For decades, Diwali has meant two things for India: family gatherings and first-day-first-shows. The festive week, often associated with lights, sweets, and grandeur, has also been the box office's most coveted window. A big Diwali release is an event, a moment of collective celebration. From 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' to 'Krrish 3' and 'Golmaal Again', this festival has delivered blockbusters that defined the Bollywood box office.

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But as the 2025 Diwali season unfolds, the landscape looks evidently different. The three Hindi films leading the charge -- 'Thamma', 'Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat', and 'Mahayoddha Rama' -- are joined by Tamil, Telugu, and smaller southern releases ('Dude', 'Bison: Kaalamaadan', 'Diesel', 'Telusu Kada', and 'K-Ramp'). And yet, something is missing: no single tentpole South release, no pan-India spectacle.

So, what does Diwali mean for the film industry now? Is it still the goldmine it used to be, or is the festival window slowly losing its traditional significance?

The Bollywood line-up: Between risk and reinvention

The Hindi film slate this year spans genres as diverse as the audiences it aims to please. There's 'Thamma', Maddock Films' horror-comedy headlined by Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui; 'Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat', Milap Zaveri's romantic drama starring Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa; and 'Mahayoddha Rama', an animat