Bollywood's BIGGEST DIWALI RELEASES

Diwali has always been blockbuster time for Bollywood, and the industry hopes that it will continue this year as well.

Joginder Tuteja looks back at how Hindi movies have done during this festive season in the last decade.

 

Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari, 2020
Box office collection: Rs 4 crore

When select theatres opened at 50 percent capacity in 2020, Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari made the brave decision to release.

The Manoj Bajpayee-Diljit Dosanjh starrer hung on for as good as 10 weeks straight.

Though the collections were quite low at Rs 4 crore, it paved the way for other smaller films to release for the next five months until Janhvi Kapoor-Rajkummar Rao's biggie, Roohi.

 

Housefull 4, 2019
Box office collection: Rs 208.50 crore

While Akshay Kumar brings his Sooryavanshi to theatres this Diwali, it was his Housefull 4 which lit up the festival at the box office two years ago.

The reviews were hardly flattering, but audiences ensured that the film was a huge success in theatres, satellite and OTT.

 

Thugs of Hindostan, 2018
Box office collection: Rs 145.29 crore

Thugs Of Hindostan got a huge, record-breaking opening of Rs 50.75 crore, followed by a massive fall where the lifetime couldn't even triple the first day numbers.

There were a lot of expectations from this Yash Raj Films production, starring Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Katrina Kaif, but the Vijay Krishna Acharya directorial disappointed and how.

 

Golmaal Again, 2017
Box office collection: Rs 205.70 crore

Besides Housefull, the other comedy franchise that enjoys a cent percent success rate is Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty's Golmaal.

With Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade as the other regulars in the movies, Golmaal Again was the biggest success of them all.

Neil Nitin Mukesh played the antagonist in Golmaal Again, which co-starred Tabu and Parineeti Chopra.

 

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, 2016
Box office collection: Rs 112.50 crore
Shivaay
Box office collection: Rs 100.30 crore

Karan Johar's big clash with Ajay Devgn on the Diwali of 2016 will always be remembered.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Shivaay took on each other at the box office, and eventually ended up eating each other's business.

Still, both films did well and gave audiences a choice between a romantic musical and an actioner.

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, 2015
Box office collection: Rs 210 crore

Sooraj Barjatya's films are always family entertainers, and hence there was a lot of excitement in the trade and exhibition circles, when his Prem Ratan Dhan Payo arrived on Diwali.

Moreover, Salman Khan was back as Prem and Himesh Reshammiya's music has also been quite popular.

Though the film wasn't the best of Barjatya, a blockbuster opening followed by decent sustenance allowed Prem Ratan Dhan Payo to go past the Rs 200 crore mark.

 

Happy New Year, 2014
Box office collection: Rs 205 crore

Shah Rukh Khan's last big hit, Happy New Year, was panned when it released on Diwali.

Still, it took many years for the first day record of this Farah Khan directorial to be broken.

The film went on to find audiences on a sustained basis and though it was expected to do much better, it ended up scoring a double century.

It has been seven years since, and one waits for Shah Rukh Khan to score his next double century with Pathan.

 

Krrish 3, 2013
Box office collection: Rs 244.92 crore

Despite the blockbuster success of Krrish 3, Director Rakesh Roshan hasn't yet brought Krrish 4 on floors yet.

Krrish 3 was a biggie with Hrithik Roshan leading the cast with Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and Vivek Oberoi.

 

Jab Tak Hai Jaan, 2012
Box office collection: Rs 122 crore
Son of Sardaar
Box office collection: Rs 105 crore

If 2016 witnessed the big clash between Ajay Devgn and Dharma Productions, then four years before that, there was an even bigger battle between the actor and Yash Raj Films.

A lot was said and written about Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Son of Sardaar clashing against each other on the same day.

Both films were family entertainers and eventually ended up scoring a box office century each.

 

Ra. One, 2011
Box office collection: Rs 115 crore

It has been exactly 10 years since Shah Rukh Khan brought his dream project Ra.One on screen.

Many years in the making, this Anubhav Sinha directed sci-fi was a unique experience for the audiences with Arjun Rampal playing the antagonist and Kareena Kapoor as the leading lady.

The film opened quite well and then did good overall business.