It's War at the box office: Bollywood sees 20% upswing in 2019, last quarter to grab Rs 1,200 crore

The end of September will mark the beginning of the fourth quarter for the film industry for which the floor has been set by the previous three quarters.

Why so? It is because the first three quarters have seen an upward swing of more than 20 percent from last year during the same period, said film and trade business analyst Girish Johar.

“In the first three quarters of 2018, the box office earnings were approximately around Rs 3,000 crore. And presently it is tracking around Rs 3,800 crore in 2019. Last year Bollywood clocked 10 box office centuries in the first three quarters. During the same period this year, Bollywood has surpassed that by getting 13 box office centuries,” said Johar.

According to him, the upswing of the box office clearly shows that audiences are coming to the theatres in throngs. Small-budget films are working, and Hollywood is also in top gear.

In addition, the film industry looks upbeat thanks to the content line-up for the fourth quarter which includes biggies like upcoming release War starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff. Then there are also two offerings from Akshay Kumar — Good News and Housefull 4.

This is why Johar estimates that the last quarter will pocket around Rs 1,200 crore if Bollywood maintains its 20 percent upswing.

Although the buzz for War is strong, Hollywood venture Joker and Telugu biggie Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy could also pose as tough competitors. Hence, these two films could make it difficult for War to cross Rs 50 crore on its opening day.

However, War looks promising due to its release timing which is October 2, a big holiday and the genre it belongs to.

Action has been one of the most successful genres of Bollywood and it attracts attention of a large audience. Some of the best examples of this genre include the Dhoom franchise, Tiger Zinda Hai, among others.

Whether War will see over Rs 50 crore opening or not, only time will tell. In any case, box office will rejoice as the expectations for Joker and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy is also strong. Both the films are releasing on October 2.

The last quarter is the driving force for the film industry especially due to the festive period. Let’s see how the last three months unfold for the movie business.