2025’s breakout stars: Regional films rewrite year’s BO script

With Hindi releases thinning, audiences flock to films that feel homegrown, honest, and refreshingly unpolished

- ROSHNI SHEKHAR

Small and mid-budget regional films drew the attention of moviegoers in 2025, offering stronger content and more authentic storytelling.

This shift came as the Hindi film industry saw a 25 per cent drop in releases during the year.

The Gujarati film industry crossed the %100 crore mark for the first time in October 2025. Leading the charge was Laalo: Krishna Sada Sahaayate, which placed among the top five films of the month with a 92 crore box-office (BO) haul.

In the Malayalam industry, the female superhero film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra shattered records, earning 300 crore globally in six weeks and becoming the highest-grossing Malayalam-language film worldwide.

In Marathi, the adventure-drama thriller Dashavatar led collections with 28.47 crore, according to Sacnilk.

Girish Wankhede, a film trade analyst, said the year saw 20-25 per cent fewer Hindi releases compared to 2024. Meanwhile, exhibitors such as PVR Inox, Cinepolis India, Miraj Entertainment, and Mukta A2 Cinemas said 2025 brought a clear shift in audience preferences. Many small and mid-budget regional films, made for 10-15 crore, outperformed expectations at the BO, industry executives observed.