Malayalam and Telugu cinema deliver, while Bollywood falls flat: Box office showdown of Lokah, Mirai, Baaghi 4

These days, it is rare to see multiple films running in theatres at the same time. Since the Independence Day weekend, however, audiences across India have had a variety of options to choose from. From Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra, Vash Level 2, and Param Sundari released in late August, to the more recent arrivals Mirai and Baaghi 4, pan-India films have largely dominated the box office this month.

How have Baaghi 4, Mirai, and Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra fared so far on the box office?

Baaghi 4, released on September 5, has managed an underwhelming India net collection of ₹51.3 crore, with its worldwide gross crossing ₹74.5 crore after nearly two weeks in theatres.

This Tiger Shroff and Sanjay Dutt starrer failed to generate the hype needed to draw audiences to theatres, with many reviews calling it a copy of previously released films Marco and Animal.

Meanwhile, Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra has amassed more than ₹252.9 crore in worldwide collections, as India net collections stood at ₹125.20 crore as of its Day 20 in theatres. The film had garnered a whopping ₹203.25 crore in gross worldwide collection in its second week in theatres, leaving Baaghi 4 far behind.

Further, Mirai has already garnered ₹57.71 crore in India net collection on Day 5 of its release, surpassing Baaghi 4 with a worldwide gross collection of ₹80 crore.

The Sacnilk data highlights the stark contrast between a Hindi franchise film and regional films made for a wider audience through multi-lingual releases. While the three action-thrillers differ in their storylines, the sheer numbers underscore this divide.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh credited the success of the two films – Mirai and Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra to their strong content and engaging screenplay.

“Lokah has done very well in Malayalam and Telugu, but in Hindi it has got a very limited [presence], and Mirai too. On a larger picture, however, the good thing is that both the films are doing well at the box office. It’s the content that if it resonates with the audience, it works,” says Adarsh.

Further, the multi-lingual releases of pan-India films further boost revenues. Films like Mirai also have offered audiences with Buy One Get One free offers to boost numbers. This box office showdown reiterates that Bollywood still has significant headroom for growth to catch up.

However, according to Adarsh, any well-made film, regardless of region or language, stands to benefit at the box office. He adds that comparisons between South and North Indian cinema are now redundant, as pan-India films have become the norm.

“These films are Indian films. In the end, it’s very important that these films work at the box office because so many people are connected to it,” Adarsh adds.