



Star power on pause: Why Bollywood is holding back on new film projects in 2025
Hindi language films stood at 33 in 2023, 34 in 2024 and 39 in 2025.Experts say sentiments around high-risk titles have remained soft, and in many cases, filmmakers have struggled to convince top stars to forego unreasonably high fees.“Everyone is worried and cautious at the moment. Over-the-top (OTT) content platforms are no longer buying films as they used to and linking rights to the box office, which remains unpredictable.
Makers are questioning existing models and stories,” said film producer and distributor Yusuf Shaikh, also founder and chief executive of low-cost theatre chain Janta Cinema.Shaikh added that the failure of big-budget titles like Yash Raj Films’ War 2 has proven that seemingly safe bets can also misfire, and nothing substandard will lure audiences to cinemas. Further, exorbitant ticket rates in multiplexes have alienated several segments from the theatre-going experience, while the elite who can afford it have too many options to choose from.To be sure, Bollywood has seen a few bona fide success stories this year.
Period drama Chhaava ( ₹600.10 crore), romantic drama Saiyaara ( ₹337.78 crore) and action film Dhurandhar ( ₹640.20 crore), besides a few mid-budget hits such as Tere Ishk Mein ( ₹111.94 crore), and Sitaare Zameen Par( ₹165.67 crore) remain outliers in an ecosystem fraught with misfires.The risk of putting together a theatrical outing remains quite high, according to experts, as the cost often doesn’t match monetization possibilities. Film producer, trade, and exhibition expert Girish Johar said with satellite television and OTT sales having dipped, films have to depend entirely on making the cut in cinemas, accounting for high ticket rates and the appeal of content for audiences.“Major
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