‘Chhaava’ shatters records, but is Bollywood truly back or just riding a content drought?

All actors aspire to be part of a historical drama at some point in their careers, and for Vicky Kaushal, Chhaava marks his grand entry into the genre. The movie’s record-breaking box office numbers are impressive, with a staggering ₹775.75 crore in global earnings and over ₹680 crore gross in India, as per box office collection data provider Sacnilk. The bigger question, however, is what its success means for the film industry. Could Chhaava signal a revival for Bollywood in the months ahead?

With Salman Khan’s Sikander set for an Eid release and Rajkummar Rao’s Bhool Chuk Maaf in the pipeline, all eyes are on whether this momentum will continue. Especially after a string of underwhelming releases earlier this year—including Devaa, Skyforce, Emergency, Loveyapa, and Azaad—Bollywood could be on the brink of a much-needed resurgence.

How does Chhaava fare among its peers in ticket sales?

These days, it’s not uncommon for films to break random records every now and then. But a more insightful comparison lies in analysing advance bookings and total ticket sales for recent box office blockbusters—Chhaava, Stree 2, and Pushpa 2. Stree 2 hit theatres in August last year, Pushpa 2 arrived in December, and Chhaava made its grand debut on Valentine’s Day.

“Chhaava has blazed past all previous records to become the first Hindi film ever to cross the monumental 12 million ticket sale milestone on BookMyShow. This extraordinary accomplishment sees Chhaava surpassing even the blockbuster Stree 2, creating a new benchmark in the industry,” said Ashish Saksena, COO - Cinemas, BookMyShow, in a statement.

Saksena previously revealed that Pushpa 2 set a record with 20 million ticket sales, followed by K.G.F: Chapter 2, which sold approximately 17 million. Stree 2 registered 10.3 million ticket sales on the platform, placing Chhaava in the third spot.

Chhaava recorded 4.87 lakh ticket sales on its first day through advance bookings, according to data from Sacnilk. In comparison, Pushpa 2 saw significantly higher pre-booking numbers, with 31.76 lakh tickets sold, including 12.96 lakh for its Hindi version across various formats. Stree 2, on the other hand, registered 8.2 lakh pre-booking sales. Data for K.G.F: Chapter 2’s advance bookings is unavailable.

The massive pre-booking numbers for Pushpa 2 were fuelled not only by the hype surrounding its predecessor but also by its release in multiple formats, including 2D, ICE, IMAX, and 4DX, giving it a wider reach. Interestingly, despite trailing Stree 2 in advance bookings, Chhaava outperformed it at the box office, largely due to its strategic Telugu release, which contributed ₹15.2 crore to its total earnings.

This suggests that a strong strategy for boosting ticket sales is to release films in multiple formats and languages, enhancing their appeal as true pan-India films. Expanding accessibility through diverse viewing experiences and regional language versions can significantly drive box office performance.

What does Chhaava’s box office collection reveal about cinema goers’ preferences?

Chhaava’s box office journey has been a mix of highs and lows, with inevitable fluctuations typical of films that sustain a theatrical run beyond two to three weeks. However, its ability to surpass Stree 2 in India’s gross collections by its fifth week lies in its steady mid-week earnings. Notably, Chhaava outperformed Pushpa 2’s daily collections on 14 occasions, all occurring after its second week. Moreover, since the start of its fifth weekend, Chhaava has consistently maintained higher collections than Pushpa 2.

“What's particularly remarkable is the exceptional repeat viewership, with fans returning multiple times to experience this cinematic masterpiece,” said Saxena.

“The film has seen phenomenal response from across the country with key markets including Mumbai, Pune, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Nashik, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Lucknow, leading the charge on BookMyShow,” he added.

However, this doesn’t necessarily signal a full-fledged Bollywood revival, especially after a sluggish start to the year with lacklustre theatrical releases from January to February. A key factor to consider is the sharp decline in the number of films hitting theatres. In the first three months of 2025, significantly fewer films were released compared to the same period in 2024.

Notably, OTT platforms have seen a surge in releases. A total of 17 films made it to cinemas in this period, and 13 premiered directly on streaming platforms, including The Storyteller, Dabba Cartel, The Mehta Boys, and Nadaaniyan. In contrast, the number of direct-to-OTT releases during the same timeframe was fewer than five in both 2024 and 2023.

"There aren't too many theatrical releases these days as not many were shot last year. The focus has largely been on web films and series,” says Tarun Garg, filmmaker and producer, Elipsis Entertainment.

This suggests that one of the key factors behind Chhaava’s record-breaking box office run was the lack of strong alternatives for regular moviegoers. Following Chhaava, only two major star-studded films—Loveyapa and The Diplomat—hit theatres.

Another film that managed to grab headlines was Himesh Reshammiya’s Badass Ravikumar, which trended like an Instagram reel, marking the rise of what some are calling "Brainrot cinema." Despite its unconventional appeal, the film earned ₹10 crore at the box office. While this may seem like a modest figure, it’s surprising to note that Badass Ravikumar actually outperformed the star-studded Loveyapa.

“What's abundantly clear is that the cinema-going audience exists and will come out in large numbers for a film that catches their fancy. Hence the need to make content that's honest, accessible and clutter breaking,” adds Garg.

For now, Chhaava appears to be an outlier, benefiting from the scarcity of theatrical releases rather than signalling a true Bollywood resurgence. The industry’s much-anticipated comeback still seems distant.

The next films poised to shake up the box office are Empuraan, starring Mohanlal, and Salman Khan’s Sikander, which marks his return to the big screen after a two-year hiatus. For now, the limited number of theatrical releases remains a worrying sign for both Bollywood and film distributors.