Top 10 Bollywood Blockbusters: A Look at the All-Time Biggest Openers

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone‘s upcoming film, ‘Pathaan,’ is set for a big release. Scheduled to hit theatres on January 25, Shah Rukh Khan’s latest film in over five years is poised for a solid opening day at the box office.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said on Twitter that over 3 lakh tickets have been sold alone at three leading multiplexes: PVR, Inox and Cinepolis. PVR has sold 1.3 lakh tickets, 1.13 lakh tickets by Inox and 57,500 by Cinepolis. 

#Pathaan *advance booking* status at *national chains*… Update till Sunday, 5.15 pm…

⭐️ #PVR: 1,30,000
⭐️ #INOX: 1,13,000
⭐️ #Cinepolis: 57,500
⭐️ Total tickets sold: 3,00,500
NOTE: Data of *opening day* [25 Jan 2023] ONLY. pic.twitter.com/FtsvpFEtub

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 22, 2023

With trade trackers predicting that the action thriller could collect over INR 40 crore on its opening day, Pathaan could be on track to join the ranks of Bollywood’s biggest openers of all time.

As we await Pathaan’s theatrical release, let’s take a look at the top 10 biggest openers in Bollywood history.

KGF: Chapter 2

Yash and Sanjay Dutt’s ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ got the biggest opening in the post-pandemic era as it broke records at the Indian box office. Released on April 14, the movie minted INR 53.95 crore on its first opening day. The crime thriller was directed by Prashanth Neel. The film went on to make more than INR 1,200 globally, making it the fourth highest-grossing Indian film worldwide of all time.

War

Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff’s ‘War’ was a spy action thriller, directed by Siddharth Anand. The movie made a terrific start at the box office raking in INR 53.35 crore on the first opening day. The film grossed more than INR 475 crore worldwide and it takes the second spot on our list.

Thugs of Hindostan

Aamir Khan’s ‘Thugs Of Hindostan’ might have failed to set the box office on fire, but it got a flying start on the first day. It collected INR 52.25 on the opening day in India in 2018. It was a period adventure drama directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya. The film went on to make more than INR 335 crore worldwide.

Happy New Year

Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Happy New Year’ is in fourth place in the list of biggest openers list. In 2014, it managed to rake in INR 44.97 crore on the first day. It was an action comedy flick in which Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood and Boman Irani shared the screen. The film made over INR 408 crore worldwide, making it the second highest grossing Bollywood film of 2014.

Bharat

Salman Khan’s ‘Bharat’, released in 2019, is in the fifth spot on our list of the biggest openers in Bollywood history. The film earned INR 42.30 crore on its opening day. It was an action drama with a star-studded cast including Katrina Kaif, Jackie Shroff, Disha Patani and Tabu among others. The film was a commercial success and grossed INR 325.58 crore in its lifetime theatrical run.

Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion

After the viral success of the first film, SS Rajamouli’s iconic ‘Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion’ got an earth-shattering opening at the Indian box office in 2017. On opening day, the epic action flick starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty and Tamannaah raked in a respectable INR 41 crore. The film was a rousing success and collected INR 1,810 crore globally.

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo

Salman Kan’s ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ was a romantic drama film which also co-starred Sonam Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Anupam Kher and others. It earned INR 40.35 crore on its opening day at the box office. The film grossed INR 432 crore worldwide, making it the second-highest grossing Bollywood film of 2015.

Sultan

Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma’s ‘Sultan’, which was released in 2016, managed to collect INR 36.54 on opening day. It was a sports drama film directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. The movie recieved rave reviews from fans and critics alike and has grossed INR 623.33 crore worldwide.

Dhoom 3

Aamir Khan’s ‘Dhoom 3’ is an action thriller in which Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif played the lead. On the opening day, the movie collected INR 36.22 crore at the box office. The film was a huge commercial success and it grossed INR 556.74 crore worldwide.

Brahmastra – Part One: Shiva 

Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Brahmastra – Part One: Shiva’ was a fantasy action flick directed by Ayan Mukerji. It made around INR 36 crore on its opening day. The movie is considered to be a commercial success with an estimated gross of over INR 431 crore worldwide, making it the highest grossing Indian film of 2022.

Final Thoughts

As we eagerly await the release of ‘Pathaan’, we can’t help but wonder if it will join this elite list of Bollywood’s biggest openers. Keep an eye out for this action-packed thriller, as it is sure to be a hit at the box office.