India's cinema box office recorded its strongest first half of any year since the pandemic, taking INR6,398 crore ($664.7 million) between January and June 2026, according to Ormax Media. The result, up nearly INR650 crore on the same period in 2025, was driven heavily by the Hindi-language action sequel "Dhurandhar: The Revenge", which alone accounted for roughly a fifth of the total, underlining a growing divide between blockbuster tentpoles and mid-sized releases.

Six films crossed the INR200 crore mark, up from four a year earlier, yet fewer films reached the INR100 crore threshold, and the top 15 titles took 58% of receipts compared with 49% previously. Cinema admissions rose 5% to 378 million, ending three years of decline, though still short of the 400 million recorded in 2022. Hindi cinema's market share grew to 44% while Tamil films slipped to 12%, and if current trends hold, 2026 is projected to surpass INR15,000 crore for the full year, beating 2025's record, with major releases including "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" still to come.