‘Pattern’, ‘Tiger 3’ mark hit year for Yash Raj films in India

Yash Raj Films (YRF), India’s leading studio, has achieved phenomenal success in theatrical films and streaming in 2023 and is looking to build on that in the coming years.

After a year of indifference in 2022 when the Hindi-language Bollywood film industry was overshadowed by South India’s mighty business, in January 2023 YRF’s Pathaan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, will be a box office hit. exploded. The success of ‘Pathaan’ started a stellar box office year for Bollywood, which was surpassed only by ‘Jawan’, also starring Khan and distributed internationally by YRF.

YRF’s Tiger 3, released in November 2023, became the 7th highest grosser in India this year. On the streaming front, the studio’s streaming arm, YRF Entertainment, has partnered with Netflix to produce The Romantics, a documentary series that celebrates founder Yash Chopra’s cultural legacy and revolves around the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Produced the scripted program “The Railway Men.” Although they resigned in February and November, respectively, both series became global hits for Netflix.

“This year was one of the best years in our 50-year history. And we did it because we put content first in our business and strategic decisions.” YRF CEO Akshaye Widani said. variety. “This confirms the fact that the effort we put into selecting content that pushes boundaries and creates disruption is paying off.”

“Shah Rukh Khan really started the year for the industry. And YRF and Shah Rukh Khan have had such a great partnership. And we hope that together we can change the tide.” I am happy to be able to do so,” Widani added.

As for why Bollywood audiences stayed away from movie theaters in 2022 but returned in droves in 2023, Widani said audiences need the right content to come back to movie theaters. He said it was just that. “This year’s content is broader and more appealing to viewers. I’ve seen it,” Coach Widani said. “As long as the story is interesting to people, they are willing to reward the creators big time. There are movies that are made on a low budget and have great box office returns for that particular movie. I believe that films of all types and sizes will be accepted by audiences as long as they are engaging.”

Widani added that part of the boom in the theater business is explained by the addition of 250 multiplex screens in 2023 and another 250 theater capacity in 2024.

‘Pathaan’ and ‘Tiger 3’ are part of YRF’s hugely popular spy universe created by studio head Aditya Chopra. The five films to date have grossed approximately $360 million worldwide, and the next film is “War 2.” “YRF is a 100% Indian company and the world of espionage is proof of that. When you make a film for an audience, you have to keep striving. As long as we continue to give them things they’ve never seen before or want to come to the theater, we’ll continue to be successful,” Widani said.

Outside of the world of espionage, YRF is developing a series of films across a variety of genres. On the streaming front, “The Romantics” and “Railway Men” are part of a partnership with Netflix that also includes the films “Maharaj” and “Vijay 69,” as well as the series “Mandala Murders.”

“Netflix’s content-first strategy has synergy with YRF’s ethos. This is a great partnership that was meant to happen,” Widani said.

YRF’s next release on the distribution front is ‘Danki’ starring Shah Rukh Khan and directed by hitmaker Rajkumar Hirani. The film will conclude on December 21 and ‘Salar’, directed by ‘Baahubali’ director Prabhas and ‘KGF’ filmmaker Prashanth Neel, will be released the next day. Like ‘Pathaan’, his strategy is to release ‘Dunki’ in 100 countries. “The plan for ‘Dhanki’ is to be as far-reaching as possible. Of course, ‘Salaar’ has some challenges with two blockbuster films being released at the same time, but we are happy to offer Shah Rukh as a distribution partner.” I am very confident that we can do it,” Widani said.

Looking ahead, Widani is bullish, saying YRF will continue to support theatrical experiences and invest in the streaming ecosystem. “India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In fact, India is a party destination and everyone wants to be on the guest list,” Widani said.