Bollywood
Mumbai, December 25 - Indian cinema has seen big results at the box office over the last few years, with many films crossing the 500 crores milestone. It used to be a rarity before the COVID pandemic, but with audiences craving for big-ticket entertainers with solid theatrical appeal, the milestone is no longer out of reach.
While crossing the half-billion mark might not be a big ask anymore, films with A-ratings have always walked a tightrope at the box office. With restricted audiences, limited family footfalls, and often polarising themes, breaking records in the adult-certified space is no easy feat.
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Yet, every once in a while, a film comes along that defies the odds, rewriting the rules of what an A-rated Indian film can achieve commercially. Well, this has happened a few times over the last couple of years, where multiple A-rated titles achieved big success at the box office, proving that audiences are ready to embrace such films if they are worthy of their time and money.
Here are the top 5 highest-grossing Indian films at the worldwide box office -
1. Dhurandhar (Hindi, 2025) - 944+ crore (20 days)
Director - Aditya Dhar
Starring - Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi
Still in theatres and still breathing fire, Dhurandhar is rewriting the narrative in real time. Powered by ferocious performances, raw action, and an uncompromising tone, the film has already crossed massive global milestones by becoming the all-time biggest A-rated grosser. It is now marching towards 1000 crores gross milestone.
2. Animal (Hindi, 2023) - 915 crore
Director - Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring - Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol
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Violent, divisive, and relentless, the action drama rooted in father-son sentiments, Animal, went against the regular filmmaking and bulldozed its way to the top with an unprecedented worldwide gross, proving that controversy can fuel commerce when executed with scale and conviction. It remains the gold standard for A-rated dominance.
3. Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire (Telugu, 2023) - 618 crores
Director - Prashanth Neel
Starring - Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumara, Shruti Haasan
A dark, violent, and thunderous action spectacle, Salaar: Ceasefire was largely believed to have underperformed at the box office despite big numbers. However, despite its A-rating, the Prabhas-led film stormed the worldwide box office, driven by massive openings across multiple territories and sustained mass appeal.
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4. Coolie (Tamil, 2025) - 518 crores
Director - Lokesh Kanagaraj
Starring - Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Aamir Khan
The film surprised with its adult-rating, which eventually proved to be a roadblock for its overall potential. Coolie, headlined by superstar Rajinikanth, combined raw storytelling with commercial sensibilities. The film received mixed word of mouth, which helped it to cross the 500 crores milestone.
5. Kabir Singh (Hindi, 2019) - 377 crores
Director - Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring - Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani
The film that changed the game before the era of mega-scale A-rated actioners. Kabir Singh thrived on its obsessive romance, flawed protagonist, and intense emotional pitch, becoming the highest-grossing adult-certified film of its time and laying the foundation for what followed.
S. No.
Movie
India Gross Collection
Overseas Collection
Worldwide Collection
1
Dhurandhar (2025)
729.00 crore
215.00 crore
944.00 crore
2
Animal (2023)
660.00 crore
255.00 crore
915.00 crore
3
Salaar: Ceasefire (2023)
488.00 crore
130.00 crore
618.00 crore
4
Coolie (2025)
337.50 crore
180.50 crore
518.00 crore
5
Kabir Singh (2019)
330.00 crore
47.00 crore
377.00 crore
Note: Data as of December 24, 2025.
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