Indian Box Office Reaches ₹9,868 Crore by August as Hindi's Share Slips

Indian films grossed ₹9,868 crore at the box office from January to August 2026, 18 percent more than in the same months of 2025, according to Ormax Media's monthly India Box Office Report. August, at ₹1,768 crore, was the strongest month of the year so far.

The monthly reports also show a change in the mix behind that total. Hindi's share, which was higher in the first half than a year earlier, fell below 40 percent in July. International films reached a record share, and a small group of titles accounted for much of the gross.

Footfalls Rise for the First Time in Three Years

Cinema footfalls reached 37.8 crore in January to June 2026, up 5 percent on the same period of 2025. Ormax describes the rise as a reversal of three years of decline and stagnation.

Gross box office for the half-year was ₹6,398 crore, 10 percent higher than a year earlier. Spread across six months, that is an average of about ₹1,066 crore a month, and June alone brought in ₹1,038 crore.

The growth rate widened as the year went on. Ormax's year-to-date comparisons were 10 percent at the half-year, 13 percent through July at ₹8,147 crore, and 18 percent through August.

Ormax's 2025 annual summary puts full-year gross at ₹13,395 crore, the first year the Indian box office crossed ₹13,000 crore. Footfalls for 2025 were 83.2 crore, down 6 percent from 2024.

Set against the 2025 full-year total, the first-half gross of ₹6,398 crore is about 48 percent, and the first-half footfall of 37.8 crore is about 45 percent of the 83.2 crore for the whole of 2025.

Hindi's Share Dips Below 40 Percent in July

Hindi films took 44 percent of the box office in the first half of 2026, up from 39 percent a year earlier. Ormax's 2025 summary put Hindi at 41 percent of that year's total, or ₹5,504 crore.

In July, Hindi's share fell below 40 percent for the first time in 2026. Dhamaal 4, a Hindi film, ranked fourth among the month's top films by gross.

The 44 percent figure covers six months and the July figure covers one month, so the two are not directly comparable. By arithmetic on Ormax's totals, 44 percent of ₹6,398 crore is roughly ₹2,815 crore.

The August report says Hindi's share is around the 40 percent mark. Awarapan 2, another Hindi film, is among the leading titles of August.

Tamil's Share Falls to 12 Percent in the First Half

Tamil films took 12 percent of the box office in the first half of 2026, down from 17 percent a year earlier. Marathi films took 4 percent, which Ormax describes as the highest share for Marathi since the pandemic.

By arithmetic on the half-year total, 12 percent of ₹6,398 crore is about ₹768 crore. Ormax's 2025 summary puts South languages combined at 44 percent of that year's gross, down from 48 percent in 2024.

Jana Nayagan, a Tamil film, was a major contributor to July's total, according to Ormax. The July report names it alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey and Dhamaal 4.

In August, Ormax says Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam shares held steady against 2025. The Malayalam film Bethlehem Kudumba Unit grossed ₹185 crore that month, not counting its Tamil and Telugu versions, and ranked among the month's top films.

International Films Reach a Record Share in July

International films took 17 percent of July's box office, a record high. Ormax compares it with 15 percent in 2019.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day grossed ₹630 crore in July, including projected future collections, making it the highest-grossing international film ever in India, according to Ormax. That is about 40 percent of the month's total of ₹1,582 crore.

International films had grossed ₹1,424 crore by the end of July. Ormax says 2026 is on track to surpass the 2019 record of ₹1,595 crore, and by arithmetic the year had reached about 89 percent of that figure by July.

Spider-Man's ₹630 crore is a little under half of the ₹1,424 crore international films had grossed by the end of July.

The August report gives international cinema a 15 percent share, compared with 10 percent in 2025. Ormax's 2025 summary records international films growing 49 percent on the previous year.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day grossed ₹630 crore in July, including projected future collections, making it the highest-grossing international film ever in India.

A Small Group of Films Carries Most of the Gross

Dhurandhar: The Revenge was the highest-grossing film of the first half, contributing nearly 20 percent of the Indian box office for the period. Six films crossed ₹200 crore.

The top 15 films accounted for 58 percent of first-half collections. In July, the top four films made up 81 percent of the month's gross, which works out to about ₹1,281 crore of ₹1,582 crore.

The 2025 summary lists Dhurandhar, at ₹950 crore, as the highest-grossing Hindi film ever.

In August, Hanuman Ansh is estimated to gross ₹360 crore in its lifetime and is listed first among the month's top films, followed by Toxic.

Monthly Totals and Cumulative Figures

Monthly gross, including projected collections for films still running, rose from ₹1,038 crore in June to ₹1,582 crore in July and ₹1,768 crore in August. Ormax calls August the best month of 2026 so far and the third-best month the Indian box office has recorded.

Ormax's cumulative figures do not add up exactly from one report to the next. Its July report puts January to July at ₹8,147 crore, while its half-year total plus July comes to ₹7,980 crore.

Its August report gives ₹9,868 crore through August. Adding August's ₹1,768 crore to the July cumulative figure would give ₹9,915 crore.

The half-year report, published 17 July 2026, said that if the trend of recent years continued, 2026 was on track to cross the ₹15,000 crore mark. The July report is dated 15 August 2026 and the August report 18 September 2026.