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Dubbed movies are ruling, remakes are a hit! How do I get viewers to watch original movies?

According to a new survey by Media and Entertainment Research and Consulting Source, Ormax Media, the business of Hindi original films in India is being boosted

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Dubbed movies are ruling, remakes are a hit! How do I get viewers to watch original movies
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By Sharad Rai

According to a new survey by Media and Entertainment Research and Consulting Source, Ormax Media, the business of Hindi original films in India is being boosted by the rising share of dubbed movies at the box office. In 2024, due to dubbed films, the box office saw a 31.2% growth, compared to just 6% in 2023. In other words, dubbed films have led to a fivefold increase in the cinema market.

The Rise of South Indian Films and Hindi Remakes

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Cinema is a world full of wonders. A few years ago, audiences were reluctant to watch dubbed movies in theaters. South Indian films, like Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, would be dubbed into Hindi and shown during matinee shows, attracting only a handful of viewers. Alternatively, people watched these films at home on video players in their dubbed versions. However, as South Indian films gained international publicity, Bollywood producers began purchasing the rights to remake these hit films. Several South Indian remakes, featuring big stars like Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, were made in Hindi. Some were successful, while others failed to replicate the magic that the original South Indian versions had created. Movies like Singham and Wanted were exceptions, becoming massive hits across both Southern and Northern India.

But then, remakes began to lose their charm. One of the reasons for this decline is the rise of dubbed films. Before a remake even hits theaters, dubbed versions of the original South Indian films are already being released across India. As a result, dubbed films have begun to disrupt the remake market. For example, Varun Dhawan’s film Bebey John, which was a remake of the South Indian film Theri, couldn’t attract audiences because they had already watched the dubbed version of Theri in theaters before the remake even got a chance to release.

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Dubbed Films and OTT: Changing the Movie Industry Game

Dubbed films haven’t only affected the remake market—they’re also impacting original films that are released in theaters. Nowadays, every original film, particularly those set to release in 2024 and 2025, gets “gas” (leaked) before its official release. Now, audiences have more options. On OTT platforms, viewers can easily access films in any language and choose their preferred language for subtitles. This wasn’t the case with Hindi films, which often have English subtitles when presented at film festivals. In that sense, South Indian films are already being made with an "optional" language format, such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

In Bollywood, 2023 was a year when only Hindi films were in demand, and the graph for dubbed films had dropped. During this time, films like Gadar 2, Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki were massive successes. However, before and after this phase, South Indian films dominated the Pan-India market. Films like Pushpa: The Beginning, KGF, and RRR created a storm in 2022. Even Animal, a Hindi film, was heavily influenced by the South Indian style.

In 2024, dubbed films continue to reign supreme. Films like Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898, Devara Part 2, Hanuman, Marco, The G.O.A.T., Kanguva, Hindustani 2, Vettaiyan the Hunter, and Amaran have been well-received by Hindi-speaking audiences. Pushpa 2 has maintained a stronghold and set a record with a 1403 crore box office collection. Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898, and Stree 2 are expected to cross the 500 crore mark, while Devara Part 1, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, and GOAT have already grossed 300 crore. The reign of these films continues to dominate the box office in 2024.


The conclusion is that just as dubbed films have established their dominance, by the Silver Year of 2025, all films seem to fall under the same label. Now, audiences must choose whether to watch a dubbed film, a remake, or an original film. There’s no hesitation in going to watch a dubbed film anymore. No matter what language the film is in, if it’s good, everyone wants to watch it. On the other hand, if a film is poorly made, no one, not even for free, prefers to watch an original film in theaters, let alone at home on TV. Well-crafted dubbed films have sent a strong message to Bollywood filmmakers—adapt to the changing times. In other words, today, it’s dubbed films that are ruling the screens.

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