If there is one thing to remember the past decade in showbiz by, it is this - some of the most blockbuster films in Indian cinema were made between 2010 and 2019. What's more, the chart topper was also among the industry's most acclaimed offerings - something to be proud of, given that well-made films don't always guarantee high box office returns; in fact, depressingly, it's very often the opposite. While 10 years' worth of the greenest profit margins don't quite add up to an equal number of stars from critics, the #1 movie compensates for the more problematic content further down the list.
This list is based on worldwide collections which explains why films like Secret Superstar, which didn't break any records at the domestic box office, make the list - it's the China factor. Releasing films in China was the thing of the later half of this decade and, as the number of Chinese theatres far outstrip the number of Indian ones, the collections skyrocketed. The China trend was pioneered by Aamir Khan's PK; indeed, there is a notable dominance of Aamir on the list - three of his films make the top five. There is also a preponderance of Salman Khan, as well as director Rajkumar Hirani.
As 2019 winds down, here's a look at the biggest films from the last decade.
Dangal (2016)
Director: Nitesh Tiwari
Cast: Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Zaira Wasim, Sanya Malhotra, Suhani Bhatnagar
Aamir Khan, Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar in a still from Dangal.
An extraordinary story of how real-life wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat trained his daughters Geeta and Babita into medal-winning wrestling champs, defying social disapproval to do so, Dangal busted every record there was. It made over Rs 538 crore in India and Rs 1,430 overseas, thus taking the worldwide collections to over Rs 1,968 crore. Zaira Wasim, who played the young Geeta, won the National Film Award for the Best Supporting Actress in 2017. Dangal also featured Sakshi Tanwar and Aparshakti Khurrana.
Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017)
Director: S S Rajamouli
Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj, Ramya Krishnan, Tamannaah Bhatia, Nassar
Prabhas in a still from Baahubali: The Conclusion.
The film that most captured the public imagination was Baahubali: The Conclusion, part two of director Rajamouli's magnum opus period piece. The multilingual film became the highest grossing film of India and the second highest grossing Indian film worldwide. Its lifetime collections in India are over Rs 510 crore, including the earnings of Tamil, Telugu and Malayam versions. Baahubali: The Conclusion scored approximately Rs 1,810 worldwide, spurred largely by the fact that the previous film had ended on a shock cliffhanger, with the title character slain by his trusted general. The second film answered why Katappa killed Baahubali.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)
Director: Kabir Khan
Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Harshaali Malhotra, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Salman Khan and Harshaali Malhotra in a still from Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
Salman Khan's best-performing film was also among his most acclaimed. His Eid offering of 2015 hinged on the story of how his character escorts a little speech-impaired Pakistani girl back across the border. Bajrangi Bhaijaan collected over Rs 444 crore domestically and over Rs 918 crore worldwide. Harshaali Malhotra, who played little Munni, won hearts as well, as did Nawazuddin as a journalist - in a pivotal scene, he emulates a real-life Pakistani reporter whose blooper outtakes went viral some years ago.
Secret Superstar (2016)
Director: Advait Chandan
Cast: Aamir Khan, Zaira Wasim, Meher Vij, Raj Arjun
Aamir Khan and Zaira Wasim in a still from Secret Superstar.
Secret Superstar, the tale of a Muslim teen with musical dreams who has to mask her identity to avoid parental opposition, was high on emotional appeal but relatively low on ticket sales - it made Rs 81 crore at home, not even making it to the coveted 100 crore-mark. However, just as the plotline of the film, the story off-screen was one of an underdog making it big - China happened, taking the film's worldwide total to Rs 875 crore.
PK (2015)
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh Rajput
Aamir Khan in a still from PK.
Aamir Khan rarely gets it wrong - which is not to say he doesn't, see Thugs Of Hindostan for reference. Add Rajkumar Hirani to the equation and the Aamir-Raju binary is a blockbuster hit. So far, they've made two films together - PK and 3 Idiots - both hits. PK, a quirky take on religion and superstition, had no trouble at all at the box office, making over Rs 473 at home and over Rs 769 crore worldwide. PK was also the first Indian film to make over Rs 300, followed by Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sultan, Dangal, Tiger Zinda Hai, Padmaavat, Sanju and War.
Baahubali: The Beginning (2016)
Director: S S Rajamouli
Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Nassar, Kiccha Sudeep
Prabhas in a still from Baahubali: The Beginning.
The film that began it all for actor Prabhas, part one of Rajamouli's fantasy epic was filled with state of the art special effects that helped create magnificent battle scenes and jaw-dropping sequences like the one in which Sivagami, played by Ramya Krishnan, is submerged in a torrential river but keeps the infant Mahendra Baahubali alive by holding him in one hand above the water. The National Award-winning Baahubali: The Beginning made Rs 650 crore worldwide, its nail-biting ending helping to almost triple the takings of its follow-up film.
Sultan (2016)
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Cast: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma, Randeep Hooda
Salman Khan is a still from Sultan.
Sultan released in the same year as Dangal; the two films occupied the two calendar spaces usually earmarked for their respective stars - Sultan at Eid and Aamir's Dangal at Christmas. And it was certainly to everyone's benefit that several months separated the two because both were wrestling films. Sultan, which cast Salman as a Haryanvi wrestler, was outperformed by Dangal both at the box office and in reviews but it did well in ticket sales nevertheless, making Rs 417 crore in India with worldwide collections of Rs 614 crore. The bonus - watching Salman do a Haryanvi accent.
Sanju (2018)
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Dia Mirza, Vicky Kaushal
Ranbir Kapoor on a promotional poster of Sanju.
This problematic biopic of Sanjay Dutt was criticised at various levels, primarily for appearing to whitewash that troubled actor. What did go down well, however, was Ranbir Kapoor's near-perfect portrayal of Sanjay Dutt. His performance helped Sanju make Rs 34.75 on its opening day - a personal best for Ranbir. Sanju earned Rs 439 crore in India and its worldwide collections added upto over Rs 586 crore.
"Padmaavat" (2018)
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Raza Murad
Deepika Padukone in a still from "Padmaavat".
For a while, it seemed like "Padmaavat" would not even see light of day. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ambitious period film was bitterly opposed in several states over concern of the portrayal of Rani Padmini of Chittor and fears that it Bollywood-ised an episode of Rajput history, even though historians have cast doubt on whether the Rani really existed. The controversy snowballed into violence - director Bhansali was assaulted, the sets were attacked, threats were made against lead actress Deepika Padukone - but "Padmaavat" was eventually allowed to release in most states and notched up over Rs 387 crore in India with worldwide earnings crossing Rs 571 crore.
Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, Anupriya Goenka, Nawab Shah, Angad Bedi
Salman Khan in a still from Tiger Zinda Hai.
Salman again. More specifically, Tiger again. Sequels are often a flop show but not this one. Salman and super spy Tiger returned to renewed box office success after 2012's Ek Tha Tiger. Katrina Kaif also reprised her role in the sequel, the collections of which outstripped the original film's. Tiger Zinda Hai made over Rs 434 crore at home and Rs 129 crore in international markets, thus bringing the worldwide collections to Rs 564 crore.
Which is your favourite film from this list? Tell us in the comments section.
