India, Dec. 31 -- The year 2025 arrived in style for Hindi cinema. After a quiet January, February saw the hit Chhava with actors Akshaye Khanna and Vicky Kaushal, while the year ends on a high with director Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar, grossing over Rs.1,000 crore. For Chhaava's director Laxman Utekar, more people getting to know the story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was a bigger success. He also emphasises on catering to the Tier 2 and 3 cities as well, when setting out to make films, as proved by the success of not just Chhava, but Mahavatar Narsimha and Saiyaara too. All these films' craze wasn't restricted to only metro cities and multiplexes. "That's the audience which makes films a hit. Ek baar jab woh audience theatre mein aati hai, trucks, tractors aur buses mein bhar ke, that film becomes unstoppable," he says. In 2025, tried-and-tested franchises struggled at the BO. Dhadak 2, Chhorii 2, Metro In Dino, Son of Sardaar 2, Baaghi 4, and War 2 underperformed. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh notes, "Content holds the key. Just because the first worked, doesn't mean you can make anything." Jolly LLB 3 emerged as a successful franchise film with its unconventional approach, making the viewing experience fresh. Devang Sampat, Managing Director, Cinepolis India says, "It's been like every year: some hits, some flops. Overall, we need to see the number of people we served, versus 2024: 4 crores! That's a fabulous achievement. People came back in large numbers after the pandemic years, and hence it's been a positive year."...