Indian films will outstrip Australian independent films by a third at the Australian box office from 2021 onwards, according to an analysis of the Indian independent film market. Exhibition consultant Nick Hayes.
According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Numero, 1,013 Indian films released since 2021 have grossed a total of US$101.7 million (A$155.4 million), while 341 Australian films have grossed US$69.2 million (A$157 million).
Mr Hayes, who previously worked for Australian distributor Icon and Umbrella, believes Australia is the first major English-language market where local films are losing out to foreign-language films from other countries.
2022 Indian films lead the way as the highest-grossing Indian films in Australia during this period pattern, This cost US$3.4 million (A$5.1 million), followed by 2022. RRR US$3.2 million (AU$4.9 million) and 2023‘s Jawan US$3.3 million (A$4.8 million).
Other movies include Leo, Gadal 2, KGF 2, Animal MindKalki 2898AD, Vikram, Pushpa: The Rise.
The 10 highest-grossing Indian films combined for US$25.7 million (A$39 million) and accounted for 69% of Indian-language box office receipts in Australia. Steady supply from distributors such as Mind Blowing Films, Southern Star and Forum Films has fueled the growth of Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films in India.
According to Hayes analysis, Australia’s independent market is led by the US, with 432 independent films grossing $186.9 million (A$285.55) over five years. Independent films in the US and India accounted for 17.5 million and 9.2 million admissions, respectively, over the five-year period.
Hayes’ figures do not include films released by Universal, a US distributor operating in Australia that also distributes films by Disney, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros. This figure therefore excludes a small number of independent acquisitions and Australian-made films backed by US studios. Elvis and rage.
Mr Hayes said the surge in Indian film revenues was largely due to large exhibition chains targeting Indian diaspora audiences, with a long-standing steady supply of titles, many through Australia’s leading Indian film distributor Mind Blowing Films.
“It’s a big underserved foreign language market[for Indian films]and there’s already a huge diaspora in the country,” Hayes said. “The Philippines and Vietnam are by far the most affected countries, followed by Indonesia and Nepal.”
“More language on screen is not cultural tokenism,” Hayes added. “This is a growth strategy.”
(Tag Translation)Australia
