2025 Box Office Report: Tollywood Slips to Last Place as Hindi and Kannada Cinema Lead

The Indian box office in 2025 has witnessed a notable shift in audience preferences, with Telugu cinema registering its weakest performance among major film industries in terms of gross collections. This marks a sharp contrast to recent years, when Tollywood dominated pan-India revenues and consistently set new commercial records.

According to industry trackers, Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam films recorded strong box office gains, while Telugu releases struggled to generate sustained nationwide traction.

Topping the charts this year is the Kannada blockbuster Kantara: Chapter 1, which posted an estimated worldwide gross of Rs 850–900 crore. Hindi cinema followed closely, led by Chhaava with Rs 797.34 crore, Dhurandhar at Rs 721.51 crore, and Saiyaara earning Rs 579.23 crore.

Tamil cinema also made a strong impact, with superstar-led Coolie securing fifth place with collections estimated between Rs 514–675 crore. Other major performers include War 2 (Hindi) with Rs 303.22 crore, multilingual release Mahavatar Narsimha at Rs 300–325 crore, and Malayalam hit Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra, which collected Rs 300–303 crore globally.

Telugu cinema’s sole entry in the top ten list is They Call Him OG, which ranked ninth with an approximate gross of Rs 293.65–300 crore. However, distributors reported muted profits due to high acquisition costs, indicating that the film fell short of commercial expectations despite its ranking.

Meanwhile, regional cinema delivered remarkable success stories. A standout example is Gujarati independent film Laalo – Krishna Sada Sahayate, produced on a reported budget of Rs 50 lakh and grossing over Rs 110 crore, making it one of the highest return-on-investment achievements in Indian box office history.

With intensified competition and evolving audience tastes, 2025 has emerged as a cautionary year for Tollywood, prompting renewed discussions around content selection, market strategy, and domestic distribution economics.