Indian cinema in the first half of 2024 presented a diverse array of stories and genres, albeit with varied reception. From notable Bollywood releases such as Fighter and Shaitaan to regional blockbusters such as Hanu-Man (Telugu), Manjummal Boys (Malayalam), and The Goat Life (Malayalam), the industry showcased a range of narratives that resonated with audiences across different regions.
As we move into the second half of the year, anticipation builds for upcoming releases that promise to elevate the cinematic experience. Whether you’re drawn to blockbuster spectacles, poignant dramas, or lively musicals, there’s a rich tapestry of films set to grace the screens.
Here’s a look at some of the most eagerly awaited releases that will light up the screens in the coming months.
Superstar Rajinikanth leads an all-star cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, and Rana Daggubati.
The Story of unbreakable bonds starring Alia Bhatt and Directed by the visionary Vasan Bala.
Directed by Amal Neerad the malayalam action thriller stars Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban, Sharafudheen and Jyothirmayi.
Ajay Devgn is back with his iconic role as the fearless Inspector Bajirao Singham. Get ready for a thrilling encounter between good and evil, all delivered with the larger-than-life style that has made Singham a pop culture phenomenon.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 returns with Kartik Aaryan taking on the mantle and Tripti Dimri joining the fun.
A 400-year-old spirit, Barroz, assigned to guard D’Gama’s treasure is waiting to hand it over only to a true descendant of D’Gama.
Superstar Suriya takes center stage in Kanguva, leading an electrifying ensemble that includes the powerhouse talents of Disha Patani, Bobby Deol, and Yogi Babu.
The movie starring Kannada superstar Shiva Rajkumar is a prequel to Mufti that explores more about Bhairathi Ranagal.
Follows stories of bittersweet relationships in a contemporary setting, exploring various aspects, hues, and moods of love.
Allu Arjun returns as the audacious smuggler Pushpa Raj, locked in an epic clash with the ruthless cop Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, played by Fahadh Faasil
This action thriller, starring Mammootty and Gautham Vasudev Menon, is Directed by Deeno Dennis.
Leveraging the buzz around these highly anticipated Indian blockbusters provides an excellent opportunity for brands to connect with and engage the Asian audience. Contact us today to discover how the power of the big screen can help you achieve your brand objectives.
*Movie release dates are subject to change
Source: IMDb, Google, BookMyShow
With a movie budget of USD 4.83 million, Roohi is Bollywood’s first big film this year
Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, last year witnessed a majority of Bollywood blockbusters either pushing their release dates, or releasing on OTT platforms. Indian blockbusters such as Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Dil Bechara and Shakuntala Devi opted for the later in 2020, with Laxmii featuring Akshay Kumar being the only Bollywood blockbuster to release in hybrid format – Disney+Hotstar release in India and a simultaneous theatrical release in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and UAE. The theatrical release of Laxmii was successful, especially in the UAE where it made a total of USD 200,000, but the latest horror comedy film Roohi – by director Hardik Mehta, which went straight to cinemas both locally and internationally, has taken the top spot at box office since the pandemic, with a collection of USD 345,000 on its first day in India – despite most theatres still operating between 50-75% occupancy. According to boxofficeindia.com, its total collection thus far has been USD 2.26 million domestically, and USD 150,000 internationally.
#Roohi is looking at approx ₹ 17.50 cr total in its *extended* Week 1… A respectable number, in view of the #Covid scenario… Thu 3.06 cr [#MahaShivratri], Fri 2.25 cr, Sat 3.42 cr, Sun 3.85 cr, Mon 1.35 cr, Tue 1.26 cr, Wed 1.22 cr. Total: ₹ 16.41 cr. #India biz.
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) March 18, 2021
As stated by Chauhan, a local exhibitor from Bihar, India: “Before Roohi‘s release, we would have no idea how much a film would do in these pandemic times. We would look at each other’s faces wondering how much a film would earn at the box office. But now we have a benchmark. And Bollywood needed this dose of confidence.”
Girish Johar, film producer and trade business analyst, pointed out that Roohi has witnessed a good response at the box office despite being one of the first big Indian films to release post theaters being opened. With Roohi seeing strong footfalls, exhibitors in India are now hopeful for business to slowly get back on track.
Roohi‘s opening day numbers will set the stage for the extensive line up of highly anticipated Bollywood blockbusters set to hit the big screen in 2021, including Mumbai Saga (March), Bunty Aur Babli 2 (April), Sooryavanshi (April), Radhe (May), Bell Bottom (May), 83 (June), Maidaan (October) and Laal Singh Chaddha (December) among others.
Click here to access a list of Indian Movies set to release in 2021, and contact us to advertise your brand alongside these upcoming blockbusters
Sources: Business Today, Box Office India, Forbes, Times of India and ABP Live
Produced by Maddock Films and Jio Studios, Roohi is Bollywood’s ha-ha horror movie that promises to take the audience on a rollercoaster of emotions.
Set to be Bollywood’s official return to the BIG screen after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown, the trailer of the much-awaited horror-comedy film – Roohi, is finally out!
Starring Janhvi Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao in lead roles and, Varun Sharma in a supporting yet pivotal role, Roohi marks the directorial debut of Hardik Mehta, and is set to release across cinemas in the Middle East on 11 March, 2021. The film depicts the story of two small-town boys – Hitesh and Lakiresh, who meet a girl named Roohi, and the twist in the tale takes place when they realize that Roohi is possed by a ghost. The movie follows a similar format to Stree, the horror-comedy released in 2018 by the same production house – Maddock Films.
The trailer begins and ends with a comic scene, accommodating plenty of jump scares and curiosity inducing moments, making it look promising. Since none of the theatrical releases in Bollywood have so far inspired audiences to return to cinema at large, Roohi could be the first bonafide box-office success since COVID-19 struck.
Bucking the idea of releasing on an OTT platform, Producer Dinesh Vijan said, “The biggest win of this trailer is that everyone, right from the film industry to true blue cinephiles are looking forward to catching Roohi on the big screen.” The trailer successfully crossed over 14 million YouTube views within 24 hours, and its has also received support from numerous movie critics and Bollywood celebrities including Taran Adarsh, Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan, Deepika Padukone and Shraddha Kapoor.
#ROOHI TRAILER ARRIVES TODAY… #FirstLook posters of #Roohi… Stars #RajkummarRao, #JanhviKapoor and #VarunSharma… Directed by Hardik Mehta… Produced by Dinesh Vijan and Mrighdeep Singh Lamba… #Jio Studios presentation… 11 March 2021 release. pic.twitter.com/cbBsXNRt0A
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) February 16, 2021
Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities alongside this Bollywood blockbuster.
Sources: Koi Moi, Wikipedia, India Today, Times of India, GQ India and IMDB.
Having experienced huge losses due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown in 2020, the Indian cinema industry is relatively back on track, with 2021 looking hopeful for Indian movie fans across the world. Here’s a comprehensive list of Indian language blockbusters, confirmed to release in cinema, that will set the BIG screen ablaze this year!
Among most things we didn’t get to do in 2020, was the joy of visiting a cinema to enjoy the experience of watching a blockbuster on the BIG screen. While the cinematic release for numerous Hollywood blockbusters remain delayed in 2021, the Indian cinema industry is relatively back on track, offering cinemagoers an extensive line-up of blockbusters across an array of genres.
Here’s a comprehensive list of all the Indian movies, confirmed to release in cinema, and worth experiencing on the BIG screen:
‘83
Directed by Kabir Khan and starring the real-life pair, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone lead roles, ’83 is a movie based on India’s historic first World Cup win in 1983. The movie is a combination of two things Indians love the most – Bollywood and Cricket!
Laal Singh Chaddha
Starring Aamir Khan in the lead and directed by Advait Chandan, Laal Singh Chaddha is an official adaptation of Tom Hanks’ Forrest Gump. The movie will be Aamir Khan’s return to the big screen after a three year hiatus, post Thugs of Hindostan.
Radhe
The actor-director duo, Salman Khan and Prabhu Deva, are set to return to the big screen this year with Radhe – a movie inspired by the South Korean hit The Outlaws. The Bollywood action-drama is set to release later this year.
Shabaash Mithu
Based on the Indian Women’s Cricket team captain, Mithali Raj, the biopic stars is directed by Rahul Dholakia and stars Taapsee Pannu in the lead role. The movie is said to highlight the achievements and struggles of the skipper and her journey to realize her childhood dream.
Sooryavanshi
An addition to director Rohit Shetty’s own Cop Universe, this installment features Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif and Ajay Devgn. The action packed movie is based on the anti-terrorist squad lead by DCP Veer Sooryavanshi who joins forces with the Mumbai Police, headed by Inspector Sangram Bhalerao and DCP Bajirao Singham, to stop a terrorist group planning an attack on Mumbai.
K.G.F: Chapter 2
In the follow-up to the 2018 blockbuster directed by Prashanth Neel, South Indian star Yash resumes his role as Rocky, while Bollywood star Sunjay Dutt makes his Kannada acting debut as Rocky’s nemesis. Raveena Tandon will also feature in the movie as a political leader named Ramika Sen. This blockbuster is also set to release in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi.
RRR
Directed by S. S Rajamouli, the movie stars Jr. NTR, Ram Charan and Alia Bhatt in lead roles. The action-drama is a fictitious story about two legendary revolutionaries and their journey away from home before they started fighting for their country in 1920’s.
Radhe Shyam
The upcoming romantic-drama stars Prabhas and Pooja Hegde in lead roles, and is directed by K.K. Radha Krishna Kumar. The film also stars Satyaraj, Bhagyashree, Kunal Roy Kapoor, Jagapati Babu, Jayaram, Sachin Khedekar and Veteran actor Krishnam Raju – who is said to play a significant role in the blockbuster.
Jathi Ratnalu
Billed as a political satire, the film is written and directed by Anudeep K V. Jathi Ratnalu stars Naveen Polishetty, Priyadarshi Pulikonda and Rahul Ramakrishna in the lead roles. The movie is set to release in cinema on March 11.
Sreekaram
Starring Sharwanand and Priyanka Arul Mohan in lead roles, the movie is set in a rural backdrop is written and directed by Kishore Reddy. The film will release on March 11.
Vakeel Saab
The Telugu remake of Bollywood hit Pink is helmed by Venu Sriram. In the remake, Pawan Kalyan steps into the shoes of Amitabh Bachchan. Vakeel Saab also stars Anjali, Nivetha Thomas, Ananya Nagalla and Prakash Raj and is slated for release on April 9.
Other Indian movies releasing in 2021 include:
Antim, Phone Bhoot, Dhamaka, Sardar Udham, Kaagaz, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Big Bull, Bhoot Police, Atrangi Re, Jersey, GanguBai Kathiawadi,Kabhi Eid, Kabhi Diwali, Thalavi, Marakkar: Lion of The Arabian Sea, Minnal Murali, Kurup, Radhe Shyam, Mosagallu, Aranya, Seetimaarr, Love story, Viraataparvam, Acharya, Naarappa, Khiladi, Republic, Most Eligible Bachelor, Major, Pushpa, Maha Samudram, Fun – F3, and The Priest.
Sources: Koi Moi, Wikipedia, India Today, Times of India, The Indian Express, GQ India and IMDB.
Laxmii – the first big-budget Bollywood Blockbuster to release post COVID-19 lockdown!
The Akshay Kumar starring film that everyone has been waiting for – Laxmii, will finally hit cinemas in the UAE on Monday, 9th November 2020. The film – a remake of Tamil blockbuster Muni 2: Kanchana, is directed by Raghava Lawrence and will also feature stars such as Kiara Advani, Tusshar Kapoor, Sharad Kelkar and Ashwini Kalsekar.
The Horror comedy film revolves around Akshay Kumar who plays a dual role: Asif – a man who doesn’t believe in ghosts, and Laxmii – a powerful and radiant transgender ghost seeking revenge.
Fox Star Studios, the leading production house confirmed that the movie will simultaneously have a theatrical release in Australia, New Zealand and UAE, and will release on their OTT platform – Disney+ Hotstar for audiences in India.
Here’s everything we know about Laxmii prior to its release:
Director:
Raghava Lawrence – mainly known for Telugu and Tamil movies, originally embarked on the idea to direct Muni 2: Kanchana when a trust run by him was approached by a group of transgenders. Upon hearing their story, he decided to take the social message to a much wider audience by portraying it on the big screen, and based on its success, moved on to remake the film with title name Laxmii, extending it to Hindi audiences.
Movie Title Change:
The film was originally titled Laxmmi Bomb up until 29th October 2020, but changed to Laxmii with a view to respect religious sentiments of a group of protestors in India. This is not the first-time intolerance in India has won though, for back in 2018, the epic period drama film Padmavati was changed to Padmaavat.
Trailer Success:
When the trailer dropped on 9th October 2020, it became the most viewed movie trailer in India in just 24 hours with 70 million views (YouTube + other social media platforms).
Song Feature on the Burj Khalifa:
UAE has always been a popular destination with directors and producers of both Hollywood and Bollywood. From natural and man-made landscapes; which are vast and varied, flame hued deserts, to futuristic skylines and iconic landmarks, UAE has been featured as the backdrop in numerous films that released in 2020 and from back in the past.
Popular films featuring UAE include Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Fast & Furious 7 (2015) and most recently Jackie Chan’s action movie Vanguard (2020) and Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi/adventure Dune (set to release in 2021).
Certain scenes of Laxmii too were filmed in the emirate of Dubai, which include the desert and Dubai Marina. The film also dedicates a song to the iconic Burj Khalifa – a trendy single that has grabbed eyeballs across the internet and is expected to be one of the biggest Bollywood party anthems of the year.
Advertisers…. here’s an opportunity to target Asian audiences in the lead up to Diwali. We’ve also recently launched a ‘Special Offer’ for advertising alongside this movie. Contract a member of our sales team for more information on the Laxmii ‘Special Offer’.
Sources: IndiaTV News, Times of India, Condé Nast Traveller, The Hindu, The National and Gulf News
In less than 24 hours, Bollywood lost two legends last week – Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor, both to the battle with cancer.
Irrfan Khan, known internationally for his roles in Life Of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire, died on Wednesday 29th April 2020 at age 53 from colon cancer. He spent his life breaking stereotypes in the many movies he starred in and resonated especially well with fans. He was also a man who achieved what a few actors manage to do – success in two of the world’s biggest film industries – Hollywood and Bollywood.
Then, on Thursday 30th April 2019, Indian cinema received another blow with news of the death of Bollywood veteran and icon Rishi Kapoor at age 67 from leukaemia.
Khan and Kapoor were very different actors. Khan was one who lent an extraordinary touch to the most ordinary roles (through his intensity, studiousness and approachability) and came to the spotlight from very humble roots from. Kapoor on the other hand came from a Bollywood dynasty and was the original pin-up boy of the 70s, who featured in over than 100 films and had longest run in Bollywood as a romantic lead (from the 1970s to the late 1990s), eventually growing to become everyone’s choice to play multifaceted characters.
But one thing is for sure … while these two legends are no more, their work will be cherished and will live on forever.
In memory of Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor, here’s a list of must-watch movies starring the two Bollywood icons:
Irrfan Khan
Hindi Medium (2017)
A lighthearted romantic film about a young couple Raj (Khan) & Mita (Saba Qamar) who live in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, with aspirations to move into English speaking society for their daughter’s sake. The film traces their trials and tribulations on this journey and the impact it has on their relationship on their family.
Qarib Qarib Singlle (2017)
A contemporary love story between two opposite personalities who embark upon an unusual journey, which becomes an adventure of a lifetime. The film is a refreshing take on love and self-discovery. Parvathy and Irrfan’s dialogue and chemistry makes it a hilariously enjoyably film which will leave you with a smile.
Piku (2015)
In this heart-warming slice of life film of a father-daughter relationship with plenty humor, Irrfan Khan plays the role of a local cab driver with family drama of his own. It’s a classic Khan sidekick role, where his wisdom ends up carrying much of the film’s message.
Haider (2014)
This film is the third installment of director Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespearean trilogy – Maqbool, Omkara and Haider. In Haider, Khan emboldens the protagonist’s desire for revenge over his father’s death and the film brilliantly underscores how politics become so personal in times of militancy. Khan also acted in the highly acclaimed Maqbool.
The Lunch Box (2013)
Khan plays the role of an accountant who has just been widowed. He accidentally starts to receive lunches with notes in them by a woman trying to save her own marriage, and thus begins a series of lunchbox notes and a virtual affair.
Life of Pi (2012)
This groundbreaking movie is about a young man who survives a disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an amazing and unexpected connection with another survivor – a fearsome Bengal tiger. Khan plays the adult character of Piscine ‘Pi’ Patel, and a heartbreaking scene from Life of Pi, in which Khan talks about life and death, is being widely shared online since his passing: “What hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.”
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
This movie unfolds in a series of emotional flashbacks and Khan plays the role of a police inspector who keeps bringing us back to the modern day. From tough-talking and threatening to being forgiving and compassionate – all of which is signature Khan, Slumdog Millionaire was Khan’s big introduction to western audiences.
Life in a Metro (2007)
This film is about six different stories of the interconnected lives of a diverse group of people all occurring within one place – Mumbai Metro. Khan plays Monty, a sweet but socially awkward guy (another signature Khan role).
Rishi Kapoor
Mera Naam Joker (1970)
Directed by father Raj Kapoor, the 1970 drama catapulted a teenaged Kapoor to stardom. This movie also earned him a National Film Award for Best Child Artist.
Bobby (1973)
A classic drama by Raj Kapoor about interfaith lovers. The movie featured Rishi Kapoor in his first lead role opposite Dimple Kapadia, and its legacy today lives on through the classic song sequence, ‘Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Bandh Ho’.
Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
In this timeless tale of three brothers raised with different faiths, Kapoor dials up the charm as the young romantic, Akbar. Aside from the laughs and punchlines, fans of Rishi Kapoor will certainly want to re-watch this classic, mainly for his eight-minute qawwali song, ‘Parda Hai Parda’.
Do Dooni Chaar (2010)
In this slide-of-life comedy by director Habib Faisal, Kapoor portrays a middle-class school teacher struggling with inflation and financial pressures. The film received widespread critical acclaim.
Agneepath (2012)
The pin-up boy of the 70s reinvented himself as a villainous character – Rauf Lala, for Karen Johar’s retelling of the cult classic rom the 90s. The sheer breadth of his talent is visible in his role as a ruthless criminal.
Kapoor & Sons (2016)
This coming-of-age comedy is packed with talent—from Rajat Kapoor and Fawad Khan to Ratna Pathak Shah and Alia Bhatt, Rishi Kapoor plays the role of a wizened grandfather who is on a quest to secure a family portrait with his dysfunctional family.
Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, BBC, CNN, Gulf News, Vogue, Rotten Tomatoes and YouTube
Sooryavanshi – Bollywood’s upcoming super cop action saga, is one of the foremost anticipated movies of the year, and is set to release on across cinemas in the Middle East on 26th March 2020.
Directed by Rohit Shetty and written by Sajid-Farhad, Sooryavanshi will be the fourth installment of Shetty’s ‘cop series’ – Singham (2011), Singham Returns (2014) and Simmba (2018).
The story revolves round DCP Veer Sooryavanshi – chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad, and his team who join forces with Inspector Sangram Bhalerao and DCP Bajirao Singham to stop a terrorist batch planning to attack Mumbai.
The film features Akshay Kumar in the lead role (DCP Veer Sooryavanshi) opposite Katrina Kaif (Aditi Sooryavanshi), and also stars Gulshan Grover, Abhimanyu Singh, Niharica Raizada, Jackie Shroff, Sikandar Kher, Nikitin Dheer and Vivan Bhatena. The film will also feature Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh who reprise their roles of Inspector Bajirao M. Singham and Sangram ‘Simmba’ Bhalerao from the franchise’s previous films.
The four-minute long trailer – which released at 12:52 PM on 2nd March 2020, created history as the most viewed Indian trailer on YouTube. It crossed 30M views within 10 hours, 40M views within 21 hours, and at 12:52 PM on 3rd March (24 hours), it had gained 42.74M views. Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero (2018) movie trailer now sits at second position with 41M views in 24 hours.
Sporting ‘Aa Rahi Hai Police’ tees, Rohit Shetty and his ‘cop universe’ made quite a splash at the trailer launch of Sooryavanshi in Mumbai, India.
Image Credit: AFP
Image Credit: AFP
The trailer also sparked a flood of memes on social media right after its release. Tweeps took a dig at hilarious and catchy dialogues from the trailer and curated memes and jokes out of it. Some even went to the extent of calling it ‘India’s Avengers franchise’.
Out of the fourteen films by Rohit Shetty, eleven of them have been blockbusters. Three of his film are also listed in India’s Top 25 Highest-Grossing Films – Chennai Express (2013), Simmba (2018) and Dilwale (2015) which rank at 18th, 20th and 23rd spot respectively.
Below are UAE admission figures for Bollywood movies that released in 2019:
War – Screened for 6 weeks | Over 275K admissions
Bharat – Screened for 4 weeks | Over 183K admissions
Gully Boy – Screened for 7 weeks | Over 169K admissions
Saaho (Hindi Version) – Screened for 2 weeks | Over 164K admissions
Dabangg 3 – Screened for 3 weeks | Over 153K admissions
Uri: The Surgical Strike – Screened for 11 weeks | Over 125K admissions
Badla – Screened for 7 weeks | Over 124K admissions
Super 30 – Screened for 5 weeks | Over 122K admissions
Kabir Singh – Screened for 8 weeks | Over 121K admissions
Housefull 4 – Screened for 4 weeks | Over 121K admissions
Total Dhamaal – Screened for 6 weeks | Over 120 K admissions
Based on the hype garnered by the movie and popularity of movies starring Akshay Kumar in the Middle East, Sooryavanshi is guaranteed to usher in large Asian and Indian language movie fans from across the region.
Don’t miss out on moving your brand closer to its target audience. Contact us for more information on following this Mega Blockbuster.
Sources: Business Insider, Clout News, Gulf News, India Today and Wikipedia
Indian language movies have come a long way over the last few years!
From their initial standard three hour long flicks featuring action-packed drama, tears, catchy and sing-along songs, extravagant dancing and colourful traditional costumes – being produced solely for domestic consumption, to having varied time lengths dictated by their content, and witnessed across the globe in countries such as United States, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, China, Russia, Turkey – in either their original form with subtitles or dubbed versions of its original form.
Movies from India are no longer restricted to Bollywood which produces movies solely in the national language (Hindi). India, in line with the varied languages and dialects in the country, is also home to other powerhouse movie industries such as:
Bollywood – Mumbai-based Hindi language film industry, India
Pollywood – Punjabi language film industry in India and Pakistan
Bhojiwood – Film industry of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India in Bhojpuri language
Chhollywood – Chhattisgarhi language film industry based in Chhattisgarh, India
Tollywood – Bengali film industry in West Bengal, India/Telugu film industry in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Kollywood – Tamil language film industry, based in Chennai, India./Nepal’s film industry
Mollywood – Malayalam film industry in Kerala, India
Sandalwood – Kannada language film industry in Karnataka, India.
Jollywood – Assamese language film industry in Guwahati, Assam
Ollywood – Film industry of Orissa, India in Oriya language
The Indian-film industry also comprises of globally recognized actors and actresses who are passionately dedicated to provide the best of their skills and talent to the industry:
Bollywood
Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif
Kollywood
Rajinikanth, Vijay, Ajith Kumar and Nayanthara
Tollywood
Mahesh Babu, Prabhas, Anushka Shetty and Rakul Preet Singh
As a result of these film stars having huge fan-followings from around the world, they too have helped attract large audiences to watch Indian movie releases in cinema.
A recent report by PWC indicates that Bollywood is set to become the third largest cinema market in the world.
In recent years, there have been numerous Indian language movies that have done relatively well at the worldwide box office:
Bollywood movies easily make up the second largest watched language in the UAE – with some blockbusters raking in 300,000 plus admissions. Other Indian language movies – which include Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu, have also gained massive popularity and acceptance in accordance with Hindi movies.
Below is analysis conducted by Motivate Val Morgan on Indian language movie releases across the Middle East in 2018:
In October 2019, Motivate Val Morgan – in collaboration with Murdoch University Dubai, also conducted cinema research in the UAE in the form of questionnaires and video interviews at VOX Cinemas – City Centre Deira and Burjuman (two prominent locations for Asian movie audiences).
The objective of this research project was to understand cinemagoing habits of Asian audiences and measure the effectiveness of cinema advertising alongside Indian language movies..
As the research above indicates:
Here’s a line-up of Indian language movies scheduled to release over the months ahead:
December 2019
Pati Patni Aur Woh (Hindi)
Panipat (Hindi)
Mardaani 2 (Hindi)
Good Newwz (Hindi)
Mamangam (Malayalam)
January 2020
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (Hindi)
Darbar (Tamil)
Ala Vaikunthapurramloo (Telugu)
Sarileru Neekevvaru (Telugu)
Street Dancer 3D (Hindi)
Don’t miss out on targeting large Asian movie loving audiences. Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities alongside the movies mentioned above!
Sources: Wikipedia, WARC, MVM Analysis, MVM Research and IMDb
2.0 – the sequel to Enthiran (2010), will unite the best of talent from Kollywood and Bollywood – Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar. The movie is set to release in cinemas (worldwide) on 29th November and will undoubtedly be one of the biggest Indian language movie releases of 2018.
Trivia:
Both Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar have a devoted fan base across the region, with their movies being well received.
Here’s a look at movie successes starring Rajinikanth:
Kaala (2018)
Kaala was released (worldwide) on 7th June 2018 in three languages – Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. In the UAE, the film earned AED 3,403,631.
Kabali (2016)
There was a different kind of hysteria among Rajinikanth fans as Kabali was the first movie in which the action hero played a role of his own age.
In the GCC, over 200 theatres (including 100 screens in the UAE) screened the movie, and advance online bookings received overwhelming responses with many sessions running house full. According to a local distributor, there were approximately 151,000 tickets sold for in the first two days of release across the UAE.
The film had earned US$11.20 million in its first four-day weekend overseas, breaking the record previously held by Dhoom 3 (US$10.32 million) as the highest-grossing first weekend for an Indian film in overseas markets. According to International Business Times in May 2017, the film’s final overseas gross was US$15.65 million.
Enthiran (2010)
As of January 2018, Enthiran is the fourth-highest-grossing South Indian film of all time after S. S. Rajamouli’s two-part historical fiction films Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) and Baahubali: The Beginning (2015).
According to a February 2015 report by Hindustan Times, the film has grossed approximately US$34.8 million (worldwide) in its lifetime.
Below are UAE statistics for movies featuring Akshay Kumar:
Brothers (2015) – screened for 4 weeks and did approximately 130,500 admissions
Rustom and Airlift (2016) grossed a total of AED 6,565,596 and 4,408,681 respectively
Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017) – screened for 3 weeks and did approximately 103,200 admissions
Jolly LLB 2 (2017) – screened for 5 weeks and did approximately 114,000 admissions
Padman (2018) – grossed a total of AED 3,162,845
Based on the success of previous Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar movies (as indicated above) and the fact that Indian language movie fans (in this region) are not restricted to the expat population from the subcontinent, 2.0 is guaranteed to usher in large cinema audiences.
Don’t miss out on advertising alongside one of the biggest Indian language movies of 2018.
Contact a member of our sales team for more information on cinema advertising opportunities across the GCC.
Sources: YouTube, First Post, Wikipedia, The National and Gulf News
The makers of Bollywood period-drama film Padmavati unveiled the first look in which actress Deepika Padukone looked every inch a reigning empress.
The first poster of the film shows Padukone in a red lehnga and choli by designer duo Rimple and Harpreet, paired with elaborate Rajasthani jewellery by Tanishq. Some 200 craftsmen worked for 600 days to create some of the jewellery that will be showcased in the movie. Each piece of jewellery in the movie plays a significant role, said a statement.
The poster shows a group of women in veils standing behind Padukone, who can be seen standing with folded hands. The actress plays Rani Padmavati of Chittore in the film.
A second poster shows the actress, who is sporting a unibrow for the first time, standing inside what seems like a temple.
Padmavati – directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali (known for grand period dramas), is the story of Chittor’s Rani Padmini, who performed juahar with several Rajput women after Alaudin Khilji invaded the fort of Chittor. Ranveer Singh plays the role of Alaudin Khilji and Shahid Kapoor plays Deepika’s onscreen husband Ratan Singh in the film.
The movie is slated for release in December 2017.
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Sources: Gulf News and NDTV
