Veteran producer and distributor Anand Pandit sheds light on the major shifts in Indian cinema this year

This year rewrote the script for box-office success in India with surprise hits, diverse stories, mainstream features as well as thoughtful social commentary. We saw big-budget franchise favourites as well as brave narratives that pushed boundaries. Veteran producer and distributor Anand Pandit outlines the major shifts in Indian cinema in 2025

1. Return of the nostalgic love story

In the tradition of musical love stories that defined so many eras, ‘Saiyara’ , reimagined the 2004 Korean film ‘A Moment to Remember’ in the Indian context and won over the audience in a big way. Directed by Mohit Suri and backed by Yash Raj, the romantic tale had stirring performances by debutant actors Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. The film earned over ₹5.79 billion (US$68 million) worldwide and became a major blockbuster hit.

2. Celebration of rooted stories

The resounding success of ‘Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1′ demonstrates that stories with regional specificities can indeed have universal appeal. The Kannada mythological action epic written and directed by Rishab Shetty, and produced by Hombale Films has once again swept the box-office. The beautifully framed film adroitly combines mystical folklore, a reverence for nature, the origins of the Buta Kola ritual, elemental human emotions and sweeping action to stun audiences across demographics. ‘Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1’, has earned ₹850–900 crore over the budget of ₹125 crore and the prequel has hinted at another hit in the making.

3. Star power still rules

Box-office success is unpredictable and yet every time Rajinikanth appears on the big screen, a massive audience response is guaranteed. ‘Coolie,’ a Tamil action thriller written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Sun Pictures also stars Nagarjuna Akkineni, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Rachita Ram with Aamir Khan and Pooja Hegde. The revenge drama earned around ₹514–520 crore against a ₹400 crore budget, which is still a modest figure. Yet, it clearly signifies the star power of a 74-year-old superstar – every film he appears in creates a sensation and garners a strong initial collection.

4. A female superhero arrives

With ‘Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra’, Indian cinema got its very first modern, female superhero. The Malayalam actioner written and directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan stars Kalyani Priyadarshan in the lead and is a technical triumph with sensational special-effects. With a budget of ₹30 crore, the film earned ₹300.08–303.2 crore and has now outdone ‘L2: Empuraan’ as the highest grossing Malayalam film of all time. It is also one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2025.

5. Thoughtful cinema makes its presence felt

Films like ‘Superboys of Malegaon’, ‘Phule’, ‘Humans in the Loop’ and ‘Homebound’ found their way into the theatres this year to remind us that intentional cinema too needs to reach the audiences. These films are also being watched on OTT avidly and have enjoyed positive critical reception in the festival circuit as well. Their presence on the big and small screen also reminded us that off-beat cinema must be as easily accessible to the audience as big-budget entertainers.