Durandhar nears ₹1000 crore: A look at the films that already did it
From Dangal to Pushpa 2 and now Durandhar, Indian cinema’s ₹1000-crore club charts how scale, fandom, and pan-India appeal reshaped the box office.
- Dec 22, 2025,
- Updated Dec 22, 2025 4:50 PM IST

- 1/9
As Durandhar races toward the ₹1000-crore mark, trade trackers say the milestone has become more than a number—it’s a psychological barrier. Distributors call it a “momentum magnet,” where audience curiosity, media buzz, and national pride collide to create a final explosive surge.

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When Dangal bulldozed past ₹1000 crore and then ₹2000 crore, it didn’t just break records—it rewired expectations. Analysts still cite its China run as proof that emotional storytelling can outperform spectacle in global markets.

- 3/9
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion changed geography at the box office. Industry veterans say it erased the North-South divide overnight, proving language could be dubbed—but scale, myth, and ambition needed no translation.

- 4/9
With RRR, SS Rajamouli didn’t just deliver another hit—he exported Indian mass cinema to global pop culture. Film scholars note how word-of-mouth, not marketing spend, powered its climb into the elite club.

- 5/9
KGF: Chapter 2 arrived like an industrial blast. Trade experts credit its success to raw masculinity, thunderous music, and repeat viewing—turning regional loyalty into nationwide obsession almost overnight.

- 6/9
After years of uncertainty, Jawan roared back with Shah Rukh Khan in full mass-hero mode. Box-office observers say the film revived the single-screen audience, a segment many had written off.

- 7/9
With Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan didn’t just return—he reactivated the Hindi action franchise economy. Analysts note how nationalism, nostalgia, and spectacle fused into a near-perfect commercial storm.

- 8/9
When Pushpa 2: The Rule stormed past ₹1000 crore in just six days, trade circles were stunned. Economists tracking cinema footfall called it a case study in pre-release hype converting instantly into ticket sales.

- 9/9
Kalki 2898 AD proved mythology and sci-fi could coexist at scale. Industry insiders say its success signals a future where Indian cinema no longer chooses between tradition and technology—it weaponizes both.
