Bollywood is not living in its golden days anymore. There was a time when multiple hits or at least average-grossers were being released every year. But one lockdown changed everything.
The situation became so different that audiences started to reject the OTT films. The viewership might have been high, but that does not mean that people watched them from the beginning until the end. A particular section of the viewers has continued visiting theatres, expecting something new.
Over the last five years, only a few were able to win the hearts. But those selected titles also created records that were possibly never made in the past. On the other hand, the failed groups did not learn a lot from these successes. Hundreds of films are still being made. Theatre owners and distributors are now tired of giving advice.
Meanwhile, Bollywood has managed to add some blockbusters to its list of films, specifically because they impressed the masses. Let’s have a look at the five best.
1) Jawan
The king was never removed from his throne. This action-drama was proof of the same. People were tired of watching Shah Rukh Khan in routine love stories. Everyone wanted him to shift to a new genre. The public was confident that SRK beating up the villains would create a different atmosphere.
There was no one better than Atlee to present the superstar in a massy form. The posters created buzz with multiple looks. No one checked their phones for three hours. The shows were packed, leading to an opening of Rs. 65 crores.
The collections kept on rising without a pause. It ended with a net box office of Rs. 640 crores, along with worldwide numbers touching Rs. 1,160 crores.
2) Pathaan
Action films always need a larger-than-life scale. The creation of the YRF Spy Universe helped to build a world that no one could have imagined.
With certain filmmakers failing to bring out SRK’s potential, Aditya Chopra decided to give a comeback that everyone would remember. An intimidating personality like John Abraham was put in front of the superstar, with Deepika Padukone’s glamour creating more hype.
All of these were enough to impress the masses. The first day numbers were outstanding, and it went up to Rs. 544 crores in terms of net collections. Worldwide records were also created with Rs. 1050 crores.
3) Gadar 2
When the initial announcement was made, there was hardly any excitement. A certain group also claimed that Sunny Deol is not a superstar anymore and cannot pull audiences.
But who can resist themselves from a sequel to a cult classic? It proved that Sunny deserves to be linked with the phrase “Dhai Kilo Ka Haath.” One Indian fought against a ruthless Major-General of Pakistan. This was the anger of a father towards someone who captured his son. This emotion left an impact on the hearts of everyone.
The release occasion was also perfect as India was celebrating Independence Day that week. A huge opening contributed to a strong run. The net box office was reported to be Rs. 525 crores, followed by worldwide numbers of Rs. 690 crores.
4) Stree 2
Bollywood’s attempt at horror comedies was not bringing very good results. But Dinesh Vijan took a completely different approach, adding more elements of entertainment that would attract everyone.
The wait was very long. But the glimpses of comedy and Tamannaah Bhatia’s dance number Aaj Ki Raat made people ensure that they don’t miss the sequel. Paid previews were organized, which also went housefull across India, contributing to an opening of more than Rs. 50 crores.
The public kept on entering theatres for almost three weeks. The result was extraordinary, with net collections of Rs. 620 crores, alongside worldwide gross of Rs. 880 crores.
5) Chhaava
The history of India is full of the stories of the unsung heroes. There are names that we haven’t even heard, and the books have never mentioned most of them.
While the entire Maharashtra was well aware of the bravery of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Chhaava helped everyone else know about the sacrifices of the brave warrior and the great king. Although the opening was decent with Rs. 25 crores, positive word-of-mouth helped to pull more audiences.
The confrontation between Vicky Kaushal and Akshaye Khanna was loved by the general public. The net collections were almost Rs. 602 crores, with worldwide numbers of Rs. 810 crores.
The last few months have not been so good. Saiyaara brought some good news. But the highly anticipated titles failed to deliver the desired results. Theatres are craving for viewers, and the latter is craving for good content. As mentioned, filmmakers are not learning from the success of the blockbusters.
With the Hindi film industry going through a bad phase, let’s wait and see whose collections will be the highest, helping to take the next spot in the list.
