Bollywood Actors With Most Hits And Flops: Who Really Rules The Box Office?
Think you know who owns the box office? Explore the list of Bollywood actors with the highest number of hits and flops.
Bollywood stardom is built on Friday fate. One blockbuster can turn an actor into a phenomenon, while one big-budget failure can trigger endless questions about their box-office pull. But the real picture is never that simple. Some stars have ruled theatres for decades and naturally collected both hits and flops along the way. Some have fewer releases but a stronger success ratio. Some delivered record-breaking blockbusters, only to follow them up with painful dry spells. While massive blockbusters establish an actor's dominance, high flop counts are not necessarily a sign of a bad actor; rather, they are often the byproduct of signing an extraordinary number of films or taking massive experimental risks.
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So, who actually rules the box office by the numbers? Here is a deep dive into the undisputed kings of the box office who hold the record for the biggest and most hits, alongside the resilient stars – both veteran and new-age – who have delivered the highest number of flops in Bollywood history.
The Kings Of The Box Office: Actors With The Biggest Hits
1. Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar’s box-office record is one of the most unusual in Bollywood because he belongs to both conversations: most hits and many flops. According to Box Office India’s actor hit-count table, Akshay has one of the highest hit tallies among Hindi film actors, with 32 hits from 122 listed releases. That huge number comes from the sheer volume of his work and his ability to move across genres – action, comedy, social drama, patriotic films, franchise entertainers and courtroom dramas. His major successes include ‘Khiladi’, ‘Mohra’, ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’, ‘Namastey London’, ‘Welcome’, ‘Singh Is Kinng’, ‘Housefull’, ‘Airlift’, ‘Rustom’, ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’, ‘Kesari’, ‘Mission Mangal’, ‘Housefull 4’, ‘Good Newwz’, ‘Sooryavanshi’ and ‘OMG 2’. However, Akshay’s career also proves that constant output comes with risk. His recent run has seen setbacks with films such as ‘Bachchhan Paandey’, ‘Samrat Prithviraj’, ‘Raksha Bandhan’, ‘Selfiee’, ‘Mission Raniganj’, ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’, ‘Sarfira’ and ‘Khel Khel Mein’.
2. Shah Rukh Khan
For pure scale of blockbuster, few match Shah Rukh Khan. He built the template for modern overseas Bollywood dominance with ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (1995) and ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ (1998), and stacked up era-defining hits like ‘Chak De! India’, ‘Om Shanti Om’, ‘Don 2’ and ‘Chennai Express’. His most staggering run came in 2023, when he returned from a long gap with two all-time mega-blockbusters back-to-back: ‘Pathaan’ (around Rs 543 crore India, over Rs 1,050 crore worldwide) and ‘Jawan’ (about Rs 640 crore India, roughly Rs 1,148 crore worldwide) – making him the first leading man of the modern era to post two Rs 1,000 crore worldwide films in a single year. SRK has had underperformers too, including ‘Swades’, ‘Paheli’, ‘Fan’, ‘Jab Harry Met Sejal’ and ‘Zero’, but the scale of his biggest hits makes him one of Bollywood’s most powerful box-office names.
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3. Salman Khan
Salman Khan’s hit record is built on mass hysteria, festival releases and single-screen pull few stars have ever commanded. His dominance was cemented by ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!’ (1994) and a remarkable 2010s run of ‘Dabangg’, ‘Ready’, ‘Bodyguard’, ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ and ‘Kick’. At his peak, his money-spinners were enormous: ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ (2015) grossed over Rs 900 crore worldwide once its later China release was counted, ‘Sultan’ (2016) crossed Rs 620 crore globally, and ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ (2017) topped Rs 560 crore worldwide. For most of the decade, a Salman release on Eid was as close to a guaranteed opening as the industry had. That said, Salman has also seen major disappointments. Films like ‘Main Aurr Mrs Khanna’, ‘London Dreams’, ‘Tubelight’, ‘Race 3’, ‘Radhe’, and ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ did not match expectations.
4. Ajay Devgn
Ajay Devgn’s box-office strength lies in variety and longevity. Box Office India lists him with 23 hits, making him one of the most consistent actors across decades. Unlike stars tied to one fixed image, Ajay has moved from action hero to intense performer, comic lead, franchise face and thriller specialist with surprising ease. Some of his hit films include ‘Golmaal’, ‘Singham’, ‘Bol Bachchan’, ‘Son Of Sardaar’, ‘Singham Returns’, ‘Drishyam’, ‘Golmaal Again’, ‘Raid’, ‘Total Dhamaal’, ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’, ‘Drishyam 2’, and ‘Shaitaan’. Ajay has had clear misses too, including ‘Action Jackson’, ‘Runway 34’, ‘Maidaan’ and ‘Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha’, but his ability to bounce back keeps him firmly in the hit-machine conversation.
5. Aamir Khan
Aamir Khan has done far fewer films than most actors on this list, but his impact on the box office has been enormous. He is the actor most associated with breaking each new box office ceiling – the Rs 100 crore, Rs 300 crore and eventually Rs 2,000 crore milestones. ‘3 Idiots’ (2009) became the first Hindi film to cross Rs 200 crore worldwide; ‘PK’ (2014) grossed in the region of Rs 800 crore globally; and ‘Dangal’ (2016), powered by an extraordinary run in China, grossed over Rs 2,000 crore worldwide to become the highest-grossing Indian film of all time. His other successful films include ‘Lagaan’, ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Dhoom 3’, and ‘Ghajini’. Aamir has faced big setbacks too, including ‘Mela’, ‘Mangal Pandey: The Rising’, ‘Thugs Of Hindostan’ and ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, but his biggest films changed the box-office ceiling for Bollywood.
6. Amitabh Bachchan
No account of Bollywood’s biggest hits is complete without the original superstar. Through the 1970s and 80s, Amitabh Bachchan delivered a near-unbroken wall of blockbusters as the “angry young man” – ‘Zanjeer’ (1973), ‘Deewaar’ (1975), ‘Don’ (1978), ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’ and ‘Coolie’ among them. His defining hit, ‘Sholay’ (1975), is still regarded as the most successful Hindi film ever in footfalls. His era’s rupee figures aren’t directly comparable to the modern numbers above, but in sheer dominance he set the standard every “box office king” since has been measured against.
7. Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan’s strike rate is one of the best of his generation. He debuted with the hit ‘Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai’ (2000) and built a career on spectacle – ‘Koi… Mil Gaya’, ‘Dhoom 2’, ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ and the ‘Krrish’ movies. His single biggest commercial triumph is ‘War’ (2019), which grossed over Rs 475 crore worldwide and became the first Hindi film to net Rs 50 crore in a single day. Hrithik has had some expensive setbacks too, including ‘Kites’, ‘Guzaarish’ and ‘Mohenjo Daro’ and ‘Vikram Vedha’. Still, his filmography shows a strong big-event pull, especially when he is placed in action, franchise or spectacle-driven films.
8. Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor is a classic case of high highs and painful lows. He delivered loved hits like ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ (2013) and ‘Barfi!’ before ‘Sanju’ (2018) became a giant success at over Rs 340 crore in India. His career-best, ‘Animal’ (2023), shattered expectations with roughly Rs 554 crore in India – his first Rs 500 crore film – and close to Rs 917 crore worldwide. His other successful films include ‘Rockstar’, ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ and ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’. Interestingly, his colossal hits are contrasted by massive disasters, such as ‘Bombay Velvet’ (2015), ‘Jagga Jasoos’ (2017), and ‘Shamshera’ (2022).
9. Ranveer Singh
Ranveer Singh became a box office force under Sanjay Leela Bhansali, anchoring period blockbusters ‘Bajirao Mastani’ (2015) and ‘Padmaavat’ (2018, over Rs 585 crore worldwide), and the cop-universe hit ‘Simmba’ (2018, around Rs 400 crore globally). His biggest milestone, though, is the most recent: ‘Dhurandhar’ franchise. ‘Dhurandhar 2’ emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi-language film of all time, collecting Rs 1149 crore in India and powering Bollywood’s record-breaking year – surpassing even ‘Stree 2’. Hi other hits include ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’, ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’, ‘Gully Boy’, and ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’. Ranveer’s career also faced a rough stretch with ‘83’, ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’ and ‘Cirkus’, all of which underperformed.
10. Varun Dhawan
Varun Dhawan holds a completely unique record in the modern era of Bollywood. He reportedly delivered around 11 straight box office successes before his first flop. From his debut ‘Student of the Year’ (2012) through ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’, ‘Badlapur’, ‘ABCD 2’, ‘Dilwale’, ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’ and ‘Judwaa 2’ (which crossed Rs 138 crore), he was seen as the most bankable young star around. However, that streak broke with the big-budget ‘Kalank’ (2019), and his run has been more uneven since – but few peers can claim a launch period that consistent.
Actors With The Most Flops
1. Mithun Chakraborty
Mithun Chakraborty holds the all-time record by a distance: roughly 180 flops (about 133 flops and 47 disasters) across a career of some 270 films – a failure rate near 60 per cent. The figure ballooned because of how relentlessly he worked through the 1980s and 90s, often headlining a dozen low-budget films a year (he once shot 19 in a single year). His most infamous stretch was a run of 33 consecutive flops between 1993 and 1998. And yet he remains a celebrated star, because the projects that worked became huge movies – he won a National Award for his very first film, ‘Mrigayaa’, and gave Indian cinema a cult phenomenon in ‘Disco Dancer’. His other major successes include ‘Pyar Jhukta Nahin’, ‘Dance Dance’, ‘Ghulami’, ‘Commando’, ‘Guru’, ‘Agneepath’, and later supporting appearances in films such as ‘Housefull 2’, ‘OMG! Oh My God!’ and ‘Kick’, among others. His career is the clearest proof that flop count alone never tells the story.
2. Jeetendra
The “Jumping Jack” of Bollywood sits second with around 106 flops across roughly 200-plus films. A fixture of the 1970s and 80s, Jeetendra thrived on energetic dance numbers and a long line of South-remake potboilers opposite stars like Sridevi and Jaya Prada. His hits – ‘Dharam Veer’, ‘Jaani Dushman’, ‘Caravan’, ‘Himmatwala’, ‘Tohfa’ and others – kept him among the most commercially active stars of his time, but the sheer size of his filmography meant the misses stacked up just as fast as audience tastes shifted. A prime example is ‘Deedar-E-Yaar’ (1982), a colossal box office disaster that reportedly nearly bankrupted its producers.
3. Dharmendra
It may surprise many to find a legend like Dharmendra here, but the original “He-Man” carried roughly 99 flops across a filmography of well over 200 films spread across five decades. That total sits alongside an enormous hit list led by ‘Sholay’, ‘Phool Aur Patthar’, ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat’ and ‘Dharam Veer’, among several others. His flop count is a function of extraordinary longevity – he kept working through every changing era, from romantic dramas to action to later character roles – rather than any dip in stature. A notable disaster was the Indo-American heist film ‘Shalimar’ (1978), which was made on a massive budget but completely tanked domestically.
4. Govinda
Govinda ruled the 1990s with a comedy-and-dance template – ‘Coolie No.1’, ‘Hero No.1’, ‘Raja Babu’, ‘Saajan Chale Sasural’ and ‘Partner’ – that made him one of the most loved mass stars of the decade. But trade tallies credit him with around 75 flops, most of them concentrated in a steep later-career decline. His attempted comebacks turned into painful failures: ‘Happy Ending’ (2014) managed only a small lifetime total, and his solo return ‘Aa Gaya Hero’ (2017) barely registered at the box office. Govinda’s arc shows how quickly a once-unbeatable comic formula can stop connecting with newer audiences.
5. Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt’s roller-coaster career carries roughly 70 flops alongside some genuinely iconic hits. He anchored beloved films like ‘Vaastav’, ‘Rocky’, ‘Naam’, ‘Khalnayak’, ‘Sadak’, ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.’ and ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’, and reinvented himself as a memorable screen villain in ‘Agneepath’ and ‘KGF: Chapter 2’. But his later solo ventures frequently missed: ‘Prassthanam’ (2019) collected only a few crore against a far larger budget, and ‘Bhoomi’ (2017) wrapped up at a modest lifetime figure. His flop list also includes films such as ‘Plan’, ‘Rudraksh’, ‘Musafir’, ‘Tango Charlie’, ‘Shabd’, ‘Panipat’, and ‘Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3’. Still, his career stands out because he has repeatedly found ways to re-enter the conversation through antagonist roles.
6. Arjun Kapoor
Arjun Kapoor’s career began with promise – ‘Ishaqzaade’ (2012), ‘2 States’ (2014) and ‘Gunday’ (2014) – but has struggled badly for consistency since. A long list of underperformers followed: ‘Tevar’, ‘Namaste England’, ‘Panipat’, ‘Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar’ and ‘Kuttey’ among them. His direct-to-the-record-books low came with ‘The Lady Killer’ (2023), a release so quietly buried that it reportedly sold only a few hundred tickets. His trajectory illustrates how hard survival has become for new-age leads when strong openings, good content and audience loyalty fail to line up.
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7. Tiger Shroff
Among new-age stars, Tiger Shroff’s record has soured sharply. He arrived as a bankable action draw with ‘Heropanti’ (2014), ‘Baaghi ‘2 (2018) and the blockbuster ‘War’ (2019), but then strung together a damaging run of failures: ‘A Flying Jatt’, ‘Munna Michael’ and ‘Student Of The Year 2’. Then came ‘Heropanti 2’ (2022), followed by the dystopian ‘Ganapath’ (2023, which collected barely Rs 13 crore against a budget many times that), and ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ (2024), one of the costliest flops of its year. His 2025 outing ‘Baaghi 4’ did little to reverse the slide, leaving his hits outnumbered by his misses over the past decade.
8. Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor is the contemporary box office paradox. His major hits include ‘Jab We Met’, ‘Kaminey’, ‘Haider’, ‘Udta Punjab’ and ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’. He has also anchored some of the biggest films of the last decade – ‘Padmaavat’ (2018) and ‘Kabir Singh’ (2019), the latter a blockbuster at over Rs 275 crore in India – yet he also carries one of the higher flop counts among current A-listers. For every career-defining high, there has been a notable miss: ‘Mausam’, ‘Shaandaar’, ‘Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’, ‘Paathshaala’, ‘Teri Meri Kahaani’, ‘Rangoon’ and the post-pandemic sports drama ‘Jersey’ all underperformed. His record proves an actor can rank among both the biggest hitmakers and the most flop-prone stars at once.
So, Who Really Rules The Box Office?
The honest answer is that there’s no single crown, because each metric points to a different king. By sheer number of hits and Rs 100-crore films, Akshay Kumar leads the contemporary pack. By biggest single blockbusters and global pull, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan own the record books. By the highest-grossing Hindi film ever, that title now belongs to Ranveer Singh with ‘Dhurandhar 2’.
On the other side, the flop-count leaders – Mithun Chakraborty, Jeetendra, Dharmendra, Govinda and Sanjay Dutt – make a different point entirely. Their towering failure tallies are mostly a side effect of decades of relentless work through shifting trends and production systems; the misses multiplied right alongside the hits. The new-age names in that column, from Tiger Shroff to Arjun Kapoor, show how unforgiving today’s box office has become when content and star power don’t align.
The real takeaway: Bollywood’s most enduring stars are remembered not because they avoided failure, but because they survived it – delivering blockbusters, weathering disasters, reinventing themselves and staying in the audience’s imagination through both. The box office counts the money. Legacy counts the endurance.
