2025 was special for Bollywood, a year when there were surprises aplenty. The top 3 grossers did more than expected and also amassed a large moolah, through theatrical and non-theatrical sources. In this special report, we’ll focus on the 10 films that managed to make a neat profit and emerge victorious in 2025.
1. Dhurandhar
Budget: Rs. 475 crores (Including Part 2)
Box Office: Rs. 1320 crores (expected)
This film rewrote all the rules from the very beginning. It was split into 2 parts nearly a month before release, which was not the original plan. The hope was that it would be able to make a profit through the box office collections of both films. Instead, the first part itself went on overdrive. The worldwide box office is expected to reach the Rs. 1320 crore mark while also earning well through the sale of music, television and OTT rights. It has approx. made a profit of Rs. 350 crores if we subtract the budget and distributors' share and include the earnings from all sources. In other words, whatever the sequel earns will only add to its enormous profit.
2. Saiyaara
Budget: Rs. 60 crores
Box Office: Rs. 579.23 crores
Saiyaara was supposed to be under Rs. 100 crore success at best in India. Instead, it collected 5.7 times more in India and abroad than expected. The intense love saga opened with a bang, despite the presence of two new actors, due to the power of its music and trailers. The non-theatrical earnings of Rs. 45 crores were like a bonus. Its Return on Investment (ROI) is more than 300% and in that sense, it is the biggest ROI Hindi hit of 2025 with approx. Rs. 250 cr. as profit.
3. Chhaava
Budget: Rs. 140 crores
Box Office: Rs. 797.34 crores
The Vicky Kaushal starrer had a solid opening and became bigger and its impact spread more and more, especially in hinterlands and the Northern belt, as the days passed. It emerged as the second biggest hit of the year, and including the revenue from the non-theatrical sources, it made a profit of around Rs. 280-300 crores.
4. Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat
Budget: Rs. 35 crores
Box Office: Rs. 112.03 crores
Harshvardhan Rane proved that Sanam Teri Kasam (2016) was not a fluke success with this intense romantic saga. Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat was directed by Milap Zaveri and the movie also had some powerful dialogues by him. The film opened on a healthy note, and through the love of the masses, it ended up becoming a bona fide hit. Its reasonable costs were like icing on the cake. It recovered its investment from the box office itself. The OTT and satellite rights were sold post-release, and it was a good move as the makers got a better deal. It ended up making a profit of nearly Rs. 75 crores, which was more than twice its budget.
5. Raid 2
Budget: Rs. 120 crores
Box Office: Rs. 243.06 crores
The sequel to the successful first part was a bigger hit and generated interest among viewers thanks to the subject, casting, massy treatment and the sizzling dance number of Tamannaah Bhatia. The sale from non-theatrical sources was decent, and it ended up making a profit of around Rs. 30-40 crores.
6. Sitaare Zameen Par
Budget: Rs. 120 crores
Box Office: Rs. 266.49 crores
The Aamir Khan-starrer had a slow start, but collections jumped dramatically once the word spread that Aamir had delivered a special film. It grossed Rs. 266.49 crores worldwide, which is praiseworthy considering the subject and post-pandemic shift in tastes. Aamir Khan took a bold step by rejecting lucrative deals from OTT platforms. Instead, it was released on YouTube on a pay-per-view basis. As per trade sources, it made a profit of around Rs. 20-30 crores. The profit margin would have been more had it taken the usual route of selling digital rights to a streaming partner.
7. Tere Ishk Mein
Budget: Rs. 90 crores
Box Office: Rs. 148.5 crores
The film belonged to the genre of the heartbroken man, which is working big time right now. The music and the trailer added to the excitement, which is why the film had a healthy opening. In the absence of Dhurandhar, it could have collected a little more. Nevertheless, it emerged as a success and made a profit of around Rs. 15 crores for the makers.
8. Jolly LLB 3
Budget: Rs. 120 crores
Box Office: Rs. 166.06 crores
A lot was expected from the film as it brought the two Jolly’s – Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi – together. Nevertheless, it had a steady run at the box office, and it delivered a profit of around Rs. 5 crores for the makers.
9. Kesari Chapter 2
Budget: Rs. 110 crores
Box Office: Rs. 144.35 crores
The Akshay Kumar-starrer was rated ‘A’, but the word of mouth and powerful moments attracted a section of the audience in hordes. It made a profit of around Rs. 5 crores for the makers.
10. Jaat
Budget: Rs. 80 crores
Box Office: Rs. 119.24 crores
The inflated budget and the high fees paid to lead actor Sunny Deol led to ‘Semi Hit’ and not a ‘Hit’ verdict for the makers. The profit was around Rs. 5 crores. Yet, the success was significant for Sunny Deol who proved that Gadar 2 was not a fluke hit and that he’s here to stay and rule.
