Horror sets cash registers ringing in Bollywood movies

New Delhi :With Ajay Devgn’s latest horror movie Shaitan exceeded INRWith domestic box office revenue alone of $130 million, theater owners say horror has a lot of untapped potential as a genre in Indian cinema.and Kartik Aaryan’s Boule Braiya 3 The Hindi horror genre is likely to take a turn for the better this Diwali.

What’s more, Hindi horror films have been doing pretty well these days, even though they haven’t released much in the past two years.

When released in 2022, Boule Braiya 2 I redid it INRDomestic box office revenue was 180 million.Devgan’s Golmaal again exceeded INRIt grossed $200 million at the box office when it was released in 2017 and starred Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao. street was making INRIn 2018, it was $124 million. All box office data comes from industry website Box Office India.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. Competition with Hollywood remains fierce with higher budgets, but there are also some challenges in the field.

Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX Ltd, said, “The horror genre continues to struggle with producing predictable and formulaic films that hinders innovation in the sector.” The target audience is families in theaters, including children who are excluded due to censorship approval. ”

Sunny Khanna, the film’s distributor and exhibitor, said, “The success rate of horror films is quite high, but it takes a lot of effort to get the sound and visual effects right. Top actors are also drawn to it. The genre is not even featured on satellite TV, which means at least 30% less revenue and increased reliance on theaters.”

Recent successes have signaled a shift towards more nuanced storytelling within the horror genre, with filmmakers exploring comedic and paranormal themes rooted in Indian culture and seeing potential in horror. There are many people.

Bijli points out that it is a hybrid genre horror-comedy that has proven to be commercially successful, as evidenced by the performance of films such as: Boule Braiya 2, street and Golmaal again.

A Cinepolis spokesperson said the following about the film: Shaitan and Boule Braiya By leveraging cultural elements and social themes, they were able to resonate with viewers. “Utilizing advanced special effects and sound design, these films create immersive experiences that resonate with audiences,” the source added.

That said, the amount of Indian movies in the horror genre is less than Hollywood, but the following Hollywood horror movies have higher box office receipts: M3GAN, evil dead riseand Nun II This indicates a sizeable audience for the horror genre in India.

Indeed, despite the very small number of films, Hindi horror films have historically had an impressive track record in India.

Movies made by the Ramsay brothers include: Do gaz zameen ke niche (1972) and Prana Mandir (1984) was working without an unfamiliar face. Lars The movie series has consistently been a draw. 1920: Fear of the Heart5th work. 1920 series, made around INRProduced on a shoestring budget with no cast, it cost $13 million when it was released last year.