Dharmendra’s Ikkis to Avatar---theatres set for a Rs 2,000-cr Dhurandar December

December releases.

After a dull Diwali, December box office business is expected to stand out with a blockbuster showdown of movies.

A record year is in sight, according to Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, Managing Director, Miraj Entertainment, who is counting on December releases.

He estimates Tere Ishq Mein to do a business of Rs 200 crore, Dhurandhar to earn Rs 400-500 crore, Avatar's box office at Rs 400-500 crore, Akhanda at Rs 100 crore and Ikkis about Rs 200 crore.

Together, the big titles in December are expected to add Rs 2,000 crore to the overall India box office, Mendiratta noted.

"India gross box office will reach up to over Rs 13,000 crore, 15-20 percent higher than 2024," he added.

The box office in 2024 closed at Rs 11,833 crore, according to Ormax Media, marking the second-highest year ever for the Indian box office, pointed Devang Sampat, Managing Director, Cinépolis India.

"In 2025, the cumulative performance through October is 24 percent higher than the same period last year. While big tent-pole Hindi films have seen mixed performance, smaller and mid-budget films across languages have driven consistent footfalls. This mix has allowed the industry to maintain momentum even when individual segments have slowed," he added.

The Cinepolis India head said that based on current estimates, 2025 is on track to surpass the all-time record of Rs 12,226 crore set in 2023.

There are high-budget, high-interest films lined up and each of these titles come from different genres, which means there’s something exciting for every kind of moviegoer, said Satwik Lele, Chief Operations Officer (COO) for Mukta A2 Cinemas.

Dharmendra, Hindi cinema's He-Man, who recently passed away, will be once again seen on the big screen with the release of Ikkis, the actor's last big screen venture.

Bollywood lineup also includes Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar, Kriti Sanon and South star Dhanush's Tere Ishq Mein.

From Hollywood, Avatar: Fire and Ash is expected to be a key driver while regional films like Akhanda 2 and Vrusshabha will carry significant momentum, Sampat said.

If these titles fire, the industry could be looking at its strongest year at the box office, exhibitors said.

The year-end releases have a heavy task ahead, after two slow months at the box office.

Diwali releases did not perform as per expectations and films in November too did not pack a punch, said producer and film trade expert, Girish Johar. "If December releases do well, they can offset the impact."

On the other hand, Aamer Bijli, Lead Specialist – Innovation, Film Marketing, and Digital Programming, PVR INOX , pointed to lesser dependence on just the big titles.

"What happened this Diwali is that rather than relying on one particular anchor content, we had a spread of titles that really gave us a lot of momentum," he said.

Rashmika Mandanna and Ayushmann Khurrana's Thamma was slated as the big Diwali release, made at a budget of over Rs 140 crore. However, the film was underwhelming at the box office with Rs 176 crore earnings globally.

Meanwhile, Ek Deewane ki Deewaniyat emerged as a sleeper hit, with an estimated Rs 109 crore at the worldwide box office.

Sampat pointed to other breakout successes. "A notable highlight was Laalo: Sada Krishna Sahay, a Gujarati title that became a breakout success through strong word of mouth and crossed around Rs 77 crore, making it the highest-grossing Gujarati film of all times. For Cinépolis, October was the third-highest month in admissions for 2025, following July and August, reflecting widening audience participation across regions," he said.

PVR INOX, in its second quarter earnings presentation, noted that 22 hits in the first half of FY26, up from two during the same period in FY24 and FY25, signalled a strong structural performance beyond a few mega blockbusters.

Success of Saiyaara, Mahavatar Narsimha, Lokah and Su From So shows content, not star power, is driving demand, the company noted. It added that collections from Rs 100-500 crore films surged to 59 percent in H1 FY26 versus 21 percent in H1 FY25. This mid-segment now acts as a core growth driver and box-office performance is less dependent on Rs 500-crore mega blockbusters, it added.

Bijli also pointed to higher releases this year, bringing stability at the box office.

"We benefited from a much higher release quantum this year. Across Bollywood, there have been about 220 films that were released this year, compared to 214 last year," he said.

Lele said all signs indicate that 2025 is on track to finish on a very strong note. "The upcoming release calendar is robust, audiences are actively engaging with theatres again, and the mood across the industry is extremely optimistic. With the festive quarter ahead and several major films lined up, we expect the year to close very positively for the exhibition sector," he said.