December 2025 turns into biggest box office war with multiple releases across 4 weeks
At one point Diwali was considered to be the most lucrative period of movie business, it was said that during this period people are more willing to spend money. But over the years, the landscape shifted and December became the industry’s most valuable month, thanks to long holidays, extended weekends, Christmas–New Year celebrations, and a nationwide vacation mood. Talking about how the mood shifted from Diwali to Christmas exhibitor Akkshay Rathie says, “ December is the festive season between Diwali to December is a time when a lot of people want to go out, they want to, take it easy and be with their family, go for vacations etc and that’s where every sector right from travel and tourism to theatres, to restaurants, hospitality, all do really well and same is the case with the entertainment sector”.Rathie also opens up about how we as an industry haven’t been able to deliver a good Diwali release for a while, he says , “ Diwali is still one of the most exciting periods. The only thing that has happened is that we haven’t been able to deliver the kind of movies that Diwali deserves. Last year, if you look at it between Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again the day after Diwali the collection was 80 odd crores in a single day between the two films. So the period is still fantastic, what’s gone missing is the kind of festive celebratory releases”.Trade Analyst Taran Adarsh also concurs with Rathie and says , “Christmas and New Year are major vacation periods- not just in India, but across the world. People everywhere are in a celebratory mood. In India too, both events are widely enjoyed. It’s a long holiday window and movies tend to do exceptionally well during this period.The festive momentum starts around December 24th and continues right through to January 2nd, giving films a solid extended run. This is not to say that films which release in the start of December do well, in 2023 both Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal and Vicky Kaushal’s Sam Bahadur – both performed well.” This year the month has become a battlefield for films across the country as they try to gain as many eye balls as possible. December 5: Dhurandar, Lockdown, Akhanda 2 and Kalam Kaval The month opens with a bang with no less than 4 films releasing on the same day and all have the ability to conquer their respective territories. Dhurandar, directed by Aditya Dhar, stars Ranveer Singh, backed by a powerful supporting cast featuring R. Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal. The film’s trailer along with its music has generated a lot of buzz and it turned out to be one of the most anticipated films of December. The advance booking for the film has already begun and it has already crossed Rs 2 crore mark, with 4 more days to its release the film is expected to reach at least Rs 20 crore mark. Releasing alongside it is Akhanda 2, the highly awaited sequel to Nandamuri Balakrishna’s blockbuster Akhanda. Known for its over-the-top action and massive fan following in the Telugu belt, Akhanda 2 is expected to draw huge crowds in South India and contribute strongly to December’s overall box office chaos. With its spiritual-action tone and Balayya’s cult appeal, the film adds serious heat to an already crowded day. Clashing with Akhanda 2 in the Telugu belt is Anupama Parmeswaran’s Lockdown, the film focuses on how the 21 days of the COVID lockdown shook the world and turned a woman’s life upside down. Also releasing on the same day in the south market in Mammootty’s Kalam Kaval, a crime thriller about a police investigation in a village of Kottaukonam. It will be the Malayalam legend’s first film after his health recovery a few weeks ago. December 12: Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2After tasting success with his television series, Kapil Sharma is finally going to be back on the big screen with the sequel of his debut film Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon. This time he has Hira Warina, Tridha Chaudhary, Parul Gulati and Ayesha Khan for company. The film has all the beats once expects for Kapil Sharma and his brand of comedy. The film has been backed by Abbas- Mustan and is directed by Anukalp Goswami. December 18/ December 19 : Love Insurance Kompany and Avatar: Fire and Ash Just a day before the global titan Avatar lands, Pradeep Ranganathan’s Love Insurance Kompany releases on December 18. A science fiction romantic comedy film written and directed by Vignesh Shivan.James Cameron returns with Avatar: Fire and Ash. With the previous installment earning Rs 390 crore in India, expectations are enormous. The release date right before Christmas is designed to capture holiday footfalls and deliver massive numbers across formats, especially in IMAX and 3D.December 25: The Four Way Clash : Anaconda, Ikkis, Champion and Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu MeriChristmas Day brings a rare four way clash, Anaconda, starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd, a Hollywood creature-reboot film Anaconda has been one of the most loved franchises across the globe which began in 1997. The series has had 5 films in the series and the latest one serves as the sixth. The film revolves around Doug (Jack Black) and Griff (Paul Rudd) who travel to the Amazon to film an amateur remake of the 1997 Anaconda. Their project unravels when a real giant anaconda emerges.Ikkis, starring Agastya Nanda, Jaideep Ahlawat and recently deceased Dharmendra. The film is based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal , India’s youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. The film tells the story of his heroic actions during the 1971 Indo-Pak war in the Battle of Basantar. Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri starring Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday directed by Sameer Vidwans. Initially aiming for December 31st, the film moved to the 25 after Alia Bhatt’s Alpha got postponed. The film is a rom-com . Champion starring Roshann Meka is set in the pre-independence era , the film is a journey of an expiring footballer who wants to move to London but gets involved in an unexpected round of fate.Talking about the four way clash on Christmas, Adarsh says , “ Both Animal and Sam Bahadur worked so if films are good- the clash will not matter.” A December Like Never BeforeWhat makes December 2025 extraordinary isn’t just the number of films — it’s the range. From mass action (Dhurandar, Akhanda 2), youthful romance (, Love Insurance Kompany and Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri ), giant Hollywood spectacles (Avatar, Anaconda), and intense dramas (Ikkis, Champion, Lockdown) every genre has a stake in the game. Rathie says , “ I wish for months like December to happen a lot more often, in terms of purely the mix of content” .
