Mid-Budget Bollywood Films Face Extinction: A Crisis Unfolds

• Mid-budget Bollywood films, once the backbone of storytelling, are now struggling to survive, with writers Siddharth-Garima declaring them "dead."
• The market is split into extremes: blockbuster spectacles like Dhurandhar: The Revenge and Border 2 dominate, while smaller films occasionally succeed, leaving the middle hollow.
• Films like O Romeo and Mardaani 3, despite decent collections (₹60–90 crore), highlight the narrow margin for profitability due to inflated costs, especially star fees.
• OTT platforms, once a safety net, are now selective, favoring star-driven or high-concept content, leaving mid-budget films without a reliable recovery option.
• Audiences demand either grand scale or strong substance, rejecting 'safe' or mediocre comfort viewing, and limited screen availability further squeezes mid-budget releases.