Indian Films With Biggest Opening Day Box Office Collections: ‘Pushpa 2’ To ‘Dhurandhar 2’

Written By: Entertainment Desk

Sep 01, 2026 14:16 IST ⓘ

‘Pushpa 2’ to ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, Indian films that created box-office history on their opening day.

The first Friday used to be a test. For India’s biggest films, it has become a full-blown festival: midnight shows, fan processions, servers groaning under advance-booking traffic and box-office records disappearing before the evening news. A huge opening does not automatically make a great film – or even a hit – but it does reveal the extraordinary size of the audience willing to turn up before word of mouth has had its say. That is also why this is no longer a Bollywood-only contest.

Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi blockbusters now open simultaneously across languages and countries, with pan-India stars competing on the same global scoreboard. ‘Pushpa 2’ currently owns the biggest opening, while ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ came remarkably close in 2026. Several expected names make the cut, but so do films whose opening-day fireworks were much brighter than their eventual theatrical journeys.

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The ranking uses Sacnilk’s worldwide opening gross, making the comparison consistent across industries and languages.

1. Pushpa 2: The Rule

Pushpa Raj did not merely arrive; he kicked open the box-office door. Sukumar’s ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, starring Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil, released on December 5, 2024 and amassed an estimated Rs 279 crore worldwide in its opening event, including paid previews. That remains the largest start recorded for an Indian film. Built on a reported budget of around Rs 400 crore, the action drama capitalised on three years of anticipation, Allu Arjun’s National Award-winning character and a release spanning several Indian languages.

The frenzy did not vanish after day one. The sequel completed its run with approximately Rs 1,234.10 crore net in India and Rs 1,742.10 crore gross worldwide.

2. Dhurandhar: The Revenge

Ranveer Singh’s return as Hamza Ali Mazari turned a sequel into a national event. Written and directed by Aditya Dhar, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ released on March 19, 2026, with Sara Arjun, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan and Yami Gautam joining Ranveer in the sprawling ensemble. Sacnilk placed its worldwide opening event at Rs 226.60 crore after including its substantial paid-preview business, giving the film the second-biggest Indian opening on record.

No independently verified standalone budget for the sequel has been published; a Bollywood Hungama report placed the combined production cost of the two ‘Dhurandhar’ films at roughly Rs 255 crore. Whatever the accounting split, the sequel’s final numbers were spectacular: about Rs 1,149.30 crore net in India and Rs 1,813.39 crore worldwide.

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3. RRR

When SS Rajamouli brought Jr NTR and Ram Charan together, restraint was never part of the pitch. Released on March 25, 2022, ‘RRR’ also featured Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt in extended appearances, but its beating heart was the larger-than-life friendship between Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju. Made on an estimated Rs 550 crore budget, the period action epic grossed around Rs 223 crore worldwide on day one, including approximately Rs 133 crore net in India.

The film went on to collect about Rs 782.20 crore net domestically and Rs 1,230 crore worldwide. Then came the afterlife few opening-day blockbusters receive: international acclaim, packed revival screenings and an Oscar for its song ‘Naatu Naatu’.

4. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion

For nearly two years, India asked one question: why did Kattappa kill Baahubali? The answer arrived on April 28, 2017, and audiences were in no mood to wait for spoilers. Directed by SS Rajamouli and led by Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishnan and Sathyaraj, ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ opened to roughly Rs 217 crore worldwide. Its estimated budget was Rs 250 crore – massive for its time, but almost modest when placed beside the empire it created.

The film collected approximately Rs 1,030.42 crore net in India and Rs 1,788.06 crore worldwide. More importantly, it rewrote the possibilities of an Indian event film. Long before “pan-India” became every producer’s favourite phrase, Mahishmati had already shown how language barriers could collapse under the weight of spectacle, emotion and one very marketable cliffhanger.

5. Kalki 2898 AD

Nag Ashwin mixed the Mahabharata, dystopian science fiction and Prabhas-sized star power in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’. Released on June 27, 2024, the Rs 600 crore production starred Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani. Its ambitious universe drew an estimated Rs 177.72 crore worldwide on day one, with approximately Rs 95.30 crore net coming from India.

The film ultimately earned around Rs 646.31 crore net in India and Rs 1,042.25 crore worldwide. Amitabh’s towering Ashwatthama, Prabhas’ roguish Bhairava and the promise of a much larger war gave the movie both immediate curiosity and sequel fuel.

6. KGF: Chapter 2

By the time Rocky walked back onto the screen, he was no longer merely a Kannada-film hero – he was a pan-India mass phenomenon. Prashanth Neel’s ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ released on April 14, 2022 and starred Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon. Made for a reported Rs 100 crore, it opened with an estimated Rs 159 crore worldwide and around Rs 116 crore net in India.

The sequel eventually collected approximately Rs 859.70 crore net in India and Rs 1,215 crore worldwide. Its soot-covered frames, thunderous dialogue and Sanjay Dutt’s Adheera turned excess into an aesthetic.

7. Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire

Prabhas and Prashanth Neel joining forces was always going to create noise. ‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire’, released on December 22, 2023, added Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan and Jagapathi Babu to its world of violent friendships, warring clans and industrial quantities of charcoal-grey colour grading. The reported Rs 200 crore film earned approximately Rs 158.12 crore worldwide on day one, including Rs 90.70 crore net in India.

Its lifetime stood at about Rs 406.45 crore net in India and Rs 617.75 crore worldwide. Those totals did not reach the stratosphere suggested by its opening, but the first-day figure proved how potent the combination of the ‘Baahubali’ star and the ‘KGF’ director was. Even before audiences understood Khansaar’s family tree, they had paid handsomely to enter it.

8. Coolie

Rajinikanth plus Lokesh Kanagaraj was the kind of equation trade analysts did not need a calculator to get excited about. Released on August 14, 2025, ‘Coolie’ featured Rajinikanth alongside Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Soubin Shahir, Upendra and Sathyaraj, with Aamir Khan making a cameo. The action drama, made on a reported Rs 350 crore budget, opened to around Rs 151.14 crore worldwide and Rs 65 crore net in India.

It concluded with approximately Rs 285.01 crore net in India and Rs 518 crore worldwide. The run was less dominant than its historic launch, but that opening reaffirmed something Indian cinema has known for decades: when Rajinikanth arrives in the right vehicle, the first day behaves less like a release and more like a public holiday.

9. Leo

Was Vijay’s apparently mild-mannered café owner secretly a gangster from the Lokesh Cinematic Universe? Audiences rushed to find out on October 19, 2023. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, ‘Leo’ starred Vijay, Trisha Krishnan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja and Gautham Vasudev Menon. The Rs 250 crore action thriller collected an estimated Rs 142.03 crore worldwide on its opening day, with around Rs 64.80 crore net in India.

The film ended its run at approximately Rs 341.04 crore net in India and Rs 605.90 crore worldwide. Its divided critical reception did little to diminish the launch: Vijay’s following, the LCU speculation and Anirudh Ravichander’s music had already turned opening day into an appointment.

10. Devara: Part 1

Jr NTR’s first lead release after ‘RRR’ arrived carrying ocean-sized expectations. Koratala Siva’s ‘Devara: Part 1’, released on September 27, 2024, paired him with Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor, with Prakash Raj in a key role. The coastal action drama, reportedly made for about Rs 300 crore, opened to Rs 142.02 crore worldwide and approximately Rs 82.50 crore net in India.

It ultimately earned about Rs 292.47 crore net in India and Rs 428 crore worldwide. The lifetime result was respectable rather than record-demolishing, yet the opening demonstrated Jr NTR’s enormous post-RRR drawing power.

11. Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups

Yash’s first theatrical release after ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ was never going to slip quietly into cinemas. Geetu Mohandas’ ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups’ released on August 26, 2026 and brought together Yash, Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. Sacnilk’s final tracker placed its day-one worldwide gross at about Rs 140 crore, including a colossal Rs 101.10 crore net in India. The film’s budget has not been officially disclosed, although reports have estimated it at around Rs 500 crore.

Unlike the older titles here, ‘Toxic’ is still in theatres. Through its first six completed days, it had collected approximately Rs 221.55 crore net in India and Rs 304.05 crore worldwide. Its final verdict therefore remains unwritten – and its steep post-opening trajectory makes it the list’s best reminder that day one measures anticipation, not necessarily endurance.

12. Saaho

After ‘Baahubali 2’, Prabhas could probably have opened a three-hour film about reading the telephone directory. Instead, he chose Sujeeth’s glossy action thriller ‘Saaho’, released on August 30, 2019. Shraddha Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Jackie Shroff and Chunky Panday joined him in the Rs 350 crore production, which opened to approximately Rs 130 crore worldwide and Rs 89 crore net in India.

The film finished with around Rs 310.60 crore net in India and Rs 451 crore worldwide. Reviews were mixed and its mammoth cost complicated the commercial verdict, but the opening itself was historic.

13. Jawan

Shah Rukh Khan began 2023 by reviving the box office with ‘Pathaan’ and then returned eight months later as his own competition. Atlee’s ‘Jawan’, released on September 7, 2023, starred SRK in a double role alongside Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi, with Deepika Padukone in a special appearance and Priyamani and Sanya Malhotra in the ensemble. Made on an estimated Rs 300 crore budget, it earned approximately Rs 129.13 crore worldwide on day one and Rs 75 crore net in India.

Its lifetime reached about Rs 640.25 crore net domestically and Rs 1,160 crore worldwide. Atlee fused the grammar of a Tamil mass entertainer with SRK’s global stardom, then added disguises, father-son drama and a monologue aimed directly at voters.

14. Adipurush

Few films illustrate the distance between opening curiosity and final sentiment better than ‘Adipurush’. Om Raut’s mythological epic, starring Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan and Sunny Singh, released on June 16, 2023. Reportedly made for Rs 500 crore, it collected around Rs 128.08 crore worldwide on day one, including approximately Rs 86.75 crore net in India.

Controversy over its dialogues and visual interpretation quickly overwhelmed that record start. The film closed with approximately Rs 288.15 crore net in India and Rs 393 crore worldwide – numbers that looked substantial until placed beside its budget and opening.

15. Animal

An adults-only certificate, a running time of more than three hours and a deeply polarising protagonist might normally restrain an opening. ‘Animal’ treated all three as promotional material. Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the December 1, 2023 release starred Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna and Triptii Dimri. Made for a reported Rs 200 crore, it opened to approximately Rs 116 crore worldwide and Rs 63.80 crore net in India.

The film’s debates only amplified its theatrical run, which ended at around Rs 553.87 crore net in India and Rs 915 crore worldwide. Whether viewers admired Ranvijay, recoiled from him or spent weeks arguing about him, indifference was never on the menu. For a film called ‘Animal’, its box-office appetite was appropriately ferocious.

16. 2.0

Long before every major release was advertised as “pan-India,” Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar were already staging a multilingual robot-versus-mutant-bird showdown. S Shankar’s ‘2.0’, released on November 29, 2018, also starred Amy Jackson and was made on a reported budget of approximately Rs 543 crore. It grossed about Rs 115 crore worldwide on its first day.

The science-fiction spectacle went on to collect approximately Rs 407.05 crore net in India and Rs 691 crore worldwide. Its VFX ambition, 3D presentation and the novelty of Akshay facing Rajinikanth created an opening worthy of a sequel to Enthiran.

Honourable Mention: Pathaan

Four years without a Shah Rukh Khan-led release created the sort of anticipation marketing departments dream about. Siddharth Anand’s ‘Pathaan’ arrived on January 25, 2023, starring Shah Rukh, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, with Salman Khan supplying a theatre-shaking cameo. The Rs 250 crore spy thriller opened to approximately Rs 104.19 crore worldwide and Rs 57 crore net in India.

It eventually amassed around Rs 543.09 crore net in India and Rs 1,055 crore worldwide. ‘Pathaan’ deserves a mention in this list even though it sits at the bottom of this particular ranking because it became the first Hindi-led film to cross Rs 100 crore worldwide on opening day.