation rate, despite the introduction of more premium formats like Recliners, IMAX, 4DX, ScreexX, ICE and 3D screens in recent years, Bijli said.
Devang Sampat, managing director at Cinepolis India, said that movie ticket prices have increased in line with inflation, reflecting the broader growth of the economy rather than compensating for a decline in footfalls.
“Whenever a movie resonates with the audience, we see significant attendance, as demonstrated by the success of recent hits like Stree 2, Animal, Gadar 2, Jawan, and Pathaan,” Sampat said. “These films attracted substantial footfalls, underscoring that audience engagement remains strong when the content connects, irrespective of rising ticket prices.”
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