Hindi cinema achieved its biggest year ever at the Indian box office in 2025, with total revenues increasing by 18% to $609.78 million (Rs55 billion), according to data from Ormax Media. The overall Indian box office also reached a record high of $1.48 billion (Rs133.95 billion), surpassing the previous peak of $1.35 billion (Rs122.26 billion) set in 2023.
Non-Indian films, predominantly Hollywood, saw a 49% revenue increase to $155 million (Rs14 billion), led by Disney's Avatar: Fire And Ash. Ormax founder and CEO Shailesh Kapoor noted that Hindi cinema's growth was driven by original Hindi-language titles, with the share of South Indian films dubbed in Hindi dropping to 7% from 31% in 2024.
Jio Studios' Dhurandhar, a spy thriller starring Ranveer Singh, was the highest-grossing film of 2025 with $105.25 million (Rs9.5 billion), becoming the biggest Hindi-language film of all time. It was followed by Kannada-language prequel Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1 ($80 million) and Hindi historical epic Chhaava ($76.5 million).
Kapoor attributed the recovery to a broader range of genres succeeding, including romantic drama Saiyaara, historical epic Chhaava, and animated feature Mahavatar Narsimha. He said this diversity is restoring confidence in the Hindi film industry, which had previously struggled with a slowdown in theatrical releases.
Dhurandhar faced multiple controversies, including a legal battle over its portrayal of a deceased army officer and accusations of nationalism and anti-Muslim bias, leading to bans in several Middle Eastern countries. Kapoor noted that the controversy likely boosted its box office performance in India by attracting curious audiences.
Hollywood's 2025 performance marked its best year since the pandemic and second-best overall after 2019, recovering from a 17% decline in 2024. Kapoor highlighted that the strong showing was driven by a steady flow of releases, contrasting with previous supply slowdowns in both Bollywood and Hollywood.
