The Diwali window has long been Hindi cinema’s most dependable theatrical slot. But the numbers from 2021 to 2025 tell a more complicated story: the date opens the door, yet the film still has to pull audiences in.
The latest Diwali: a moderate finish
In 2025, the festival belonged to Ayushmann Khurrana’s horror-comedy Thamma and Harshvardhan Rane’s romantic drama Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, both released on October 21. Thamma, part of Maddock Films’ horror-comedy universe and directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. It opened at roughly Rs 24 crore on day one but slowed over its run, finishing near Rs 134.78 crore net in India and Rs 187.59 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk. Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, directed by Milap Zaveri, was the smaller production, yet music, engagement and word-of-mouth carried it to Rs 78.99 crore net in India and Rs 110.28 crore worldwide.
Together, the two films collected about Rs 213.77 crore net domestically—respectable, but far from the previous year’s festivities.
The five-year pattern
The contrast across five Diwalis is stark. In 2021, Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi helped bring audiences back after the pandemic, collecting roughly Rs 195.55 crore net in India and crossing Rs 290 crore worldwide. A year later, Ram Setu (Rs 74.7 crore net) and Thank God (Rs 36.35 crore net) showed that stars and a festival date are not enough; their combined total was about Rs 111.05 crore.
Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 restored scale in 2023 with approximately Rs 282.79 crore net in India and Rs 466 crore worldwide. Then came 2024’s clash, in which Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 made Rs 283.80 crore net in India and Rs 423.85 crore worldwide, while Singham Again made Rs 268.35 crore net and Rs 389.64 crore worldwide. The two films combined for more than Rs 552 crore net—and an opening weekend record for Hindi cinema, crossing Rs 210 crore net at the time, as reported by Box Office India.
- 2024 was the peak: Rs 552.15 crore net from the Diwali pair.
- 2025’s pair finished at roughly Rs 213.77 crore net.
- Franchise-led titles lifted 2021, 2023 and 2024; 2022 still struggled.
Why the slide matters
The 2025 outcome isn’t simply a decline. It shows a market sorting itself. Thamma had the bigger brand machinery, but Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat found room by serving a different audience. That is the bigger five-year arc: Diwali no longer guarantees a hit just because a film is big.
For the trade, the lesson is to read the film rather than the calendar. A franchise gives a floor, not a ceiling; a modest film with a clear emotional hook can counterprogram a tentpole. The window is still worth taking seriously, but only if the film matches the moment.
Source: Times Now
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