The year 2025 is now behind us. It saw four blockbusters, two (arguably three) of which were big. There were four more hits, including a 2016 re-release of a film that went largely unnoticed at the time of its original release. Overall, the year produced eight hit films and fifteen were successful. In the years before the pandemic, the industry was churning out more than 15 hits annually and more successes. Recently, the best was 2023 with 11 hits or better. 2025 wasn’t a great year, but it also wasn’t the disaster of 2024.
Dhurandhar emerged as the biggest hit and highest grossing film of the year. It is already the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time and is expected to surpass Pushpa 2 to become the highest-grossing Hindi film very soon. Currently, the film is placed in the super blockbuster bracket, although it may be classified as an all-time blockbuster depending on where it ultimately closes.
Chhava was the second biggest hit of the year. It was so big that it could have been the biggest, but in the end Dhurandhar deprived it of that distinction. In the biggest box office state of Maharashtra, the film was not only the biggest hit and grosser of the year, but also one of the biggest films of all time along with Sholay, Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Baahubali 2.
Then came two surprise blockbusters, one a musical love story, Syara, starring two newcomers and the other an animated film. Driven by its superhit soundtrack, Syara witnessed phenomenal business both in India and overseas. The musical proved to be a favorite of the year, spawning three more hits from their hit musical, including a re-release. The animated film i.e. Mahavatar Narasimha broke the norms. Animation has traditionally struggled in India, but this film made a big splash. A clarification is necessary here: it was an original Hindi film, produced by a Delhi-based production, but presented by the South Indian banner, Hombale Films. Ultimately, it remains a Hindi film, not a South Indian one.
Apart from these, seven more films can be kept in the category of successful films. For two of them, given their dramatic performances, an argument could have been made for a hit verdict, but recovery proved to be an issue. Sitare failed due to lack of digital revenues on the ground, while Jaat suffered losses due to extremely high costs. Akshay Kumar, who was going through a tough time after the pandemic, had a relatively better year with three successful films. Housefull 5 was on its way to becoming a hit after its launch but failed to sustain, while Kesari 2 and Jolly LLB 3 showed a steady trend but had a very slow start. Still, 2025 was a step forward for them compared to recent years.
Last year’s two big misses were initially widely seen as the two biggest films of the year, i.e. War 2 and Sikandar. Apart from these two, some other major flops were Baaghi 4, Tu Meri Main Tera, Skyforce and Son of Sardar 2. The rom-com genre, in particular, faced a tough year, with some of them recording several misses despite having promising promos and music. Traditionally, the genre has been a reliable hit generator for the industry, and its takeoff during the year was tremendous.
Bollywood’s classification for the year 2025 is as follows:
all time blockbuster
,
super blockbuster
Dhurandhar (ATBB may emerge)
shade
Movie
soldier
Mahavatar Narasimha
super hit
,
Kill
raid 2
in love with you
a crazy person’s madness
Sanam Teri Kasam (Re-release)
average
stars on the ground
housefull 5
Thamma
jolly llb 3
Kesari 2
Jat
story of taaj
Among Hindi dubbed films, Kantara: Chapter 1 was the biggest hit and grosser. It was categorized as a super hit. Coolie performed well and was average.
F1 The Movie, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning, The Conjuring 4, Jurassic World Rebirth and Final Destination: Bloodlines were Hollywood films that did hit or better business, the former being a blockbuster.
Also read: Top highest grossing movies in India in 2025: Dhurandhar wins the year, followed by Kantara and Chhaava