1000-crore club: Male ‘saviours' in Indian movies rule box office collections; there'll be more blood in 2026

The 1000-crore club represents the biggest box office performers in Indian cinema. This list shows how large-scale films now earn massive money both in India and overseas. These movies are not just regional hits but global successes. There are only 9 Indian movies in this list.

Kalki 2898 AD (2024) blended mythology and science fiction successfully. It collected ₹767 crore in India gross and ₹275 crore overseas. The worldwide total stood at ₹1,042 crore, with ₹646 crore India net.

Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan revived the Hindi box office in 2023 after a prolonged post-pandemic lull. It earned ₹658 crore in India gross, ₹398 crore overseas and ₹1,055 crore worldwide. India net collections reached ₹543 crore.

SRK delivered again that year with Jawan. It showed exceptional overseas strength. It collected ₹760 crore in India gross and ₹400 crore overseas. The worldwide total was ₹1,160 crore, with ₹640 crore India net.

KGF Chapter 2 (2022), the only Kannada movie on the list, dominated mass circuits. It earned ₹1,001 crore India gross, ₹214 crore overseas and ₹1,215 crore worldwide. India net collections stood at ₹860 crore.

SS Rajamouli’s RRR (2022) collected ₹916 crore in India gross and ₹314 crore overseas. Worldwide earnings reached ₹1,230 crore, with ₹782 crore India net.

Dhurandhar (2025), the latest entry, pushed down RRR to enter the Top 5. Aditya Dhar’s movie delivered a powerful theatrical run with ₹973 crore India gross and ₹290 crore overseas. The box office collection worldwide touched ₹1,263 crore while India net collections were ₹811 crore, the highest for any Hindi film.

Pushpa: The Rule - Part 2 (2024) showed immense Hindi-belt strength. It earned ₹1,471 crore in India gross, ₹271 crore overseas and ₹1,742 crore worldwide. Its India net stood at ₹1,234 crore.

Rajamouli’s second entry to the list, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), redefined domestic box office records. It collected ₹1,417 crore in India gross and ₹371 crore overseas. The worldwide box office total for the Telugu original reached ₹1,788 crore, with a staggering ₹1,030 crore India net.

Aamir Khan’s Dangal (2016) remains the highest-grossing Indian film worldwide, thanks to China. It earned ₹535 crore in India gross and a massive ₹1,535 crore overseas, with China delivering ₹1,300 crore. Its worldwide total stands at ₹2,070 crore while India net collections were ₹387 crore.

Action movies led by male saviours

Big box office numbers in India still heavily rely on action-driven male stars who portray larger-than-life heroes. Violence is framed as justice.

Masculinity is often sold as a symbol of strength and sacrifice. This formula travels well across languages and borders, so producers continue to back it.

The trend is not going to end anytime soon. Of the 14 big-budget Indian movies listed for 2026, at least 10 are action-oriented projects led by male ‘saviours’.

These include multi-starrer Border 2, Yash’s Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups and SRK’s King. Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2, Thalapathy Vijay’s final movie Jana Nayagan and Salman Khan’s Battle of Galwan fall in the same category.

Jr NTR will come with Dragon, Sanjay Dutt with The Good Maharaja and, of course, Dhurandhar 2 returns in a couple of months.