Box office report card 2019: full of surprises!

If there was one word to sum up 2019, it would be: unexpected! Right from a small film like Uri: The Surgical Strike emerging as a big hit and garnering National Awards, to small budget films such as Article 15, Badla and Luka Chuppi giving their big-budget counterparts a run for their money — it was all hits barring the sprinkling of a few disappointments.

STAR POWER

A-listers such as Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar and Shahid Kapoor got their career’s highestgrossing films this year. Hrithik set the box office on fire with two hits — Super 30, and War opposite Tiger Shroff, while Shahid broke through, playing the angry young man in Kabir Singh. Akshay emerged as the true ‘khiladi’, with hits such as Kesari, Mission Mangal and Housefull 4. His latest release, Good Newwz, too, is off to a great start. Salman Khan’s Bharat made its presence felt, and his Dabangg 3, still running in theatres, has crossed ₹100 crore.

CONTENT IS KING

Gully Boy (₹140.25 crore) starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, proved that the subject could be as niche as the underground rapping scene in Mumbai, but if made well, it will attract audiences. While

Ayushmann Khurrana’s Article 15 (₹65.45 crore), was based on the caste system, his Bala was about premature balding. Dream Girl (₹142.26 crore) saw him imitating a girl’s voice for an adult hotline. And it all worked. Chhichhore (₹153.09 crore), a college drama with Sushant Singh Rajput and Shraddha Kapoor, also worked.

Anubhav Sinha, who directed Article 15, says, “I truly believe Indian audiences have always been receptive towards social issues. There have been multiple instances of such films hitting it home in the past, but the volume definitely has increased this year.”

The Tashkent Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, was the sleeper hit of the year as it was made on a meagre budget of ₹4 crores. Aditya Dhar, who made his directorial debut with Uri, says, “The film was a tribute to the Indian Army. We knew we had made a small film with a big heart, on a shoestring budget. There was a certain risk, as no war film had worked in the last 15-20 years.”

WOMEN POWER

Strong women characters were in abundance this year. While Sonakshi Sinha ran a sex clinic in Khandaani Shafakhana, Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar smashed stereotypes in Saand Ki Aankh. Shraddha, who apart from Chhichhore, also scored a hit with the Hindi version of Saaho, says, “Both the films were so different from each other but received equal an amount of love from the audience. Working on different genres of films is what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Mission Mangal had a lead cast of actors Vidya Balan and Taapsee, and Rani Mukerji played a headstrong cop in Mardaani 2. Kangana Ranaut, too, pulled off the role of Rani Lakshmi Bai in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi.

TO SUM IT UP

Trade expert Taran Adarsh says, “I’ve always said box office can be unpredictable. That’s the beauty of it. This year saw a lot of surprises. And a lot of times, people don’t expect such numbers from these films, yet they worked. Also, not just stars, but the combination of content and stars worked. Badla, Luka Chuppi, Pati Patni Aur Woh are few examples of that. It’s been a very good year.”