Mid-budget films power Bollywood's box office comeback

Experts say that it is critical for smaller-scale and mid-budget films to do well to keep up the theatre-going habit

- Lata Jha

A quiet revival is underway in Bollywood, but it isn't the tentpole films making the noise. Mid-budget titles, once thought destined only for streaming platforms after the pandemic, are drawing audiences back to theatres, defying the post-covid slump and showing that moviegoers want more than just spectacle.

Recent successes such as Saiyaara, Bhool Chuk Maaf and Sitaare Zameen Par signal a shift. These films, made without major star power or special effects, had decent openings and are finding an audience.

Industry experts say this trend is a vital lifeline for the exhibition sector, helping sustain the theatre-going habit at a time when reliance on big-budget blockbusters is risky. Mid-budget films typically cost ₹30-50 crore to make and feature actors short of the top tier but familiar to audiences. Tentpoles, by contrast, are star-driven spectacles costing ₹100-200 crore or more.

The box office numbers tell the story.