Dharma Productions has been Bollywood’s comfort zone, undoubtedly, for years now—big emotions, bigger sets, and a chronology that rarely failed. But lately, the magic seems uneven. Karan Johar’s banner, known for its fairytale romances and family dramas, is now witnessing a downward graph at the box office due to changes in audience tastes.
Sure, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani reminded everyone why Dharma rules the world of love stories. It was grand, emotional, and a classic one. Even Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari recently (kind of) clicked for the same reason — but made it out as an average one.
But outside the comfort zone, the ground looks shaky. Yodha, Mr. and Mrs. Mahi, and Jigra tried to mix genres and push boundaries, but none could hold the audience. Dhadak 2 did not work, and Homebound vanished before anyone noticed, but Dhadak 2 and Homebound never deserved that sort of fate, though. And even the ambitious Kesari Chapter 2 barely scraped through.
There were glimmers of change — Kill proved that smaller, tighter films with fresh faces can still pack a punch. However, Kill still did not work at the box office.
The box office is now evolving. Given that the Dharma banner is built on love and emotion, it now stands at a dilemmatic crossroads of reinvention and the need to decipher what people want. And whichever path it takes next might define its next decade.
