‘Dhurandhar 2’ Drives India’s Record First-Half 2026 Box Office

India’s local box office closed the first six months of 2026 at INR6,398 crore ($664.7 million), the highest-grossing first half of any year since the pandemic, according to a new report from Ormax Media.

The figure, which does not include global collections, surpasses the same period in 2025 by nearly INR650 crore ($67.5 million).

“Dhurandhar: The Revenge” was the standout performer of the period, contributing approximately 20% of the total India box office for the first half of the year – a concentration that points to a widening gap between tentpole releases and the rest of the market. Six films crossed the INR200 crore ($20.8 million) mark in H1 2026, up from four during the equivalent stretch last year, yet the number of films reaching the INR100 crore ($10.4 million) threshold dropped from 17 to 13. The top 15 films collectively claimed 58% of box office receipts, compared with 49% in H1 2025.

The period also reversed a troubling footfall trend. Admissions rose 5% year-on-year, climbing from 362 million in H1 2025 to 378 million in H1 2026 – ending three consecutive years of decline and stagnation. The report attributes the recovery primarily to the performance of Hindi and Marathi-language releases. Footfalls nonetheless remain below the 400 million mark set in H1 2022, when “K.G.F: Chapter 2” and “RRR” both opened in the first half of that year.

Hindi-language cinema’s share of the overall local gross grew by five percentage points, reaching 44% against 39% in H1 2025. Tamil-language films saw the sharpest slide, with their share falling from 17% to 12% over the same comparison window. Marathi-language cinema posted its highest post-pandemic share at 4%.

June 2026 held steady on its own, grossing INR1,038 crore ($107.8 million) including projected future collections from releases still in theaters. Telugu film “Peddi” was the month’s top earner. Four of the year’s six months have now cleared the INR1,000 crore mark, a sign of more consistent output across the calendar than in recent years.

Based on the historical pattern in which the January–June window has contributed around 42% of India’s annual box office total over the past three years, 2026 is on course to surpass INR15,000 crore ($1.56 billion) for the full year – which would eclipse the current annual record of INR13,395 crore ($1.39 billion) set in 2025. Films still to release in the second half include “Ramayana: Part 1,” “King,” “Toxic,” “Fauzi,” “Jailer 2,” “Avengers: Doomsday,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” and “The Odyssey.”

If the second half delivers on that slate, total 2026 admissions could cross 1 billion – a threshold not yet cleared since the pandemic.

TOP 15 FILMS – JAN-JUN 2026