The Indian film industry is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in 2025, with the domestic box office recording a robust 27% year-on-year growth for releases from January to May. This impressive performance was significantly boosted by a strong showing in May 2025, which saw collections reach a staggering ₹1,136 crore, making it the second-best performing month of the year after February.
According to the latest India Box Office Report, the cumulative gross for films released between January and May 2025 stands at ₹4,812 crore, demonstrating a healthy recovery and positive momentum for theatrical exhibition across the country.
May’s strong performance was primarily driven by the Hindi film ‘Raid 2’, which emerged as the month’s top grosser, collecting over ₹200 crore. This makes ‘Raid 2’ the second-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025 so far, trailing only ‘Chhaava’.
Adding to the month’s success was the strong comeback of Hollywood films. ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ secured the second spot in May, grossing over ₹115 crore. Along with ‘Final Destination Bloodlines’ and ‘Thunderbolts*’, Hollywood titles collectively contributed ₹262 crore in May, marking their strongest performance in India since July 2023, the month that saw the release of ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’. Combined, ‘Raid 2’ and ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ alone accounted for 28% of May’s total box office collections.
The top 10 films of May 2025 showcased the diverse appeal of Indian cinema, featuring four Hindi, two Tamil, two Telugu, and two Malayalam releases. This linguistic diversity is also reflected in the overall year-to-date performance, where four Hindi films and two each from Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam languages feature in the list of highest-grossing films.
Looking at the language share for January to May 2025, Hindi films continue to dominate, accounting for 37% of the gross domestic box office. Telugu cinema holds a 20% share, followed by Tamil at 18%, Malayalam at 12%, and Hollywood at 8%, with other languages contributing the remaining 5%.
This consistent strong performance underscores the resilience of India’s theatrical market, with audience turnout showing positive momentum for both domestic and international content. As the industry moves into the second half of the year, current trends suggest that 2025 is well-positioned to surpass post-pandemic benchmarks, fueled by a compelling mix of large-scale Hindi productions, and increasing interest in regional and international releases.
Key Highlights:
- India’s box office for January-May 2025 saw a 27% year-on-year growth, with cumulative collections reaching ₹4,812 crore.
- May 2025 was a particularly strong month, grossing ₹1,136 crore, making it the second-best month of the year.
- Hindi film ‘Raid 2’ topped May’s collections with over ₹200 crore, while Hollywood’s ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ was the second-highest grosser at over ₹115 crore.
- May also marked Hollywood’s strongest performance in India since July 2023, contributing ₹262 crore from three films in the top 10. The top 10 films of May showcased a diverse mix of Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema.