Every few months a new Indian film storms theatres, and the same question pops up in family WhatsApp groups: “Has it beaten Dangal yet?” This Diwali it’s Ramayana Part One, which reportedly crossed roughly ₹500 crore worldwide in its first four days.
So where does the all-time record actually stand? Here are the top 10 highest-grossing Indian films of all time as of November 2026, with worldwide box office figures, the stars behind them, and the reason each one pulled audiences in such huge numbers.
Quick Answer: The Top 10 at a Glance
- Dangal (2016): about ₹1,968–2,054 crore, powered by a record run in China.
- Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026): about ₹1,813–1,852 crore, the biggest film of this year so far.
- Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017): about ₹1,788–1,811 crore, the film that made “pan-India” a real thing.
- Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024): about ₹1,727–1,800 crore, with a monster Hindi-dubbed run.
- Dhurandhar (2025): about ₹1,350–1,428 crore, a spy thriller that kept growing for weeks.
- RRR (2022): about ₹1,230–1,387 crore, plus an Oscar for “Naatu Naatu”.
- KGF: Chapter 2 (2022): about ₹1,200–1,250 crore, the biggest Kannada film ever.
- Jawan (2023): about ₹1,148 crore, Shah Rukh Khan’s biggest hit.
- Pathaan (2023): about ₹1,050 crore, SRK’s big comeback after a four-year gap.
- Kalki 2898 AD (2024): about ₹1,042–1,100 crore, Indian cinema’s big sci-fi bet.
Highest-Grossing Indian Movies: Comparison Table
| Rank | Film | Language | Year | Worldwide gross (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dangal | Hindi | 2016 | ₹1,968–2,054 cr |
| 2 | Dhurandhar: The Revenge | Hindi | 2026 | ₹1,813–1,852 cr |
| 3 | Baahubali 2 | Telugu | 2017 | ₹1,788–1,811 cr |
| 4 | Pushpa 2: The Rule | Telugu | 2024 | ₹1,727–1,800 cr |
| 5 | Dhurandhar | Hindi | 2025 | ₹1,350–1,428 cr |
| 6 | RRR | Telugu | 2022 | ₹1,230–1,387 cr |
| 7 | KGF: Chapter 2 | Kannada | 2022 | ₹1,200–1,250 cr |
| 8 | Jawan | Hindi | 2023 | ₹1,148 cr |
| 9 | Pathaan | Hindi | 2023 | ₹1,050 cr |
| 10 | Kalki 2898 AD | Telugu | 2024 | ₹1,042–1,100 cr |
1. Dangal: The Undisputed No. 1
Ten years after release, Aamir Khan’s wrestling drama still sits on top. Trackers put Dangal’s worldwide gross between about ₹1,968 crore and ₹2,054 crore, depending on whose numbers you use.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film tells the story of Mahavir Singh Phogat, who trains his daughters Geeta and Babita to become international wrestling champions. It did well in India in December 2016, but the real surprise came months later in China, where it became a phenomenon. That overseas run is the main reason no film has caught it yet.
Why it’s here: a simple, emotional father-daughter story travelled across languages and borders. It proves that a big VFX budget isn’t the only way to the top of this list.
- Good to know: Dangal’s India business is lower than several films below it. Its overseas share is what keeps it at No. 1.
2. Dhurandhar: The Revenge: 2026’s Record Breaker
The sequel to Dhurandhar opened on 19 March 2026, after paid previews a day earlier, and never really slowed down. Bollywood Hungama’s tracking puts its worldwide gross at about ₹1,852 crore, while other trackers report around ₹1,813 crore.
Aditya Dhar directed it again, with Ranveer Singh leading the spy thriller. Its paid previews reportedly beat Stree 2’s record, and Variety India reported that its first weekend alone went past ₹400 crore. Its India net is reported at roughly ₹1,149 crore.
Why it’s here: the first film built a loyal audience, and the sequel cashed in at the perfect time. It is one of the biggest Hindi films ever inside India and the closest any film has come to Dangal’s worldwide total.
3. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion: The Pan-India Pioneer
Before Baahubali 2, a Telugu film topping Hindi charts sounded unlikely. SS Rajamouli changed that in April 2017. The film earned about ₹1,788–1,811 crore worldwide, and its Hindi-dubbed version became a giant on its own.
Prabhas, Rana Daggubati and Anushka Shetty led the cast, but the real hook was a question the whole country had been asking for two years: “Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?” That curiosity, plus grand battle scenes, made it a must-watch in theatres.
Why it’s here: it opened the door for every South Indian blockbuster that followed. Without Baahubali 2, there may be no Pushpa 2, KGF 2 or Kalki on this list.
4. Pushpa 2: The Rule: Allu Arjun’s Mass Wave
Released on 5 December 2024, Sukumar’s Pushpa 2 grossed roughly ₹1,727–1,800 crore worldwide. Allu Arjun returned as the red sandalwood smuggler Pushpa Raj, with Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil back in key roles.
The surprising part is where the money came from. Its Hindi-dubbed version did massive business in north India, in towns where Telugu films were rarely released a decade ago. Pushpa’s dialogues, swag and songs were all over Instagram reels well before release.
- Pros: huge single-screen appeal, strong repeat viewing.
- Good to know: its Hindi version alone was among the biggest Hindi-language grossers of its time.
5. Dhurandhar: The Slow-Burn Blockbuster
The first Dhurandhar released on 5 December 2025 without the huge hype of a superhero-style franchise. Then word of mouth took over. It finished at about ₹1,350–1,428 crore worldwide, according to trade trackers.
Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller had Ranveer Singh in the lead, backed by Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Rampal. Instead of one giant opening, it kept adding big numbers week after week, which is rare in an era when most films earn most of their money in the first ten days.
Why it’s here: it showed that a long, gritty, adult film can still become a family outing if audiences love it. It also set up the sequel at No. 2, making Dhurandhar the only franchise with two films in the top five.
6. RRR: The Global Favourite
SS Rajamouli appears on this list twice, and RRR is his second entry. The March 2022 period action film, starring NTR Jr and Ram Charan, earned around ₹1,230–1,387 crore worldwide.
RRR’s life after theatres was even bigger. It became a streaming hit in the US and Japan, and “Naatu Naatu” won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2023. Few Indian films have had that kind of global fan base.
Why it’s here: friendship, rebellion and over-the-top action scenes made it a crowd-pleaser in Hyderabad, Delhi and Los Angeles alike.
- Good to know: Rajamouli is the only director with two films in the top six.
7. KGF: Chapter 2: Kannada Cinema’s Biggest Moment
Prashanth Neel’s KGF: Chapter 2 released in April 2022 and grossed about ₹1,200–1,250 crore worldwide. That makes it the highest-grossing Kannada film ever by a wide margin.
Yash played Rocky Bhai, with Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon adding star power for Hindi audiences. Its dark, stylish look and slow-motion hero moments turned Yash into a national star overnight. Fittingly, he is back in theatres now as a co-producer and the Ravana of Ramayana Part One.
Why it’s here: it proved that a regional industry with a smaller home market could compete with Hindi and Telugu giants when the story and scale are right.
8. Jawan: Shah Rukh Khan at His Peak
Atlee’s Jawan, released in September 2023, earned about ₹1,148 crore worldwide according to Bollywood Hungama. It is Shah Rukh Khan’s highest-grossing film so far.
SRK played a double role, with Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi bringing a strong South Indian connection. The film mixed mass action with social messages about farmer loans, hospitals and voting, which gave it a wide family audience.
Why it’s here: a Tamil director, a Hindi superstar and a pan-India cast made Jawan a true all-India release, and SRK’s overseas fan base added a big chunk on top.
9. Pathaan: The Comeback That Broke Records
Shah Rukh Khan’s January 2023 release Pathaan ended his four-year break from lead roles in style. Siddharth Anand’s spy action film grossed about ₹1,050 crore worldwide.
Deepika Padukone and John Abraham co-starred, and a Salman Khan cameo as Tiger tied it into Yash Raj Films’ Spy Universe. At the time, many trade watchers felt Bollywood was struggling after the pandemic. Pathaan’s run changed that mood within weeks.
- Pros: huge overseas numbers, strong first-week rush.
- Good to know: SRK is the only actor with two films in this top 10 released in the same calendar year.
10. Kalki 2898 AD: India’s Big Sci-Fi Swing
Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD, released in June 2024, rounds out the top 10 with about ₹1,042–1,100 crore worldwide. It mixed Indian mythology with a futuristic, Mad Max-style world.
The cast alone was a selling point: Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Deepika Padukone. Bachchan’s Ashwatthama became the talk of the film, especially among older viewers who came for him rather than the sci-fi.
Why it’s here: it showed Indian audiences will turn up for science fiction when it is rooted in stories they already know, like the Mahabharata.
How We Picked This List
We ranked films by reported worldwide gross, not India-only net collections. We cross-checked figures from Bollywood Hungama, Sacnilk, Koimoi-based compilations and Wikipedia’s sourced list of highest-grossing Indian films, which only uses established trade sources.
There is no official box office body in India, so trackers often disagree by tens of crores. Where they differ, we show a range. Figures are not adjusted for inflation, so older films like Dangal and Baahubali 2 look even more impressive in real terms.
Honourable Mentions and One to Watch
Just outside the top 10 sit some huge hits. Here are the next few, using Wikipedia’s sourced figures:
- Animal (2023): about ₹918 crore, Ranbir Kapoor’s biggest hit before Ramayana.
- Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015): about ₹901–969 crore, Salman Khan’s top grosser.
- Stree 2 (2024): about ₹875 crore, the horror-comedy that surprised everyone.
- Kantara: Chapter 1 (2025): about ₹850 crore, another Kannada giant.
- Jailer 2 (2026): about ₹821 crore, Rajinikanth’s latest, now heading to OTT.
One to watch: Ramayana Part One. Nitesh Tiwari, who also directed Dangal, has Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita. It released on 5 November 2026, and Sacnilk-based reports put its worldwide gross at about ₹507 crore after four days. Comscore placed it second on the global weekend chart. If it holds well through the festive weeks, it could break into this top 10 before the year ends. Big money in Indian entertainment isn’t limited to films, either: our list of the most expensive players in IPL auction history shows how cricket stacks up.
Box Office Myths to Ignore
- “Net and gross are the same.” They’re not. Net removes GST from ticket sales, while gross includes it. Worldwide figures are usually gross, so always compare like with like.
- “Producer posters are official numbers.” Posters from makers are often rounded up. Independent trackers are usually more conservative.
- “Opening day decides everything.” Dhurandhar and Dangal prove that long runs matter more than a single big Friday.
- “Only Bollywood can top the charts.” Five of the top 10 are Telugu or Kannada films. Language barriers matter far less in the age of dubbing and OTT.
Love record-breaking lists that spark debate? Our ranking of the most expensive Indian paintings ever sold covers a very different kind of blockbuster.
Our Take
Dangal is still the king, and its China run makes it very hard to beat. But the gap is closing fast. Dhurandhar: The Revenge is within striking distance, and Ramayana Part One has the scale to join the club.
Our best overall pick? Baahubali 2. It isn’t No. 1, but no film on this list changed Indian cinema more. It made pan-India releases normal, and half this list owes it something.
Also read: Top 10 Things to Know Before Watching Ramayana Part One
Also read: Top 10 Highest-Grossing Suriya Movies (Scene Update 2026)
FAQs
Which is the highest-grossing Indian film of all time?
Dangal (2016) is the highest-grossing Indian film worldwide, with a reported gross of about ₹1,968–2,054 crore. A large part of that came from its release in China.
Which is the highest-grossing Indian film of 2026?
Dhurandhar: The Revenge is the biggest Indian film of 2026 so far, at roughly ₹1,813–1,852 crore worldwide. Ramayana Part One is still running and earning.
How many Indian films have crossed ₹1,000 crore worldwide?
As of November 2026, all ten films on this list have crossed ₹1,000 crore worldwide according to trade trackers. Kalki 2898 AD is the tenth.
Can Ramayana Part One beat Dangal?
It’s too early to say. Ramayana made about ₹500 crore worldwide in four days, a strong start, but beating Dangal would need a very long run in India and overseas.
Why do box office figures differ between websites?
India has no official box office tracking body. Trackers use different data, exchange rates and methods for net and gross, so figures can vary by tens of crores.
More Top Lists You’ll Like
- Top 5 Things to Know About GTA 6 Before It Launches (2026): the other entertainment blockbuster everyone is waiting for.
- Top 10 Most Expensive Players in IPL Auction History (2026): record-breaking money, cricket edition.
- Top 10 Most Expensive Indian Paintings Ever Sold (2026): India’s priciest art, ranked.
Box office figures are approximate worldwide gross as reported by trade trackers up to November 2026 and are not adjusted for inflation. Running films may change rank. Sources include Wikipedia’s list of highest-grossing Indian films and Bollywood Hungama’s box office tracker.
Leave a Reply