Sunny Deol is known as the OG action superstar of Indian cinema. The actor, who has been active for over four decades, has seen many ups and downs in his career. In 2023, Sunny Deol made his massive comeback at the box office, proving his formidable hold in B&C centres. While the actor is preparing for a solid slate of releases ahead, here is a look at the top seven highest-grossing films of Sunny Deol at the worldwide box office.
Sunny Deol’s 7 highest grossing films worldwide
1. Gadar 2: The story continues
Gadar 2: The Katha Continues, directed by Anil Sharma, is a sequel to the 2001 film Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. The sequel, like the original part, lived up to its name and was a box office hit. The film not only marked the return of Tara Singh and Sakina, but also established Sunny Deol as one of the most bankable stars of Indian cinema.
The Sunny Deol starrer mass-action drama was released on August 11, 2023 with low expectations clashing with Akshay Kumar’s OMG 2. However, the film surprised trade experts and created history by grossing over Rs 500 crore in India. By the end of its theatrical run, Gadar 2 grossed Rs 620 crore at the worldwide box office and became Sunny Deol’s highest-grossing film to date.
2. Gadar: A Love Story
In 2001, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha was released in a three-way clash with Aamir Khan’s Lagaan and Anubhav Sinha’s Tum Bin. However, the action romantic film starring Sunny Deol left no room for the rival releases and stormed the box office. The film proved to be a milestone in Indian cinema and was watched by over 7 million people. Tara Singh and Sakina soon became household names and the Anil Sharma-directed film was declared a cult classic.
Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel starrer Gadar: Ek Prem Katha grossed over Rs 133 crore worldwide and became the second highest-grossing film of their careers respectively after its sequel.
3. Yamla Pagla Deewana
The action comedy-drama, released in 2011, marked the return of the Deol family to the big screen. Directed by Sameer Karnik, the film stars Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and their father-actor Dharmendra Deol in the lead roles. The trio displayed great chemistry in the film and their comic timing was highly praised. Yamla Pagla Deewana turned out to be a successful film. It grossed over Rs 88 crore worldwide.
Later, this comedy-drama was turned into a franchise. Till now, a total of three installments have been made.
4. Limit
Considered as one of the best war films of Indian cinema, Border was a huge blockbuster at the time of its release in 1997. Directed by JP Dutta, the film was set against the backdrop of the Indo-Pak war of 1971. The film stars actors like Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Akshaye Khanna, Sudesh Berry, Pooja Bhatt, Tabu, Rakhee and others.
It grossed over Rs 65 crore at the worldwide box office, which was huge at the time. Border is now a classic, ranking fourth among Sunny Deol’s highest-grossing films worldwide. A sequel is currently in the works, starring Sunny Deol in the lead role, along with Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh. Border 2 has been officially announced to hit the screens on January 23, 2026.
5. Yamla Pagla Deewana 2
Following the success of the first part, the second installment of the Yamla Pagla Deewana franchise was released in 2013. Directed by Sangeeth Sivan, the action-comedy drama saw the return of Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and Dharmendra, with additional actors including Neha Sharma and Christina Akheeva.
However, Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 failed to live up to expectations and received a mixed response. The film managed to earn only Rs 48 crore at the global box office and became Sunny Deol’s fifth highest-grossing film.
6. Ghayal Once Again
Directed by Sunny Deol, Ghayal Once Again is a sequel to his cult movie Ghayal (1990). Sunny Deol returned as Ajay Mehra in the second installment of the action drama. However, it failed to attract much audience and failed at the box office.
Ghayal Once Again (2016) managed to gross only ₹45 crore at the worldwide box office and stood sixth among Sunny Deol’s highest-grossing films worldwide.
7. The Hero: Love Story of a Spy
The Hero: Love Story of a Spy is an action spy thriller directed by Gadar fame Anil Sharma. The film was released in 2003 and turned out to be a huge hit. It stars Sunny Deol in the lead role, while Preity Zinta and Priyanka Chopra play supporting roles.
Hero grossed over ₹45 crore worldwide and became the seventh highest-grossing film of Sunny Deol’s career.
Following are the top 7 highest grossing movies of Sunny Deol at the worldwide box office
| Rank | Movies | Box Office |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gadar 2 | Rs 620 crore |
| 2 | mutiny | Rs 133 crore |
| 3 | Mad Crazy Mad | Rs 88 crore |
| 4 | Limit | Rs 65 crore |
| 5 | Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 | Rs 48 crore |
| 6 | injured once again | Rs 45 crore |
| 7 | Hero: A Detective’s Love Story | Rs 45 crore |
Apart from these above-mentioned movies some other notable movies of Sunny Deol include Ghatak, Ghayal, Damini, Jeet, Arjun Pandit, etc.
On the work front, Sunny Deol has wrapped up the shooting of Lahore 1947, which is set to hit the screens next year. The actor is currently shooting for a pan-India mass-action drama with Gopichand Malineni, tentatively titled Jaat, under the banner of Mythri Movie Makers. He also has Border 2, Ramayan, Safar, Baap, Gadar 3 and some exciting projects lined up.
Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our own research. The figures may be approximate, and Pinkvilla makes no claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they do adequately indicate the box-office performance of the respective films.
Also read: From Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior to Shaitan, Ajay Devgn’s 7 highest-grossing films
