However, as we step into 2024, the absence of the Khans raises questions about the entertainment industry’s trajectory.With notable actors like Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh also devoid of any releases, the responsibility to carry forward the success of 2023 now rests on the shoulders of Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, and Hrithik Roshan.
The looming uncertainty prompts the crucial question: Can the Box Office replicate the success of 2023 in 2024?Addressing the absence of the Khans in 2024, exhibitor Akshaye Rathi expressed, “The fact that the three Khans don’t have film releases in 2024 is fairly okay. Ultimately, the baton has to be passed on. There was an era when Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand were the legends. After that came the era of Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Rajesh Khanna, and then the Khans.”
He continued, “It’s about time the next generation of superstars starts taking over and ensures that the Box Office continues to churn. While there is no release by any of the Khans, the Telugu fraternity, playing on the front foot, has some big-ticket releases that are pan-India. Many of our younger stars have releases, including Varun Dhawan, Tiger Shroff in ‘Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan’ with Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn in ‘Maidaan’ and ‘Auro Mein Kaha Dum Tha.’ With Hollywood entering the scene in the second half of next year and multiple films from the regional fraternity, 2024 promises to be a comprehensively comfortable year.”
If 2023 belonged to Shah Rukh Khan, 2024 might see Akshay Kumar taking centre stage with three significant releases. Trade analyst Girish Wankhede remarked, “Akshay Kumar is likely to score with ‘Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan,’ ‘Sky Force,’ and ‘Welcome To The Jungle.’ It will be purely Akshay Kumar’s year. He may have one more release, but he will undoubtedly be the winner this year.”
He added, “2024 kicks off with ‘Merry Christmas’ and ‘Fighter,’ and the beginning looks promising. Even without any Khan releases, potential blockbusters include ‘Stree 2,’ ‘Chhava,’ and Karthik Aryan’s ‘Chandu Champion’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3,’ both showing promise.”
However, the landscape also includes several high-profile South Indian films planning pan-India releases, such as ‘Pushpa 2,’ Junior NTR’s ‘Devara’ and ‘NTR 31,’ Prabhas’ ‘Kalki 2898,’ and Rishabh Shetty’s ‘Kantara 2.’ Trade analyst Ramesh Bala highlighted, “There is ‘Fighter’ in January, which may perform well, and although the other Khans don’t have releases, several South Indian films are eyeing a Pan-India release, including ‘Pushpa 2,’ NTR’s ‘Devara,’ and some Tamil films, including one with Amitabh Bachchan and Rajnikanth.”
He continued, “In 2023, films like ‘Pathaan,’ ‘Jawan,’ ‘Gadar 2,’ and ‘Animal’ ruled the box office. Perhaps next year, if South Indian content resonates, they may dominate the box office.”
Bala made a valid point regarding movie release dates and the star connection to them. He noted, “Movie releases depend on stars shooting those films, which is not in our control. Shah Rukh Khan had three releases this year. Next year, there is a vacuum. I feel the stars should maintain a gap of six months between two releases. Theatres, especially single screens, need constant big hero movies like Khans, Prabhas, Yash, Ajith, or Vijay. They need to churn out movies at regular intervals. Small films of actors like Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmaan Khurrana do well in multiplexes but not on single screens. All our big heroes need to make big movies; otherwise, Hollywood will come and make money. They have a studio system and plan their releases, while in India, we don’t have a studio system.”
#Yearender2023: From ‘Pathaan’ to ‘Dunki’; Hindi movies with global impact