Bollywood cinema has experienced a challenging first half of 2025. The industry struggled to deliver consistent box office successes despite several high-profile releases. Here is a comprehensive overview of Bollywood’s first half of 2025—emphasizing the significant blockbusters, average performers, and notable letdowns:
Top Hits & Blockbusters
Chhaava (Vicky Kaushal) – The highlight of the year: a remarkable ₹783–807 cr globally, making it the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025 – Achieved profitability (~371 % ROI) and sustained robust momentum throughout Q1.
Raid 2 (Ajay Devgn) – Generated between ₹219–243 cr, affirming its position as a strong hit.
Sitaare Zameen Par (Aamir Khan) – Exhibited a strong performance following its release with earnings exceeding ₹139–143 cr worldwide in its initial weeks. – Accumulated ~₹90 cr in India during its opening week.
Housefull 5 (Akshay Kumar) – Exceeded ₹250 cr on a global scale, with ~₹181 cr in Week 1, ultimately surpassing the ₹200 cr mark.
Average to Above-Average Performers
Sky Force (Akshay Kumar) – Generated ₹144–169 cr globally; however, the substantial production expenses resulted in an overall loss (“losing”). Sikandar (Salman Khan) – Surpassed the ₹100 cr milestone with ₹176 cr, yet was deemed a flop due to an excessively large budget in comparison to its revenues. Jaat (Sunny Deol) – Achieved approximately ₹112–119 cr worldwide, classified as average/above-average.
Clear Flops and Underperformers
Fateh, Deva, Emergency, Azaad, Loveyapa, Badass Ravi Kumar, Bhootnii, Crash, etc. – All categorized as flops with minimal returns (₹7–20 cr against significantly higher budgets). Game Changer (Shankar) – One of the first major flops of 2025—₹131 cr at the box office on a ₹400 cr budget. Kesari Chapter 2 (Akshay Kumar) – ₹125 cr globally but fell short against a ₹150 cr budget; deemed a flop. Kesari Veer (Sooraj Pancholi)– Generated less than ₹2 cr in its first week—an absolute flop.
A total of 30 Hindi films were released; six surpassed the ₹100 cr threshold: Sky Force, Chhaava, Sikandar, Raid 2, Housefull 5, Sitaare Zameen Par. Only four were classified as clean hits: Chhaava, Raid 2, Bhool Chuk Maaf, Sitaare Zameen Par.
The initial six months of 2025 presented a combination of outcomes—characterized by a reduced number of blockbusters, several failures, yet an increase in total earnings. The latter half appears to be encouraging, featuring major releases such as War 2, Alpha, Aashiqui 3, and Thama scheduled for the summer and festival season. These films have the potential to greatly alter the course of the year.
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The post Bollywood 2025 Mid-Year Report: Box Office Hits, Misses & Surprises appeared first on India’s Favourite Entertainment Network Since 1987 - Lehren.
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