Ten years ago, if you told me I would be able to watch my favourite anime shows, such as One Piece and Cowboy Bebop, on the big screen in Indian cinemas, I would have exclaimed: ‘baka, you delusional or what?’
Fast forward to September 2025, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle has emerged as the highest-grossing Japanese anime film in India in theatres.
Yesterday, I watched this movie (Japanese version, of course) on a normal multiplex screen for the first time. And I loved it even more, despite witnessing the might of Tanjiro and ‘Supreme Lord of Thunder’ Zenitsu on the IMAX on opening day.
As Infinity Castle nears its two-week mark, the movie has netted close to staggering Rs 65 crore in the country.
The latest Demon Slayer film has more or less verified the pent-up demand for high-quality anime screenings.
The anime subculture in India has been growing on the fringe, beyond the realm of mainstream comic book fandom, which transitioned to movie adaptations of Marvel and DC superheroes over the past decade.
The success of the MCU is a testament to this wave. But the stepmotherly treatment of non-live-action ‘animated’ content—often dismissed as just for kids—meant that anime was often dismissed as not mainstream.
But here we are. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle opened on September 12, 2025, to record anime milestones in India.
The opening weekend alone saw it net Rs 39.8 crore: Rs 12.85 crore on Day 1, Rs 13.10 crore on Day 2, and Rs 13.85 crore on Day 3.
By the end of Week 1, box office net collections stood at ₹53.1 crore.
Now, closing in on the Rs 65 crore mark after Day 13, it is interesting to note that more than half of its box office bag came from the original Japanese version with English subtitles (aka Sub).
Interesting, not surprising though. Because, Sub > Dub.
The Hindi dub earned a little over 10.60 crore while the English dub netted Rs 9.50 crore.
The film has already grossed close to $560 million worldwide—that’s around Rs 5,000 crore. It is already the highest-grossing film of 2025 in Japan and the highest-grossing Japanese film worldwide.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle also created a new standard for showcasing anime in India.
Multilingual localisation
Simultaneous releases in Japanese, Hindi, English, Telugu, and Tamil expanded reach across India’s linguistic markets. Strong dubbing partnerships with regional studios more or less guaranteed emotional resonance in South India and Hindi Belt territories—these are usually lost in translation.
Weekend box-office momentum
Despite weekday dips, weekend visits rebounded (especially on Days 9–10), driven by positive word-of-mouth among families and anime communities. Social media buzz and fan screenings sustained ticket sales over two weekends.
Screen allocation
With Sony and Crunchyroll headlining distribution, multiplex chains like PVR-Inox prioritised evening and night shows—peak slots for anime viewership—resulting in higher occupancy during prime timings.
Cinepolis IMAX and PVR [PxL] had some well-timed shows in Kochi, where I saw the film.
‘Thunderclap and Flash’—a visual spectacle
Haruo Sotozaki’s acclaimed direction, coupled with high-octane fight sequences and acclaimed voice talent, gave us one of the best movies of the year.
For me, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle was the clear winner of September film releases in India, even as it wrestled with the might of the excellent Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra.
