NEWS
International Films’ April Surge in India; Hindi Reign Continues, Malayalam Doubles – Ormax Media
18 May 2026
“Project Hail Mary” and Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” raised Hollywood’s profile in India in March and April, helping to push international films’ share of India’s box office to 7% from negligible numbers earlier in the year.
According to Indian research platform Ormax Media’s latest edition of The India Box Office Report, Hindi cinema continues to dominate the Indian box office in 2026 with 50% share, followed by Telugu and Tamil.
Malayalam cinema doubled its share from 4% till March to 8% till April.
If April was a moderate month for gross box office, the year’s momentum continues to build, Ormax says.
The report notes some numbers are still provisional; films running in theatres at publication time are estimated based on latest trends and may be revised next month.
But the pattern is clear: India’s box office is outpacing 2025, with regional language content finally getting a bigger slice of the pie.
Films released in April grossed ₹787 Cr (US$8.4 million), pulled up by horror-comedy “Bhooth Bangla” and Malayalam drama “Vaazha 2”, which together accounted for 43% of the month’s total collections.
Year-to-date, the picture looks healthier.
Jan-Apr 2026 stands at ₹4,219 Cr (US$45.2 million) – a 15% jump compared to the same period in 2025, signalling steady industry growth despite monthly fluctuations.
Hindi cinema continues to command the Indian box office with a 50% share, but the real story is Malayalam’s sudden breakout.
The language more than doubled its share from 4% (Jan-Mar) to 8% (Jan-Apr), driven largely by the strong performance of “Vaazha 2”.
Telugu and Tamil follow at 20% and 11% respectively.
“Bhooth Bangla” leads April with ₹190 Cr (US$2 million), followed by “Vaazha 2” at ₹148 Cr (US$1.6 million).
Only two other films crossed ₹50 Cr: the biopic “Michael“ (₹78 Cr/US$835,000) and Tamil comedy “Love Insurance Kompany” (₹51 Cr/US$546,000).
Year-to-date, Hindi film “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” dominates with ...
“Project Hail Mary” and Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” raised Hollywood’s profile in India in March and April, helping to push international films’ share of India’s box office to 7% from negligible numbers earlier in the year.
According to Indian research platform Ormax Media’s latest edition of The India Box Office Report, Hindi cinema continues to dominate the Indian box office in 2026 with 50% share, followed by Telugu and Tamil.
Malayalam cinema doubled its share from 4% till March to 8% till April.
If April was a moderate month for gross box office, the year’s momentum continues to build, Ormax says.
The report notes some numbers are still provisional; films running in theatres at publication time are estimated based on latest trends and may be revised next month.
But the pattern is clear: India’s box office is outpacing 2025, with regional language content finally getting a bigger slice of the pie.
Films released in April grossed ₹787 Cr (US$8.4 million), pulled up by horror-comedy “Bhooth Bangla” and Malayalam drama “Vaazha 2”, which together accounted for 43% of the month’s total collections.
Year-to-date, the picture looks healthier.
Jan-Apr 2026 stands at ₹4,219 Cr (US$45.2 million) – a 15% jump compared to the same period in 2025, signalling steady industry growth despite monthly fluctuations.
Hindi cinema continues to command the Indian box office with a 50% share, but the real story is Malayalam’s sudden breakout.
The language more than doubled its share from 4% (Jan-Mar) to 8% (Jan-Apr), driven largely by the strong performance of “Vaazha 2”.
Telugu and Tamil follow at 20% and 11% respectively.
“Bhooth Bangla” leads April with ₹190 Cr (US$2 million), followed by “Vaazha 2” at ₹148 Cr (US$1.6 million).
Only two other films crossed ₹50 Cr: the biopic “Michael“ (₹78 Cr/US$835,000) and Tamil comedy “Love Insurance Kompany” (₹51 Cr/US$546,000).
Year-to-date, Hindi film “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” dominates with ₹1,275 Cr (US$13.6 million), nearly triple the second-place finisher. Among April releases, “Bhooth Bangla” ranks fourth overall for the year.
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