Bumper first-day openings fade as word of mouth trumps star power

Bumper openings are starting to fade, as audiences—overwhelmed by content—place greater trust in word of mouth than in star power or pre-release hype.

- Lata Jha [e-mail]

While it was not unusual to see 18-20 Hindi films gross over ₹10 crore on their opening day before the pandemic, the number has declined to only 13 in 2025 so far.

The silver lining, according to experts, is that the shift in moviegoers’ preferences allows mid-budget films—often headlined by niche or unfamiliar faces—to grow over time and post respectable numbers, as stars no longer guarantee massive first-day openings.