Mumbai, April 1 -- Film financing in India continues to remain structurally challenging, with film financiers entering projects at the earliest and riskiest stages while returns are realised much later and with significant uncertainty. Industry observers note that film financing looks more attractive on paper than in practice and in recent times the underlying risk-reward imbalance for financiers has only intensified.

India's media and entertainment industry crossed Rs 2.5 trillion in 2024. However, film revenues declined by 5 percent to Rs 187 billion even as more than 1,600 films were released during the year. Performance concentration also became more visible, with only a limited number of films achieving substantial box office succes...