Dec was the third-highest grossing month post-pandemic: Exhibitors

December closed as the biggest month of 2025 for cinemas, and the third-highest (after August 2023 and December 2023) of the post-pandemic era. The surge, however, wasn’t driven by Christmas releases, but by Christmas footfall. Exhibitors point to two films that carried the month in contrasting ways. Dhurandhar emerged as the surprise engine – an adult, A-rated title that crossed ₹800 crore in December alone, signalling robust demand across weekdays as well as early-morning and late-night shows.

At the other end of the spectrum, Avatar: Fire & Ash delivered scale and consistency. Playing across IMAX and every premium format available – ICE, 4DX, MX4D and ScreenX – the film turned the latter half of December into a distinctly family-friendly box-office stretch.


‘Rise in weekday footfalls, extra shows, repeat viewings drove December success’

Exhibitors say that together, Dhurandhar and Avatar : Fire & Ash drove December’s record admissions, fuelled by strong advance bookings and repeat viewings. As Ajay Bijli, Managing Director, PVR INOX Limited, notes, “We are seeing renewed enthusiasm from younger audiences, including Gen Z, who are embracing cinemas as immersive, social destinations.” More revealing than the numbers, however, was the audience mix. Despite its A rating, Dhurandhar cut across demographics – drawing 18-19-year-olds alongside Gen Z, millennials and older viewers. Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, Managing Director, Miraj Entertainment Ltd, says December’s performance was no accident. “December was always expected to be one of the strongest months of the year be cause of Dhurandhar and Avatar: Fire & Ash . That confidence played out exactly as anticipated.”

‘Dhurandhar’s sustained run lifted December to one of the financial year’s strongest’

Exhibitors further state that Dhurandhar ’s real achievement wasn’t its opening, but its staying power. Mendiratta explains, “The film released on December 5 and didn’t open big, but built remarkable momentum over the following weeks. That sustained run made December one of the strongest-performing months of the financial year, with a significant share of revenue coming from a single film title.”

Raj Bansal, owner of Entertainment Paradise cinema, agrees. “Across the country, single-screen theatres allocated almost all shows to Dhurandhar because of its performance. The film completely flipped December expectations – for both audiences and exhibitors.”