Laapata Ladies to Stree 3: Offbeat movies that ruled box office

As the year draws to a close, a recap of the Indian cinema box office reveals only a limited number of blockbusters across various languages. The success of these films underscores the importance of fresh content and diverse themes in attracting audiences to theatres, rather than relying solely on multi-crore extravaganzas or star power. Here is a curated list of five unconventional box-office winners from different languages that achieved remarkable success in 2024.

Alongside its star-studded lineup, the film’s huge success was shaped by the innovative cinematic experience it delivered. The futuristic dystopian narrative set 6,000 years after the Kurukshetra War and inspired by the Mahabharata, and the imaginative portrayal of characters resembling Krishna, Arjuna, Ashwatthama, and Karna, combined with an innovative storyline and visually striking settings, added to its appeal. Produced by C Aswani Dutt, the film has reportedly grossed between Rs 1,054 crore – Rs 1,200 crore worldwide.

Starring Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana in lead roles, the story picks up years after the events of the first film. Chanderi town is now threatened by Sarkata, a headless ghost who abducts women at night. The film masterfully mixes horror and comedy, offering a captivating experience for fans across genres. Jishnu Bhattacharjee’s cinematography and Justin Varghese’s background score beautifully captured the essence of ‘Stree 2,’ written by Niren Bhatt.

Another major highlight of the film is the cameo by Amitabh Bachchan, who plays Prabhudas. Written and directed by Parth Trivedi and Jay Bodas, and produced by Anand Pandit and Vaishal Shah, the film also stars Mitra Gadhavi, Esha Kansara, and Aarti Patel in prominent roles.

The third instalment, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3,’ released in 2024, further solidified the franchise’s popularity, grossing Rs 828.4 crore at the box office. Directed by Anees Bazmee and written by Aakash Kaushik, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ stars Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri. Madhuri Dixit as Anjulika, Kartik Aaryan as Ruhan ‘Rooh Baba’ Randhawa, and Vidya Balan as Manjulika delivered captivating performances. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Murad Khetani.

The film tells the story of two newlywed brides, one misplaced and the other landing in the wrong household, while exploring themes of love, independence and agency. The performances of Nitanshi Goel as Phool Kumari and Pratibha Ranta as Jaya stand out, with both actresses portraying women with contrasting personalities who navigate a common crisis in different ways. The movie is produced by Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan and Jyoti Deshpande.