Indian box office roars to life, grossing Rs 5,053 cr in 2024 first half

The media is awash with reports of a tough 2024. Is there an unseen problem?

Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD marries characters from the Mahabharata to a post-apocalyptic world. By the end of its theatrical run, Kalki, released on June 27 this year, is expected to gross Rs 786 crore at the Indian box office (BO) alone. Including overseas figures, the total should cross Rs 1,000 crore. This total includes taxes and trade shares and excludes revenues from streaming and television (TV).
 

“For four days after Kalki’s release, all 18 of our screens in Hyderabad saw 100 per cent occupancy,” says Amit Sharma, managing director of entertainment at Miraj Group, which operates