Diwali at the movies: Why audiences are 'falling out of love' with Bollywood’s big-ticket releases.

Diwali has traditionally been one of Bollywood's most lucrative release windows, with filmmakers banking on the festive holiday, family audiences and the excitement surrounding big-ticket theatrical releases. However, the last five years have demonstrated that a Diwali release date alone does not guarantee box-office success. While some films have turned the festival into a record-breaking celebration, others have struggled to recover their investments despite featuring established stars and popular franchises.

From Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi in 2021 to the competing blockbusters Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again in 2024, the festive box office has witnessed contrasting fortunes. The 2025 season, led by Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, further highlighted the importance of audience reception and content-driven theatrical business.

The 2021 Diwali season was particularly significant for Bollywood as the film industry was attempting to recover from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. With theatres reopening and audience footfalls gradually returning, Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi emerged as one of the most important theatrical releases of the year. Directed by Rohit Shetty, the action entertainer also featured Katrina Kaif, Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh. Released on November 5, 2021, the film benefited from the festive window and the excitement surrounding Shetty's cop universe.

Despite concerns about audiences returning to cinemas, Sooryavanshi collected approximately Rs 195.55 crore net in India, according to reported box-office figures, while its worldwide gross crossed Rs 290 crore. The film demonstrated that star power, established franchises and mass-market entertainment could bring audiences back to theatres.

The following year presented a contrasting picture. Bollywood attempted to capitalise on the Diwali holiday with two prominent releases, Akshay Kumar's Ram Setu and Ajay Devgn's Thank God, but neither managed to deliver the expected box-office fireworks. Ram Setu, which also featured Jacqueline Fernandez and Satyadev, opened amid considerable curiosity because of its subject revolving around the legendary bridge connecting India and Sri Lanka. However, despite the scale of its premise and Akshay Kumar's star appeal, the film struggled to sustain audience interest. It collected approximately Rs 74.7 crore net in India.

Meanwhile, Thank God, featuring Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh alongside Ajay Devgn, attempted to attract family audiences with its fantasy-comedy premise. However, the film received a mixed response and ended its theatrical run at approximately Rs 36.35 crore net domestically. Together, the two films collected roughly Rs 111 crore net in India, significantly below expectations. The disappointing performance demonstrated that a festive release and recognisable stars could not compensate for a lack of strong audience engagement.

If 2022 was a disappointing Diwali for Bollywood, 2023 brought the festival back into the spotlight. Salman Khan returned as Avinash Singh Rathore, aka Tiger, in Yash Raj Films' Tiger 3. Directed by Maneesh Sharma, the spy thriller also featured Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi. Released on November 12, 2023, coinciding with Diwali, the film generated substantial anticipation as part of YRF's Spy Universe. Despite releasing on a Sunday, which was an unusual choice for a major Bollywood film, Tiger 3 opened strongly and benefited from the festive period. Its action sequences, franchise popularity and Salman-Katrina pairing helped it attract audiences across the country.

The film collected approximately Rs 282.79 crore net in India, while its worldwide gross reached around Rs 466 crore. It became one of the biggest Diwali releases of the period and reaffirmed Salman's ability to generate significant theatrical interest. While Tiger 3 delivered substantial numbers, its collections were affected by weekday drops and mixed audience reactions. Nevertheless, it remained the defining Bollywood Diwali release of 2023.

Diwali 2024 witnessed one of the biggest Bollywood box-office clashes in recent years, with Kartik Aaryan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 going head-to-head with Ajay Devgn's Singham Again. Both films arrived in theatres on November 1, banking on their established franchises and impressive ensemble casts.

The two films collectively generated over Rs 552 crore in domestic net collections, making the festive season a major success for the Hindi film industry. Their combined opening weekend also created a record for Hindi cinema at the time, crossing Rs 210 crore net, according to Box Office India.

Part of Maddock Films' horror-comedy universe, Thamma, directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, also starred Rashmika Mandanna and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The film opened strongly, collecting approximately Rs 24 crore on its first day, but witnessed a considerable slowdown as its theatrical run progressed. Its lifetime India net collection was approximately Rs 134.78 crore, with worldwide earnings of around Rs 187.59 crore, according to Sacnilk.

Meanwhile, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, directed by Milap Zaveri and featuring Sonam Bajwa alongside Harshvardhan Rane, proved to be a surprise performer. Despite being a comparatively smaller production, the romantic drama benefited from its music, audience engagement and word-of-mouth. It collected approximately Rs 78.99 crore net in India and Rs 110.28 crore worldwide.

The two films together generated approximately Rs 214 crore in domestic net collections. While Thamma emerged as the bigger grosser, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat demonstrated how a relatively modestly mounted film could find commercial success against a larger competitor.

The last five years underline how dramatically Bollywood's festive box-office fortunes have changed. In 2021, Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi collected approximately Rs 195.55 crore net in India, setting the tone for the industry's post-pandemic recovery. In 2022, the combined collections of Ram Setu and Thank God stood at approximately Rs 111.05 crore, reflecting a relatively disappointing Diwali for Bollywood.

The following year, Salman Khan's Tiger 3 registered an impressive Rs 282.79 crore net collection. Diwali 2024 proved to be the biggest among these five years, with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again collectively earning approximately Rs 552.15 crore net in India. In 2025, Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat together collected around Rs 213.77 crore, delivering a moderate performance compared to the previous year's festive box-office bonanza.

While Diwali continues to be a valuable theatrical window, the last five years have shown that audiences are increasingly selective about what they watch in cinemas. The success of Sooryavanshi, Tiger 3 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 demonstrates the advantages of established franchises and popular stars. However, the contrasting performances of Ram Setu, Thank God and Singham Again underline that even high-profile productions are not guaranteed success. The 2025 season offered another important lesson - films with different budgets and audience propositions can find their own space, as demonstrated by Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat.