Box office: Pushpa 2 overtakes Baahubali 2 in India; Analyze why sequels dominate in theaters

It took 7 years, 8 months and 3 days for a film to finally dethrone Baahubali 2 as the highest-grossing film in India and that film is Pushpa 2. Yesterday, on its fifth Saturday, Pushpa 2 grossed Rs. 6 crore at the Indian box office, taking its total gross to Rs. 1,345 crore, just Rs. 2 crore short of the record. By the time you read this, Pushpa 2 has bridged the gap.

Pushpa 2 was considered the strongest contender to beat Baahubali 2 since the release of the original in 2021, with huge appreciation in the Hindi belt of India. The film delivered similarly and it was the Hindi belt that led the way to the top, becoming the highest-grossing film in almost all the Hindi belt states, excluding just a few .

Pushpa 2 joins the club of around 20 films that have claimed the title of the highest-grossing film of all time in Indian box office history, listed below. Although there may have been earlier films, particularly before Mother India (1957), that also claimed the highest-grossing title, it is difficult to verify due to the lack of consistent box office data from that era. After Mother India, however, the record holders are more clearly documented. The list begins with Kismet (1943), which is considered the first film to gross Rs. 1 crore domestically, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar at the time.

Note: Box office receipts before 2008 are approximations, with an even higher degree before 1990. Figures before Mother India are completely avoided.