Hollywood falls short of glory

Hollywood's grip on the Indian audience, cultivated over the last few years, encountered a plot twist this year with box office collections estimated at just ₹1,300 crore from around 35 releases - a modest rise from the ₹1,276 crore earned in 2022, when 20 films were screened due to the covid-19 delays.

- Lata Jha

Besides, in 2023, American films are expected to contribute about 13% to India's total theatrical business, compared to an average of 20-22% during pre-pandemic times. The lacklustre performance of major superhero films that resonated across age groups, and absence of blockbusters like Avengers franchise, have contributed to a less-than-epic year by Hollywood standards, despite some seemingly niche titles, such as Oppenheimer, surpassing expectations. With gross box office collections of ₹157 crore, Oppenheimer, the biographical thriller directed by Christopher Nolan, topped the charts in 2023, followed by Fast X (₹138 crore), M