New Delhi, Sept. 7 -- A combination of high-profile star films and small-scale sleeper hits is aiding an unexpected revival for cinema in small towns, with experts estimating overall theatrical earnings will improve by 15-20% this year as compared to 2025.

While the success of action franchise Dhurandhar is well known, studio executives and theatre owners are more buoyed by other surprise hits-devotional drama Hanuman Ansh made on a shoestring budget of Rs.2 crore last reported earnings of over Rs.124 crore. Other than that, Mirzapur-The Movie is seeing traction in markets like Uttar Pradesh, east Punjab and Bihar, having crossed Rs.90 crore over the weekend.

Before that, Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 ( Rs.145.78 crore), comedies such as D...