Reetika Choudhury
Indian films have been smashing it lately with one hit after another! Whether Hindi or regional, Indian films are grabbing attention with their exciting plots and amazing performances. From intense action flicks to touching love stories, there’s something for everyone. Let’s take a deep dive into the highest-grossing Hindi movies of recent times. We’ll explore what makes them so special, from the star power to the incredible storytelling that keeps audiences hooked. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride through some of India’s biggest blockbuster movies, released post 2020!
Tiger 3
Tiger 3 is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Maneesh Sharma and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. This movie is a sequel to Tiger Zinda Hai (2017). In this movie, Tiger and Zoya team up to foil a rogue ISI agent’s plan to overthrow the Pakistani government, unaware that they’re being manipulated by him. The film grossed INR 466.63 crore worldwide, emerging as the sixth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2023, ninth highest-grossing movie in India of 2023 and is the tenth among India’s highest grossing movies of the decade.
Gadar 2
Gadar 2 is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language period action-drama film directed and produced by Anil Sharma and written by Shaktimaan Talwar. It is a sequel to Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), released after 21 years! The movie continues the story of Tara Singh, who goes missing, and is believed to be held captive in Pakistan. Meanwhile, his son sets out on a mission to rescue him. It became a commercial success, grossing over INR 691.08 crore worldwide against a production budget of INR 60 crore. The film went on to become the highest-grossing Indian movie of 2023 and eight highest-grossing Hindi film of all time.
Salaar: Part 1- Ceasefire
Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire is a 2023 Indian Telugu-language epic neo-noir action film written and directed by Prashanth Neel and produced by Vijay Kiragandur. The movie tells the story of Deva, a Prince who’s been banished from Khansaar, and Varadha, who is the current prince. When there’s a plot to overthrow Varadha’s rule by his own ministers and relatives, Varadha asks Deva for help to become the sole ruler of Khansaar. This movie was a commercial success, grossing INR 715 crore worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Telugu film of 2023, highest-grossing South Indian film of 2023 and fourth Indian film to be the highest-grossing of 2023 and the second highest-grossing A-rated Indian film after the Hindi film Animal.
Jailer
Jailer is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures. With superstar Rajnikant in the lead role, the story centers on “Tiger” Muthuvel Pandian, a retired jailer, who crosses paths with a notorious idol smuggler named Varman. It became the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2023, sixth highest-grossing Indian movie of 2023 and second highest-grossing Tamil film of all time. The film is a must-watch for Rajni fans!
KGF: Chapter 2
KGF: Chapter 2 is a 2022 Indian Kannada-language period action film written and directed by Prashanth Neel and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the banner Hombale Films. The movie follows Kolar Gold Fields, a violent world, where Rocky is a feared name among his enemies, but the government views him as a danger to peace. Rocky faces challenges from every direction as he fights to establish his dominance without any opposition. The sequel to KGF (2018), the film has gained a huge fanbase, and has brought Kannada film to a national level. This movie became the highest-grossing Kannada film with earnings of INR 1200-1250 crore globally, and is the fourth India’s highest grossing movie worldwide, and the second Indian highest-grossing movie.
Pathaan
Pathaan is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film co-written and directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. It served as SRK’s return to acting after over 5 years. The film revolves around Pathaan, an exiled RAW agent, who teams up with ISI agent Rubina Mohsin to stop Jim, another ex-RAW agent, from unleashing a deadly lab-made virus on India. This movie not just revived SRK’s career, but it broke numerous records, like highest opening day, single day, weekend and week for a Hindi film in India. It went on to be the highest-grossing Hindi film ever in India at that time and also did exceptionally well in international markets. Pathaan earned whopping INR 1,050.30 crore worldwide, making it the second Indian film highest grossing of 2023, the third highest-grossing Hindi film ever, and the sixth Indian highest-grossing movie of all time.
Leo
Leo is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Seven Screen Studio. The movie is about Parthiban, played by actor Vijay, who runs a cafe and rescues animals in Theog, Himachal Pradesh. He gets chased by gangsters Antony and Harold Das who feel that he is Antony’s long-lost son, Leo. The film set several box office records for a Tamil film, grossing INR 595-620.5 crore worldwide, emerging as the second highest Tamil film of 2023, the seventh highest-grossing Indian movie of 2023 and third highest-grossing Tamil film of all time.
Jawan
Jawan is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film co-written and directed by Tamil filmmaker Atlee in his Hindi film debut. It is produced by Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma under Red Chillies Entertainment. The movie features Shah Rukh Khan playing dual roles, a father and a son, who team up to fight against the immense corruption plaguing society. The film tried to give a social message, and while many loved the film, many also criticized the film for trying to be “too preachy”. Regardless, the film broke many records at the box office, surpassing Khan’s previous film Pathaan in earnings. With a total of INR 1,148.32 crore, it became the highest grossing movie in India of 2023, the second highest-grossing Hindi film ever, and the fifth highest-grossing Indian film overall. It also earned 14 nominations at the 69th Filmfare Awards, including for Best Film and Best Director.
Animal
Next on our list is probably most controversial film ever made in the history of Indian cinema- Animal! Animal is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action-drama film co-written, directed and edited by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and produced by T-Series Films, Bhadrakali Pictures and Cine1 Studios. In the film, Ranbir Kapoor’s character, Ranvijay Singh, discovers a plot to assassinate his father Balbir Singh and he sets out on a revenge mission to protect his family, which leads to immense chaos. The film has gained a lot of mixed reviews; while some feel the film is immensely toxic and needlessly violent, another section loves the film, and feels that it has broken all barriers in cinema. Some have applauded Vanga’s courageous filmmaking, while others have questioned his sanity. Regardless, the film broke several box office records for a Hindi film, both domestically and internationally. It has grossed INR 917.82 crore worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing Indian film of 2023, the fifth highest-grossing Hindi film, the eighth highest-grossing movie in India, the highest-grossing A-rated Indian film, and the highest-grossing film in Ranbir Kapoor’s career.
RRR
And how can this list be complete without mentioning RRR! RRR ( Roudram Ranam Rudhiram or Rise Roar Revolt) is a 2022 Indian Telugu epic period action-drama film directed by S. S. Rajamouli and produced by D. V. V. Danayya of DVV Entertainment. It is a fictional take on two Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju played by Ram Charan and Komaram Bheem, played by NTR Jr., their friendship, and their fight against the British Raj. The storyline connected well with audiences not just from India, but internationally. People from all over the world could be seen dancing to the song Naatu Naatu, which went on to win the Oscar as well as the Golden Globe, for ‘Best Original Song’. With INR 223 crore worldwide on its first day, RRR recorded the highest opening day earned by an Indian film. The film grossed INR 1,387.26 crore worldwide, setting several box office records for an Indian film, including being the third highest grossing Indian film, second highest-grossing Telugu film, highest grossing Indian film of 2022 worldwide and the first highest-grossing Indian movie of the decade.
It is amazing that despite the rise of OTT platforms, and the lockdowns and restrictions imposed in 2020 and 2021, these films have performed extremely well at the box office, breaking all records!
Which movie in this list is your favorite? Do let us know!
