Adults Only, Crores Unlimited: 15 Highest-Grossing A-Rated Indian Films
As Kareena Kapoor and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s A-rated ‘Daayra’ nears release, we revisit the Indian films that proved an adults-only certificate is no box-office barrier.
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An adults-only certificate was once treated as a box-office handicap. It immediately removed younger viewers from the audience pool, discouraged family outings and made television sales considerably trickier. Filmmakers therefore often trimmed violence, intimacy and strong language to secure a more commercially convenient U/A rating. The rule, however, has been thoroughly rewritten. Indian audiences have repeatedly turned up for films carrying an ‘A’ certificate – and some have gone on to make sums once considered impossible for adult-rated cinema.
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The subject is back in focus because Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Daayra’ has received an ‘A’ certificate ahead of its theatrical release on September 18, 2026. The 2-hour-23-minute investigative thriller stars Kareena Kapoor Khan as DCP Ajooni Kohli and Prithviraj Sukumaran as DCP Raman Kumar – two officers who find themselves on opposing sides after a case raises uncomfortable questions about police vigilantism, public anger and the difference between justice and retribution. Inspired by multiple real-life cases rather than one specific incident, the film also features Jitendra Joshi, Kshitee Jog, Kanwaljeet Singh, Sandeep Kulkarni and Trupti Khamkar. It is, incidentally, the tenth A-rated film of Kareena’s career.
As ‘Daayra’ prepares to test whether crime drama can once again bring viewers to theatres, here are the highest-grossing A-rated Indian films, ranked by their reported worldwide theatrical collections.
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1. Dhurandhar: The Revenge - Rs 1,813.39 crore
Released on March 19, 2026, Aditya Dhar’s supersized spy sequel made its ‘A’ certificate look less like a restriction and more like a badge of honour. Ranveer Singh returned at the centre of the action, joined by R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi. The story continued its undercover operative’s infiltration of Karachi’s criminal and political networks, with the stakes, violence and runtime all expanding dramatically – the certified version ran for nearly four hours.
Yet neither the adults-only rating nor the epic length could slow it down. Sacnilk placed the film’s India net collection at Rs 1,149.30 crore and its worldwide gross at an extraordinary Rs 1,813.39 crore, making it the highest-grossing A-rated Indian film by a distance.
2. Dhurandhar – Rs 1,307.35 crore
Before its sequel turned the record book into confetti, the original ‘Dhurandhar’ had already made history. Released on December 5, 2025, Aditya Dhar’s espionage action thriller starred Ranveer Singh alongside Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and Sara Arjun. Its long runtime, dense web of spies and gangsters, and uncompromising violence earned it an ‘A’ certificate – but audiences clearly did not require parental guidance to locate the ticket counter.
The film began with a relatively modest Rs 28 crore India net opening before growing spectacularly through word of mouth. Sacnilk reported an India net lifetime of Rs 840.20 crore and a worldwide gross of Rs 1,307.35 crore.
3. Animal – Rs 915 crore
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Animal’ arrived on December 1, 2023, carrying an ‘A’ certificate, a 201-minute runtime and enough bloodshed to keep the cleaning staff permanently busy. Ranbir Kapoor played Ranvijay Singh, whose fierce devotion to his emotionally distant father, portrayed by Anil Kapoor, sent him spiralling into violence. Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Triptii Dimri and Shakti Kapoor completed the principal cast.
The film triggered arguments about misogyny, toxic masculinity and screen violence almost immediately – but the debates only made the theatrical event larger. Sacnilk recorded Rs 553.87 crore net in India and Rs 915 crore worldwide. Until the arrival of the ‘Dhurandhar’ films, it stood as the defining example of how an adults-only movie could behave like a mainstream festival blockbuster.
4. Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire – Rs 617.75 crore
Prashanth Neel’s worlds are rarely known for resolving disagreements over a polite cup of tea, and ‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire’ was no exception. Released on December 22, 2023, the Telugu action epic starred Prabhas as Deva and Prithviraj Sukumaran as Varadha, childhood friends drawn into the brutal struggle for control of Khansaar. Shruti Haasan, Sriya Reddy, Jagapathi Babu and Bobby Simha appeared in important roles.
Its intense violence resulted in an ‘A’ certificate, but Prabhas and Neel’s combined pull ensured a huge pan-Indian launch. Sacnilk reported a Rs 406.45 crore India net collection and Rs 617.75 crore worldwide gross.
5. Coolie – Rs 518 crore
Rajinikanth entering an A-rated Lokesh Kanagaraj action film already sounded like a box-office event; ‘Coolie’ made sure the numbers agreed. Released on August 14, 2025, the Tamil action thriller brought Rajinikanth together with Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan and Sathyaraj, with Aamir Khan appearing in a special role. The story plunged its characters into a dangerous criminal world shaped by old grievances, smuggling and revenge.
The CBFC’s adult rating – Rajinikanth’s first in nearly 35 years – was challenged by the producers, but the Madras High Court upheld it. Commercially, the restriction proved manageable: Sacnilk recorded Rs 285.01 crore net in India and Rs 518 crore worldwide. Rajinikanth had spent decades making coins fly, cigarettes rotate and sunglasses obey the laws of Superstar physics; an ‘A’ on the certificate was not going to frighten his audience.
6. Kabir Singh – Rs 377 crore
Released on June 21, 2019, ‘Kabir Singh’ starred Shahid Kapoor as a brilliant but self-destructive surgeon whose alcoholism, rage and obsessive relationship with Preeti, played by Kiara Advani, consume his life. Sandeep Reddy Vanga directed the Hindi remake of his Telugu hit ‘Arjun Reddy’, with Arjan Bajwa, Soham Majumdar and Nikita Dutta in supporting roles.
The film’s depiction of romance and aggression created a cultural firestorm, but commercially it became Shahid Kapoor’s biggest solo success. Sacnilk listed its India net collection at Rs 278.80 crore and worldwide gross at Rs 377 crore. More significantly, it became one of the earliest A-rated Hindi films to sail past Rs 200 crore net domestically.
7. Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups – Rs 341.23 crore
The subtitle had already warned everyone that children were not the target audience. Geetu Mohandas’ ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups’ released on August 26, 2026, starring Yash alongside Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth and Tara Sutaria. Set against a stylised criminal landscape, the gangster drama explored power, family loyalties and moral compromise while giving Yash another character designed to enter rooms as though background music follows him everywhere.
The film opened enormously before slowing sharply, but its initial charge still secured it a place among Indian cinema’s biggest A-rated earners. Sacnilk currently records Rs 249.24 crore net in India and Rs 341.23 crore worldwide. It may not have maintained the record-breaking pace suggested by its opening, but Rs 341 crore is hardly a fairy tale with an unhappy ending.
8. The Kashmir Files – Rs 341 crore
Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’ was released on March 11, 2022, with Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumaar and Pallavi Joshi leading the cast. Centred on the displacement and killings of Kashmiri Pandits, the film received an ‘A’ certificate and began its theatrical journey without the opening usually associated with a major blockbuster.
What happened next became one of modern Hindi cinema’s most startling word-of-mouth stories. Public discussion, political endorsement and intense debate caused its screens and collections to multiply after release. Sacnilk placed its India net total at Rs 252.25 crore and worldwide gross at Rs 341 crore – an extraordinary result for a film that opened at roughly Rs 3.5 crore net.
9. The Kerala Story – Rs 302 crore
Sudipto Sen’s ‘The Kerala Story’, released on May 5, 2023, followed a group of young women whose lives are destroyed through radicalisation, religious conversion and trafficking. Adah Sharma led the film alongside Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani and Siddhi Idnani. Its claims and marketing generated major political and factual disputes even before release, while the CBFC granted it an ‘A’ certificate after ordering several alterations.
Controversy soon became fuel at the ticket window. The film opened at Rs 8.04 crore net and kept growing, eventually reaching Rs 241.74 crore net in India and Rs 302 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk.
10. Mirzapur: The Movie – Rs 273.64 crore and counting
Who needed to make ‘Mirzapur’ family-friendly when the franchise had spent three seasons warning viewers that family itself was the most dangerous thing in town? Gurmmeet Singh’s theatrical extension arrived on September 4, 2026, with Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Jitendra Kumar, Ravi Kishan, Shweta Tripathi and Rasika Dugal among its sprawling cast. The film carried an ‘A’ certificate and a formidable runtime of 3 hours and 17 minutes.
The leap from streaming to cinemas worked spectacularly. Through its first 11 days, Sacnilk reported Rs 190.20 crore net in India and Rs 273.64 crore worldwide. Since the film remains in theatres, that total will continue changing – but it has already surpassed several established A-rated hits.
11. OMG 2 – Rs 221.75 crore
A film about adolescent s*x education receiving an ‘A’ certificate created an obvious contradiction: many of the people who could have benefited from its message were legally prevented from watching it in theatres. Nevertheless, Amit Rai’s ‘OMG 2’ released on August 11, 2023, starring Pankaj Tripathi as a father fighting for educational reform, Yami Gautam as the opposing lawyer and Akshay Kumar as a divine messenger.
The film also had to contend with ‘Gadar 2’, which opened on the same day and rapidly became a phenomenon. Yet positive word of mouth allowed ‘OMG 2’ to build an impressive run of its own. Sacnilk recorded Rs 151.16 crore net in India and Rs 221.75 crore worldwide. It is perhaps the rare adults-only blockbuster whose central argument was that young people deserved better access to accurate information.
12. Grand Masti – Rs 147.94 crore
There was never much mystery about why ‘Grand Masti’ received an ‘A’ certificate. Released on September 13, 2013, Indra Kumar’s comedy reunited Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani as three married friends whose college reunion becomes an escalating parade of double entendres, lies and extremely questionable decisions. Kainaat Arora, Bruna Abdullah and Sonalee Kulkarni featured in prominent roles.
Critics largely tore it apart, but the audience had other plans. The sequel became the first adult comedy to enter the Rs 100 crore India net club, earning Rs 102 crore domestically and Rs 147.94 crore worldwide according to Bollywood Hungama.
13. Cocktail 2 – Rs 147.73 crore
Homi Adajania returned to the ‘Cocktail’ world with an entirely new central trio – Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna. Released on June 19, 2026, the romantic drama followed friendship, attraction and emotional confusion into considerably more mature territory than its 2012 predecessor. The CBFC awarded it an ‘A’ certificate without demanding visual cuts, although Shahid later admitted that even he was trying to understand exactly why it had received an adults-only rating.
The certificate probably narrowed its family audience, but the film still collected Rs 95.50 crore net in India and Rs 147.73 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk.
14. Veere Di Wedding – Rs 138.95 crore
Long before Kareena Kapoor Khan became DCP Ajooni Kohli in ‘Daayra’, she led another adults-only success – although the danger in that film came from weddings, parental expectations and spectacularly complicated love lives. Shashanka Ghosh’s ‘Veere Di Wedding’ released on June 1, 2018, starring Kareena, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania as four friends navigating marriage, divorce, s*x and adulthood.
The film’s language and frank se**al content earned it an ‘A’ certificate and attracted predictable outrage, particularly over Swara’s ma**urbation scene. None of that prevented a strong opening. Bollywood Hungama recorded Rs 81.39 crore net in India and Rs 138.95 crore worldwide.
15. The Dirty Picture – Rs 116.55 crore
Released on December 2, 2011, Milan Luthria’s ‘The Dirty Picture’ starred Vidya Balan as Silk, an ambitious performer who uses her se**ality to rise through a male-dominated South Indian film industry. Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Tusshar Kapoor completed the principal cast. Inspired by the era and public image of stars such as Silk Smitha, the film combined show-business satire, tragedy and unabashed sensuality.
Its ‘A’ certificate was practically part of the marketing, but Vidya’s fearless performance ensured the movie was discussed as much for its acting as for its boldness. Sacnilk reported Rs 79.75 crore net in India and Rs 116.55 crore worldwide. At the time, that was an enormous result for a female-led adult drama and helped demolish several assumptions about what – and whom – audiences would pay to watch.
The films on this list could hardly be more different: spy spectacles, gangster epics, political dramas, comedies, romances and a courtroom film about s*x education. Their common achievement was proving that the ‘A’ on a censor certificate does not automatically place a ceiling on theatrical success.
