Highest Grossing Bollywood Films

Since this list is not adjusted for inflation, it tends to favour films in more recent years with nearly eighty percent of the films in the top 30 being released after 2010. Figures are given in Indian rupees. For an inflation-adjusted list Click Here.

List of highest-grossing Bollywood films in India

LAST UPDATED ON: APRIL 15, 2013
 

Rank	Movie	Year	Studio(s)	Net Collections
1	3 Idiots	2009	Vinod Chopra Productions	Rs. 2,02,00,00,000
2	Ek Tha Tiger	2012	Yash Raj Films	Rs. 1,99,30,00,000
3	Dabangg 2	2012	Arbaaz Khan Productions	Rs. 1,50,83,00,000
4	Bodyguard	2011	Reliance Entertainment/ Reel Life Production	Rs. 1,47,99,00,000
5	Dabangg	2010	Arbaaz Khan Productions/ Shree Ashtavinayak	Rs. 1,47,00,00,000
6	Rowdy Rathore	2012	UTV Motion Pictures	Rs. 1,32,99,00,000
7	Ready	2011	Sohail Khan Productions/ T-Series/Rawail Grandsons     Entertainment	Rs. 1,30,00,00,000
8	Agneepath	2012	Dharma Productions	Rs. 122,61,00,000
9	Jab Tak Hai Jaan	2012	Yash Raj Films	Rs. 1,21,60,00,000
10	Ghajini	2008	Geetha Arts	Rs. 1,17,48,22,756
11	Ra.One	2011	Eros International Ltd./ Red Chillies Entertainment	Rs. 1,14,71,00,000
12	Housefull 2	2012	Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment	Rs. 1,09,10,00,000
13	Don 2	2011	Excel Entertainment/ Red Chillies Entertainment	Rs. 1,08,29,00,000
14	Barfi!	2012	Ishana Movies	Rs. 1,06,14,00,000
15	Son Of Sardaar	2012	Ajay Devgan Films/ YRV Infra Media	Rs. 105,74,00,000
16	Golmaal 3	2010	Shree Ashtavinayak	Rs. 1,03,50,00,000
17	Singham	2011	Reliance Entertainment	Rs. 1,00,47,00,000
18	Bol Bachchan	2012	Fox Star Studios	Rs. 1,00,36,00,000
19	Race 2*	2013	Illuminati Films/ Tips Films	Rs. 96,34,00,000
20	Raajneeti	2010	Prakash Jha Productions/ UTV Motion Pictures	Rs. 94,89,66,316
21	Talaash	2012	Excel Entertainment/ Aamir Khan Productions	Rs. 90,75,00,000
22	Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara	2011	Eros International/ Excel Entertainment	Rs. 81,46,05,346
23	OMG - Oh My God!	2012	Viacom 18 Motion Pictures	Rs. 81,46,00,000
24	The Dirty Picture	2011	ALT Entertainment/ Balaji Motion Pictures	Rs. 76,48,00,000
25	Singh is Kinng	2008	Studio 18/ Blockbuster Movie Entertainers	Rs. 75,58,81,177
26	Cocktail	2012	Eros International	Rs. 73,84,00,000
27	Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi	2008	Yash Raj Films	Rs. 73,52,37,848
28	Welcome	2007	Base Industries Group	Rs. 72,23,95,290
29	Raaz 3	2012	Vishesh Films/ Fox Star Studios	Rs. 71,10,00,000
30	Lage Raho Munna Bhai	2006	Vinod Chopra Productions	Rs. 70,00,00,000

*10 Week domestic nett total

© Anant Mathur. All Rights Reserved.

A Lost Cause!

By Anant Mathur (July 15, 2010)

If you want to know how to convince filmgoers that your flop film is a hit there's no better example than Boney Kapoor & Milenge Milenge.

Boney Kapoor is using the media and trying to convince anyone who’s listening, that Milenge Milenge, which will barely make 8 crores at the box office (if it's still running next week), is a hit. The film has cost approximately 14 crores which is funny in itself because it was being said, before its release, that the film cost 30 crores.

The status of a film is determined by its box office performance. Going by the box office performance of Milenge Milenge so far, it’s safe to say the film is a super flop. But Boney Kapoor, who has given us entertaining films (Woh 7 din, Mr. India, Company, No Entry) in the past, is still fighting for this lost cause. Why? Only he knows.

It’s being reported by the media that Boney Kapoor has sold the satellite right of the film for 8.5 crores, the music rights for 2 crores and home video rights for 1.5 crores, etc. etc. So, it appears, the dumb media jumped on the band wagon and started saying the film will make 4 to 5 crores in profits for Boney Kapoor and are ready to declare it a hit.

I just want to add that, if this is how they're measuring success nowadays, then My Name Is Khan, Kites and Raavan are hits too. Because Fox (My Name Is Khan) and Reliance (Kites and Raavan) both made profits when you take satellite, music and home video rights into account.
 

But realistically folks, everyone in the industry knows this is not how the success of a film is measured. It's the box office performance that counts in order for a film to be declared a hit or flop. And in the case of Milenge Milenge there's no hope for the film. It's a super flop no matter what Boney Kapoor's figures say, besides it’s a known fact that figures are manipulated in the industry all the time. We don't even know if Milenge Milenge is doing the kind of business they're saying it’s doing. The truth could also be that it has only made 2 crores in total at the box office and the 8 crores figure is being tossed around just to improve the prospects of the film. It won’t be the first time this has been done and I’m sure it’s not the last.

Until Boney Kapoor shows us how each rupee was spent and exactly how many movie tickets have been sold, one can't help but feel Milenge Milenge is a flop.
 

If I may be so bold as to give Boney Kapoor some advice, I would suggest that he count his losses and forget this film. Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor haven’t had many hits in the last few years and I doubt their box office value will improve unless they both start giving one hit after another.
 
Boney Kapoor has a sweetheart of a girl (Sonam Kapoor) in his own backyard, so instead of worrying about the failure of Milenge Milenge he should make a movie with Sonam (miss hot property right now) and laugh all the way to the bank. Or better still, go the RGV way (who remade James) and remake Milenge Milenge with Sonam Kapoor and Imran Khan and call it Serendipity (Oops! Sorry just slipped out), that has a better chance of being a hit than the current version.

© Anant Mathur. All Rights Reserved.

Box Office Blunder!

By Anant Mathur (July 15, 2010)

There's a new trend in Bollywood. So many big films have flopped in the last two years that producers and distributors are now including the revenue from satellite rights into the earnings of a film to convince people that the film is a hit and not a flop.

The success of a film is measured by how the film performs at the box office. If it's a super hit at the box office, then TV channels will have to shell out more money than if it's flop. Recently, it was reported that the satellite rights of 3 Idiots were bought by Sony for 35 crores. Now for a big hit like that one can understand a TV channel having to shell out so much dough.
 

What bothers me is when UTV says it's sold the satellite rights for I Hate Luv Storys for 10 crores, music for 4 crores and Home Video for 2 crores, prior to the release of the film. TV Channels in India are so desperate for content that they're willing to give a film 10 crores before they even know how it performs at the box office. Wow!

I Hate Luv Storys needs to earn 40-45 crores nett from India for recovery. The First weeks collections of I Hate Luv Storys are 22 Crores and in the second week the film has fallen 80 percent in collection at most places. So there's no way, the film is going to recover its cost at the box office and should be termed a flop. But because the geniuses at UTV have take a new approach to how the success of a film is measure, they will determine that it's a hit because when you add all the revenues it generates (Box Office, Satellite rights, Music Rights, Home Video) it will probably make them a couple of crores in profit. And as we know, in India if a film makes 10 rupees above the cost it's considered a hit.

How they can call I Hate Luv Storys a hit is beyond me. First of all, it's received mixed reactions from the audience and most critics have only given it 3 stars (reviews I'm sure have been paid for by UTV). The excellent promos helped it earn 22 crores in the first week, but the fall in second weeks collections should be evidence enough that the film is no good. In todays times, a hit film lasts at least 7-8 weeks in the multiplexes. It's highly doubtful, I Hate Luv Storys will last that long.

Lasting two week in the multiplex doesn’t mean a film is a hit, even Krantiveer – The Revolution (a super flop) was able to last 2 weeks in theaters. If a trend needs to change in Bollywood, it’s not how collections are calculated, it should be how success is measured, unless a film can last 7-8 weeks in multiplexes it should be considered a flop no matter what the collections are.

The problem with this scenario of including all the films rights is that other than the theatrical revenue all money from other sources goes to the producer. So, in hit or flop terms, a film is a hit if it recovers its cost - meaning the costs the distributor has to pay (film rights+prints+promotion). Now if the revenue from Satellite Rights, Music Rights, etc. is only going to the producer, it's not contributing towards the distributors' costs now is it? Therefore, including all the revenue a film generates doesn't really work since the cost are only covered by theatrical revenue and the film is still a flop. No matter what the filmmakers say unless the film can recover it's cost from theatrical revenue the distributors lose money and the film is a flop. Contrary to what many believe, the producers rarely lose money these days. The way the business is going these days, producers earn a profit before the film is even released. 

My Name is Khan had a budget of 50 crores, but the distributors (Fox) paid Karan Johar (producer) 110 crores before the release of the film. And although the film made over 73 crores at the box office, because the distributor couldn't recover their cost, it's forever labelled a flop. Had Karan Johar sold MNIK for 60 crores the film would've been a hit. So, even though Karan Johar is laughing all the way to the bank, it the film that suffers.

Similarly, Rakesh Roshan (producer) received 100 crores from Reliance (distributor) for Kites which had a budget of 60 Crores, prior to the release of the film. Now, if the distributors are willing to shell out such ridiculous amounts of money for films that haven't seen the light of day. Obviously, when the film flops (Kites collected 42 crores) the distributors will lose big. 

This overpricing by producers needs to stop or else the industry will keep suffering and distributors will lose faith in the producers. 

© Anant Mathur. All Rights Reserved.

Laka Laka - Malayalam Version of Shakira's Waka Waka!

By Anant Mathur (July 5, 2010)

Oh my god. I just saw this, it's hilarious! Check it out.

It's a sad, sad, sad, sad world!

By Anant Mathur (July 02, 2010)
 

I recently came across this bit of news, please visit this link before continuing: Priyadarshan's Prateik starrer shelved

Well, if you didn’t read the item on the above link, the gist of it is that renowned filmmaker Priyadarshan was trying to make a film with Prateik Babbar (Smita Patil and Raj Babbar's son) and some newcomers but no producer wants to back a film with newcomers so it’s been shelved.

I believe the corporate houses and media are to be blamed for this. Ever since the corporate houses came into the film industry the focus has become the stars (instead of scripts and filmmakers) and the media has been supporting them with their tails wagging. If the likes of Priyadarshan have trouble making films with newcomers you can only imagine what hope a new filmmaker has.

I'm willing to bet that if Shahrukh Khan's driver wants to make a film with Shahrukh Khan - all the corporate houses and producers will support him (regardless of how bad the script is). But a successful filmmaker like Priyadarshan with more hits than Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Mani Ratnam, Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar combined can't get a producer to back his project with newcomers. It’s indeed a very sad day for the film industry. 

Punit Malhotra, nephew of costume designer Manish Malhotra (who is very good friends with Karan Johar) is making his directorial debut with I Hate Luv Storys and guess who’s producing the film… Karan Johar - surprise! And what experience does Punit have, you ask? None, obviously! He went to HR College of Commerce and Economics and did modeling and acting afterwards - when that failed he turned to direction. Punit has never gone to film school or done anything creative, but who cares he knows Karan Johar. We all know that a Karan Johar film, regardless of director or script, fetches a hefty price, so Karan has already made the money back prior to the release of IHLS. I’m sure if Punit wants Karan will get Shahrukh Khan to do a cameo in his film. And if the film earns 3 stars from paid reviews, Punit’s name will be added to the list of brilliant young Indian filmmakers because in India brilliance is worth 3 stars not 5. Who needs qualified filmmakers when unqualified friends and relatives are readily available! After all, Karan Johar's only qualification is that he is the son of a film producer.

When will producers and corporate houses learn? Doesn't the recent debacle with Raavan, Kites, Veer, My Name Is Khan, What's Your Raashee, Blue, Kambakkht Ishq, Chandni Chowk to China and Yuvvraaj teach them anything? Stop fooling around with stars and concentrate on good scripts. The audience won't be flocking to the theatres much longer not when they can watch the same shit you dish out for free on TV, not to mention other activities such as IPL which can keep them busy and away from the multiplexes. Remember, you need the audience they don't need you! The audience can watch your film on TV a few months after it releases and for free, so why should they support you in the multiplexes?
 
The reason bollywood only has 5-6 hits (if that many) each year is because there are only 10 actors in the whole country of over 1 billion people that producers rely on. The film industry needs new blood and not just talentless star kids. Look at Hollywood, even a no name guy is signed to a 100 million dollar film and the film does a business of 5 to 6 times that amount (how many people knew Leonardo DiCaprio before Titanic?). In India, if a film is made for 50 crores and it earns 55 crores the producers are happy, why? If your budget is 50 crores the film should make 250 crores at least, otherwise stop making such expensive films. Only 3 Idiots and Ghajini have ever crossed more than 100 crores at the box office in india. There's no scope for films with 50 or 100 crore budgets. If films can't gross more than 50-60 crores your budgets should be 10-15 crores and not more than what the film can recover. It’s not the films that fail it’s the cost that is killing them. If My Name is Khan was sold for 25 crores it would’ve made over 60 crores in profit and would’ve been a massive hit. Even though Karan Johar made lots of money by selling it for 100 crores, the film will forever be considered a box office disappointment.

The filmmakers also need to stop throwing eye-candy into the face of the audience, no one cares about special effects or 3D unless it is combined with a good script. If having special effects or shooting in 3D enhance the script then by all means do it. But don't just do it because you think the audience will come and watch your films and it won’t matter what the story is. This approach might work a couple of times, but the audience will be wise to these tricks and not come to any future releases.
 

Ghajini, A Wednesday, Raajneeti and 3 Idiots are proof that if you make a good film the audience will run to a multiplex. It’s not piracy that’s killing the film industry, it’s the big budgets and shoddy scripts. Piracy is only in the equation because no one wants to waste 200-300 of their hard earned rupees on films which are no better than the sorry saas-bahu serials they can see on TV for free.

Obviously there’s a huge demand for filmed entertainment in India, but the way to an audience’s heart is not through the stars its through good films regardless of the star cast or filmmakers. Several years ago a film called Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye with Prem Krishen and Rameshwari hit the screens and although it didn't turn it's lead pair into superstars, the film was a runaway hit and is still remembered to this day.

No actor is bigger than the film itself. Great films can turn ordinary actors into superstars, but even a superstar can't change the fate of a bad film. If successful films are to be made producers and corporate houses need to concentrate on the script more and the superstar quotient less.

© Anant Mathur. All Rights Reserved.