For the longest time, Bollywood has worshipped at the altar of high-octane action. Flying kicks, gravity-defying stunts, cars flipping mid-air — all packaged neatly with superstar swagger. But the tide, it seems, is turning in 2025. Recent box office results hint at a shift in what audiences are willing to spend their money on, and it might just spell trouble for the larger-than-life action films in India.

Big stars, big action, not so big results

Take two recent high-octane action films, War 2 and Baaghi 4. On paper, they had everything: bankable stars, blockbuster budgets, and the promise of action sequences dialled up to hundred. Yet, both stumbled at the box office. Once considered foolproof formulas, these action spectacles suddenly looked tired, predictable, and, dare we say, excessive. It’s not that audiences don’t enjoy action anymore, but perhaps the novelty of watching heroes crush 20 villains in a single frame has worn thin. But if that’s the case, what is the audience actually preferring in 2025?

Just the other end of the spectrum, if we can say that. Soft, slow, hard-hitting stories that strike close to home. Films like Saiyaara and the recently released Telugu gem Little Hearts have done quite well at the box office. Both these movies are made without megastars or massive budgets, yet they are quietly raking in both box office numbers and critical appreciation. They’re telling stories of intimacy, vulnerability, and human connection — the very things that action films are usually missing.

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What does the audience really want?

This isn’t to say action films are finished. Far from it. But today’s viewer, spoiled by the variety of content on OTT platforms, seems to be craving more depth and emotional resonance in cinema halls too. They want stories that linger long after the credits roll, not just adrenaline rushes that fade once the popcorn tub is empty. Smaller films, with their focus on narrative and character, are stepping in to fill that space. As a result, they are winning the audience and the box office.

However, the shift that we are witnessing today isn’t one of its kind. Cinema has always evolved with its audience. In the ’90s, melodrama reigned supreme. In the 2000s, glamour and NRI fantasies took over. The 2010s were all about larger-than-life action and masala blockbusters. But as War 2 and Baaghi 4 falter while Saiyaara and Little Hearts flourish, it feels as though we’re stepping into a new phase — one where subtlety is prized over spectacle, and a well-told story can topple a star-studded juggernaut.

Does this mean action films are doomed in India? Not really. But the industry may have to recalibrate. Audiences are no longer dazzled by scale alone; they’re demanding freshness, emotion, and authenticity. The future might belong not to one genre over another, but to films that strike the right balance between spectacle and soul. After all, cinema is a mirror to society, and right now, it seems people are looking less for heroes who can leap off skyscrapers and more for stories that leap straight into their hearts.

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