Old hands Shah Rukh Khan, Sunny Deol and Rajinikanth revived the Indian film industry this year after a dismal 2022, making way for Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal and Prabhas’ Salaar to end the year on a soaring note. Here’s a look at 10 movies that dominated the box office in 2023.
Jawan
Topping the charts is the Hindi action thriller Jawan, released on September 7. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi and Deepika Padukone, the Atlee-helmed actioner went on to collect a staggering Rs 1,160 crore gross worldwide. It is now available to stream on Netflix, which bought the OTT rights of the film for a staggering Rs 250 crore.
Pathaan
Shah Rukh-starrer Pathaan turned moviegoing into a countrywide festival at the beginning of the year. Bollywood reached a new high riding on the Pathaan wave as the Siddharth Anand directorial broke box office records left, right and centre, only to be superseded by Jawan later in the year. Featuring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in key roles, the fourth instalment of the YRF Spy Universe arrived in theatres on January 25 and amassed Rs 1,050 crore gross.
Animal
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal grabbed the third spot, earning approximately Rs 869 crore gross worldwide so far. Led by Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandhanna, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol, the gory action drama courted controversy for its alleged glorification of misogyny and toxic masculinity on screen. Hitting cinemas on December 1, Animal is still running in theatres and is likely to earn more into the new year.
Gadar 2
Sunny Deol’s dormant career roared back to life with Gadar 2, a sequel of his 2001 blockbuster Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. The action drama surpassed expectations and became Sunny’s highest-grossing film ever, collecting Rs 691.08 crore gross worldwide. Directed by Anil Sharma, Gadar 2, also featuring Ameesha Patel and Utkarsh Sharma, surprised everyone with its superb run and is one of the unlikeliest movies in the Bollywood annals to become a blockbuster.
Leo
Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo emerged as the third Tamil film of all time, after Rajinikanth’s 2.0 and Jailer, to surpass the Rs 600 crore mark globally. Starring Thalapathy Vijay as a cafe owner who would go to any lengths to protect his family, the third instalment of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe, minted Rs 620 crore gross worldwide.
Jailer
Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer, a Tamil-language action comedy, secured a place among the top earners of the year, collecting Rs 607 crore globally. It is also Rajinikanth’s second film to cross the Rs 600-crore mark. The Tamil star plays a retired jailer who must come out of his retirement to rescue his son from a gang of criminals.
Tiger 3
The fifth instalment of the YRF Spy Universe, Tiger 3 managed to collect Rs 466.63 crore gross worldwide. Directed by Maneesh Sharma, the third film of the Tiger franchise stars Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi. It was Salman’s only hit this year after the lukewarm response to his previous release Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.
Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire
Prabhas starrer Salaar, which released on December 22, has already created a massive impact at the box office, collecting over Rs 450 crore gross worldwide in less than a week. Helmed by Prashanth Neel of KGF fame, the actioner revolves around two friends, played by Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, who turn into arch rivals.
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
Karan Johar's romantic comedy Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (RRKPK) with Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt secured the ninth position with a global collection of Rs 355.61 crore gross. An ode to Yash Chopra’s 1990s Bollywood romance films, RRKPK — which also has veteran actors Dhamendra and Shabana Azmi — revolves around a Bengali journalist who falls in love with a Punjabi munda and must overcome the cultural barriers to make their relationship work.
The Kerala Story
Adah Sharma-starrer The Kerala Story was one of the surprise hits of 2023. Sudipto Sen’s controversial political drama about forceful religious conversions in Kerala crossed the Rs 300-crore mark worldwide, grossing Rs 303 crore in its nearly 50 days of theatrical run.
