The film industry has witnessed the arrival of multiple blockbusters over the years. A few of them unexpectedly worked at the box office. Some of them became successful due to star power, specifically taking a big opening on the first day. This has even led to the record of the highest footfalls, with the best figures in terms of the number of people who went inside the theatres.
Let’s check the list of titles with the highest footfalls in the last 15 years.
1) Dhurandhar – 3.5 crore footfalls
2025 witnessed a very bad phase when it came to good box office numbers. Films with good content were not working until Dhurandhar arrived in December. The opening was slow. But the viral clips featuring the best moments of the film started trending everywhere, leading to the highest footfalls.
2) Pushpa 2: The Rule – 4 crore footfalls
Allu Arjun’s presence has always guaranteed big box office numbers. The Icon Star worked in only one film for three years. Audiences kept waiting for updates, and they started rushing to the theatres once it was released everywhere across India. Masses were specifically impressed, with huge crowds also entering multiplexes.
3) Jawan – 3.92 crore footfalls
After a long break of five years, people were willing to see what Shah Rukh Khan was bringing for everyone. Following the blockbuster success of Pathaan, a massy subject with a message for society easily attracted crowds, leading to housefull shows for more than two weeks.
4) K.G.F. Chapter 2 – 2.5 crore footfalls
The first film unexpectedly impressed the North Indian audiences despite clashing with Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero the same day. Rocking Star Yash’s screen presence had already left a positive impression, and this time, there was a strong villain in the form of Sanjay Dutt. The confrontation created hype, leading to the highest footfalls.
The first glimpse of the action-drama that came right after the pandemic was enough to create excitement. Despite theatres opening with restrictions in terms of occupancy, people did not stop themselves from booking their tickets, with Allu Arjun, the music, and the item number attracting crowds.
6) Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
The pandemic led to the closure of theatres. But things were going fine for the first three months, with crowds still entering to watch movies. Ajay Devgn was the one superstar to create records in the beginning with the historical drama, focusing on the life of a brave warrior. The film specifically impressed the Marathi audiences.
7) Saaho
Prabhas’ stardom witnessed a different turn after Baahubali. The initial glimpses of Sujeeth’s film were hinting towards an entertaining experience. However, the collections reduced from the second day due to the negative word-of-mouth. Despite the film not collecting as much as expected, the footfalls were the best.
8) 2.0
S. Shankar’s sequel witnessed multiple delays for VFX work despite the announcement arriving a long time ago. Rajinikanth’s presence helped to pull crowds in Tamil Nadu. Akshay Kumar’s role as the villain contributed to attracting people in Hindi markets. This led to the highest footfalls.
9) Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
S.S. Rajamouli’s approach towards a fictional period action film went to a different level with more budget. The action sequences were enhanced, and there were more punchlines this time, easily attracting the masses. The on-spot booking numbers were also good, leading to the best footfalls.
10) Dangal – 3.6 crore footfalls
Aamir Khan’s films are not working as they used to because of the lack of content. But the situation was different a few years ago. He opted to be a part of a story that aimed to bring the journey of the Phogat family on screen. The approach worked, recording the highest footfalls and amazing collections everywhere.
Prabhas was known only to those who were speaking Hindi dubbed films at home. However, S.S. Rajamouli’s execution changed everything this time, making the Rebel Star a popular face on the big screens of North India. The glimpses hinting towards the arrival of a magnum opus, attracting masses and the best footfalls.
12) PK
Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan’s collaboration has always guaranteed success at the box office. The formula worked this time. The marketing strategy involved the makers not revealing anything in the trailer. This helped to pull audiences to the theatres, recording the highest footfalls.
13) Dhoom 3
Yash Raj Films took the standard of action to a different level this time, with international locations and the use of more technology and gadgets. Then there was a superstar like Hrithik Roshan whose charm worked a lot even though he was a thief. All of these contributed to some amazing footfalls being recorded.
14) Ek Tha Tiger
Wanted started a new phase for Salman Khan, where he delivered blockbusters for ten years. He joined Aditya Chopra for another success. The festive release on Eid worked in favor of the film, and the best choreographed action sequences impressed the masses. The opening was outstanding, followed by the best footfalls.
15) Bodyguard
A year before Ek Tha Tiger, Salman Khan continued bringing more successful films. After Ready, the superstar brought a completely different form of himself, where the character had a cute and intense side at the same time. People rushed to the theatres to purchase tickets, leading to the best footfalls.
We have now entered a new year, with big films lined up for release in the next few months. Distributors and theatre owners are already expecting crowds to enter theatres, and a few titles are supposed to achieve the same. Let’s see who will take the next spot for 2026.
Since the beginning of this year, both the Kollywood and Mollywood film industries mostly depended…
Nayanthara impressed audiences with her action performance in Jawan. The actress is now preparing to…
