As big-budget Hollywood franchises continue to dominate Indian multiplexes, a quieter trend is also taking shape at the box office. Smaller, non-dubbed English-language films are finding steady theatrical audiences in urban India, showing that viewers are increasingly willing to show up for content-driven cinema beyond superhero spectacles and action-heavy franchises.
Recent releases highlight that shift clearly. Michael, the biopic on late pop icon Michael Jackson, has crossed more than ₹50 crore in India, or roughly $6 million. Sports drama F1: The Movie went even further, surpassing ₹100 crore, which is around $12 million, despite not relying heavily on Hindi dubbing. Industry observers say these films are proving that theatrical success in India is no longer limited to large-scale commercial entertainers, as reported by The Mint.
Science-fiction title Project Hail Mary also joined the trend, earning more than ₹70 crore, or approximately $8.4 million, in India without major localization efforts. Earlier, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer had crossed ₹100 crore in India during its 2023 theatrical run, establishing a strong benchmark for premium English-language releases.
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Ashish Misra, head of commercialization at Cinépolis India, said the audience for such films has become more defined over the years.
“Non-dubbed Hollywood has settled into a clear pattern in India. It plays as a premium, urban-led segment that delivers steady box office without trying to compete with the mass market,” Misra said.
According to trade experts, the audience for these films is largely concentrated in metro cities and urban centers, especially among English-speaking viewers between the ages of 18 and 45. This demographic already consumes global entertainment through streaming platforms and social media, but still sees certain theatrical releases as must-watch cinematic events.
Premium viewing formats like IMAX and 4DX have also helped revive interest in theatrical experiences for niche Hollywood films. Industry insiders say audiences are now more willing to pay higher ticket prices for immersive formats, particularly for visually ambitious dramas, science-fiction stories, and music-driven films.
Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, executive director at PVR INOX Ltd, said original-language viewing has become an important part of the appeal for several genres.
“While dubbing remains the most effective tool for mass-market penetration in tier-two and tier-three cities as seen with massive hits like Avatar or Jurassic World, many prestige films find their strength in their original language,” Bijli said. “For certain genres, such as musical biopics or high-intensity dramas, the original voice performance is central to the film’s artistic integrity.”
The conversation around audience preferences gained further attention after Alia Bhatt spoke about gender imbalance in India’s theatrical audience during a discussion with Anupama Chopra at the Cannes Film Festival.
“In India, when we talk about box office and numbers, there is a conversation that comes up pretty often, which is 75% of the movie-going audience is male, so we need to cater to the masses,” Bhatt said during the session.
A widely shared LinkedIn post responding to Bhatt’s remarks argued that India’s theatrical ecosystem still favors films built around action, horror-comedy, patriotism, mythology, or large-scale spectacle. The post pointed to the global success of The Devil Wears Prada 2, which reportedly grossed nearly ₹4,000 crore worldwide, or about $480 million, while contributing only ₹35 crore, roughly $4.2 million, from India.
The post argued that dialogue-heavy dramas centered on fashion, workplace dynamics, or urban relationships struggle to become nationwide theatrical events in India.
“No genre anchor. Indian hits need action, horror-comedy, patriotism, or mythology,” the post stated. “The urban woman who loves this film already watches it at home. The theatre adds nothing she needs.”
It also noted that successful female-led Indian blockbusters often succeed because they combine strong women-centric storytelling with broader commercial elements. Films like Stree 2, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and Raazi each had an additional draw, whether horror-comedy, large-scale visual storytelling, or patriotic themes.
Still, the steady rise of non-dubbed Hollywood titles suggests that India’s multiplex market is becoming increasingly segmented. While mass entertainers continue to dominate the broader box office, premium urban audiences are showing greater willingness to support niche, original-language storytelling on the big screen.