New Delhi, Aug. 6 -- After years of battling allegations of alienating family audiences with experimental, slice-of-life storytelling that largely appealed to urban, upmarket viewers, Bollywood may finally have learnt its lesson.

Recent releases such as Dhamaal 4 ( Rs.158.62 crore) and Welcome To The Jungle ( Rs.130.75 crore) are rooted in old-school comedy and, according to trade experts, have helped bring family audiences back to cinemas after their slower post-pandemic return.

Regional cinema has seen a similar trend. Films such as Sankranthiki Vasthunam (Telugu), Good Bad Ugly (Tamil), Thudarum (Malayalam) and Fakt Mahilao Maate (Gujarati) have resonated with family audiences, proving that stories with universal themes, emotional st...