The beginning of 2024 was a bit sluggish for Indian films in terms of box office earnings. Although major successes like Kalki 2898 AD and Pushpa 2 The Rule crossed the ₹1000-crore milestone, some much-anticipated movies like Kanguva and Indian 2 fell flat with viewers. On the bright side, the horror genre kept things lively, delivering hit after hit from Shaitaan to Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, dominating the box office in the process.

Bramayugam

Mammootty's latest film, Bramayugam, really kicked off the horror scene in February with its unique blend of period folk horror and thriller vibes. Directed by Rahul Sadasivan and featuring a talented cast including Mammootty, Arjun Ashokan, and Sidharth Bharathan, the movie dives deep into the sacred mysteries, myths, and folklore of Kerala. Even though it was shot in black-and-white, it still managed to grab the audience's attention.

The movie kicked off to great reviews from both critics and viewers, quickly turning into a box office hit. With a budget of ₹30 crore, it raked in ₹58.2 crore, making it one of the top-grossing Malayalam films of 2024.

Shaitaan

Ajay Devgn, Jyotika, and R Madhavan's Shaitaan kept the winning momentum going. Released in March, this film marked Jyotika's return to Bollywood. R Madhavan took on the role of the villain and really grabbed everyone's attention. Directed by Vikas Bahl, this supernatural horror thriller is based on the 2023 Gujarati film Vash.

A family gets into a tough spot when their daughter becomes enchanted by some black magic from a mysterious stranger. They embark on a mission to break the spell and figure out what the stranger is up to. The movie kicked off well, raking in ₹14.75 crore on its opening day. Thanks to some great buzz, the box office numbers climbed, and in the end, the film grossed a whopping ₹213 crore globally.

Munjya

This was followed by another small-budget horror film that surprised the audience with its content and box office collection. Munjya was the film with no major star power but still managed to breach the ₹100-crore mark. The most interesting part about the movie was that the titular character was entirely created using CGI.

Made by Amar Kaushik and Dinesh Vijan through Maddock Films, this flick is the third chapter in the Maddock Supernatural Universe, diving into the tale of Munjya, which draws from Indian folklore and mythology. Featuring actors like Sharvari, Abhay Verma, Sathyaraj, and Mona Singh, the movie quietly hit theaters but ended up being a surprise success. It raked in ₹125 crore on a budget of just ₹30 crore. Plus, the songs "Tainu Khabar Nahi" and "Taras" turned out to be major hits.

Stree 2

The much-awaited movie that took 2024 by storm is officially the highest-grossing Bollywood film of the year. Breaking multiple records and delivering both laughs and chills, Stree 2 has become a fan favorite. This fourth chapter in the Maddock Supernatural Universe and a sequel to the 2018 sensation Stree has captured hearts all over again.

Featuring Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Aparshakti Khurana, the film follows a group of friends on a mission to take down Sarkata, a sinister headless spirit that’s been kidnapping the women of Chanderi.

Stree 2 hit the ₹200-crore mark in just four days, making it the quickest film in the horror-comedy category to do so. The movie got such great reviews that its earnings on the second day outpaced those of Jawan, Animal, Gadar 2, and even Baahubali 2 The Conclusion. Overall, the horror-comedy raked in a whopping ₹857 crore globally at the box office.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

The horror genre kept thriving in India, and Diwali brought an unexpected treat for film fans. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, featuring Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, and Madhuri Dixit, had audiences hooked. Even with the competition from Rohit Shetty’s star-studded Singham Again, the film turned out to be a huge hit at the box office.

Kartik Aaryan's latest film has turned out to be the biggest opening of his career so far, giving Singham Again a run for its money and even surpassing its total earnings with an impressive box office performance. The movie raked in ₹389 crore, making it the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2024.

Aranmanai 4

Tamannaah Bhatia and Raashii Khanna star in a horror comedy directed and written by Sundar C, which has really made waves in the horror genre. The film raked in impressive box office numbers, landing it a spot among the top-grossing Tamil films of 2024.

The film raked in ₹98 crore globally at the box office, as reported by Sacnilk, surpassing Suriya’s Kanguva and Vikram’s Thangalaan to claim the title of the seventh highest-grossing Tamil film of 2024. It was met with a ton of love from fans.

Tumbbad

This year, Indian cinema also jumped on the bandwagon of re-releasing classic films. Flicks like Veer Zara, Kal Ho Naa Ho, and Gangs of Wasseypur hit the theaters again, but one film really stood out. The folk horror movie Tumbbad, directed by Rahi Anil Barve, came back to theaters in September and turned its original flop status into a hit in just a week.

The movie raked in ₹12.65 crore during its initial release. But when it hit theaters again, it drew in crowds and made its entire lifetime earnings in just a week. It outperformed all other re-releases at the box office, even surpassing the ₹50-crore mark with a total of ₹52.25 crore globally.

If we look at the total worldwide earnings of all Indian horror films released in 2024, it comes to ₹1740 crore (not counting Tumbbad’s earnings). That’s even more than what Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 The Rule has made so far, or what Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, and Amitabh Bachchan’s Kalki 2898 AD has pulled in (₹1042 crore).

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