India's most popular film of 2025 made 500% profit; beats Sitaare Zameen Par, Sikandar, Kesari Chapter 2, name is..., actress is...
According to IMDb's criteria, the list includes Indian films released between January 1 and July 1, 2025, that have a user rating of 6 or higher and at least 10,000 votes. Rankings are based on actual page views from over 250 million monthly IMDb users worldwide. Why did Chhaava beat the big names?
Despite having fierce competition from films like Salman Khan's Sikandar, Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par, and Akshay Kumar's Kesari Chapter 2, it was Chhaava that took the crown.
A biopic of Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the film grossed a whopping Rs 809 crore at the box office on a Rs 130 crore budget, yielding over 500% profit. That's not just a hit; that's a phenomenon.
With powerful performances by Vicky Kaushal, Rashmika Mandanna, Akshaye Khanna, and Divya Dutta, Chhaava has become the year's cultural juggernaut.
Director Laxman Utekar noted, 'What makes this recognition truly special is that it comes directly from the fans… Their overwhelming love and positive reception have been incredibly heartening.' Which films made it to IMDb's top 10?
Here's the complete rundown of the most popular Indian movies of 2025 so far:
Chhaava – Rs 809 crore juggernaut
Dragon (Tamil) – A surprise hit led by Pradeep Ranganathan
Deva (Hindi) – Shahid Kapoor's intense turn, praised despite flopping
Raid 2 (Hindi)
Retro (Tamil)
The Diplomat (Hindi)
L2: Empuraan (Malayalam)
Sitaare Zameen Par (Hindi) – Aamir's redemption arc post-Laal Singh Chaddha
Kesari Chapter 2 (Hindi) – Akshay returns with patriotic fervour
VidaaMuyarchi (Tamil) – A slow burn that found its voice
While Sitaare Zameen Par and Kesari Chapter 2 cracked the top 10, Salman Khan's much-hyped Sikandar did not make the list — a surprising miss, given the star power.
With Chhaava dominating both hearts and headlines, 2025's first half proves that strong storytelling, historical gravitas, and passionate performances still win on screen and online.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
43 minutes ago
- First Post
'Saiyaara' director Mohit Suri on comparisons with 'Aashiqui 2' and 'Rockstar': 'My wife told me about Sanjay Leela Bhansali and asked...'
In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, the filmmaker spoke about turning 20 in Hindi cinema, working with fresh faces, his fine understanding of music, and the comparisons with Aashiqui 2 read more Mohit Suri, music, and melancholy seem to be a match made in heaven. The filmmaker has completed 25 years in the industry and now gears up for Saiyaara that stars two newcomers Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, the filmmaker spoke about turning 20 in Hindi cinema, working with fresh faces, his fine understanding of music, and the comparisons with Aashiqui 2. Edited excerpts from the interview STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD You are completing 20 years in the industry and are now making Saiyaara with two newcomers. Do you have memories of your first day on the sets of Zeher? I still remember it was October 1, 2004, and and Emraan Hashmi and Udita Goswami were shooting a scene. It was an evening shift. Kunal Deshmukh was my assistant. And, honestly, I've not really looked back and I know there have been ups, there have been downs. They are have been some really good times. There have been some really sad times. But I've never really looked back and looked at what I've achieved or not achieved. And, it's just that twenty years have passed so I'm thankful to too many people, but they've passed so fast. I'm looking and hope at my next twenty, I also around pass away this this fast. Because it's been a damn good time and it's been damn good fun. What's the advice that Mahesh Bhatt gave you that has still stayed with you and you would like to inculcate that and pass it on to the people you work with? Just the fact that you can be dishonest to anybody, your wife, your kids, your producer, your actor, but not to the film that you're making. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Without going on an overdrive with film promotions, the buzz is really like hot cakes. Is it a great validation? I'm actually happy that you're telling me this because I've been inside the studio for the last one month. I have no idea. And unlike the past when people travel from one studio to another, this is everything inhouse at YRF. So I haven't really gone out and met the world outside. Normally, when you are working on other films, you go out for the day; for sound, edit, and VFX. It was different different places. And just hearing it now, it does feel it does feel very redeeming and validating because when I started off this film, I was quite discouraged by a lot of senior people saying that nobody would be interested in a young love story. Because at that time, larger than life films were being made and I just thought that my voice would be lost there when everyone was shouting. So I just went and tried to make a film which is very different from what others were doing. And to me, the fact that people are appreciating that the difference that it's standing out means a lot. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since this is your first collaboration with YRF, tell us about your three favourite Yash Raj films. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Veer-Zaara, Chandni. The music and visuals of your films always stand out. How much prep goes behind them? Music was a matter of survival. While working with Vishesh Films, we didn't have stars. Everyone was new, right from Emraan Hashmi to my sister to Kunal Kemmu. We realized that we didn't have the promotion budgets like other big star films. We only played one promo when others played five. So we have a song in such a way that that one song stays with you more than the four that have been played by a star cast film. So the survival mechanism somewhere became a way of working, and that's something I've continued over the last 20 years. But when it comes to visuals, I've never really concentrated on them. I've always let the actors act first, and then I place the camera according to that. But I must give credit to the last couple of years because I've been working with Vikas, he's someone who's added to my visual sense. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Were you surprised by the comparisons with Aashiqui 2? My wife used to always tell me when I made my first film, filmmakers like the great Pradeep Sarkar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali had their own style. She asked me what my style was and I didn't have any. She said every director had his own style. The fact that you're saying this now, I can go back and tell her I now have my own style. They're noticing something that I've done 12 years back. When I made Zeher, they said it looked like Murder. When I made Ek Villain, they said it looked like Murder 2. When I made Malang, they said it looked like Ek Villain. When I made Aashiqui 2, they said it looked like Woh Lame and Rockstar. So I think when I go ahead and make my next film, they'll say it looks like Saiyaara. I think when they're comparing it to my own work rather than somebody else's, it's good. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Aashiqui 2 was supposed to release on May 17, 2013. But the buzz was so high because of the songs that you actually had to release the film on April 26, three weeks in advance. Do you remember those times? I was staying in the studio day and night, and I had to release the film three weeks in advance. But it wasn't because the buzz was so high. It was because another film was coming on May 17 and we were not getting a solo release on April 26. In fact, it it was so soon that the film could not release overseas.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Sitaare Zameen Par' Box Office collection day 26: Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh starrer slows down; mints Rs 80 lakh on 4th Tuesday
Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh 's latest film, 'Sitaare Zameen Par', has been enjoying a largely successful ride at the box office. Released on 20 June, this touching sports drama directed by RS Prasanna has managed to pull audiences into theatres with its blend of humour, emotion, and a fresh story. However, as it stepped into its fourth week, the film's collection has seen a clear dip on weekdays after holding strong over the weekends. Day 26 Box office update According to early estimates by Sacnilk, 'Sitaare Zameen Par' earned around Rs 80 lakh on its 26th day, pushing its total collection to an impressive Rs 162 crore. In the 4th week we can see a trend of minting under a crore on weekdays. On day 25, it collected Rs 60 lakh. The weekends have been far kinder. On the fourth Sunday, the film made Rs 2.85 crore, and on Saturday, it picked up Rs 2.5 crore. This pattern shows that while the weekdays are slowing down, families and movie lovers are still showing up in good numbers during the weekends. More than just another sports film Directed by RS Prasanna, 'Sitaare Zameen Par' is not your usual sports drama. It beautifully mixes sports, comedy and heartfelt moments. The story follows Aamir Khan as a basketball coach who is suspended and then asked to do community service. This leads him to train a team of players with disabilities for a big tournament. A special cast that steals the show What makes this film truly shine is its remarkable cast. The movie features ten neurodivergent actors, all stepping into the world of cinema for the very first time. They include Aroush Datta as Satbir, Gopi Krishnan Varma as Guddu, Vedant Sharmaa as Bantu, Naman Misra as Hargovind, Rishi Shahani as Sharmaji, Rishabh Jain as Raju, Ashish Pendse as Sunil Gupta, Samvit Desai as Karim Qureshi, Simran Mangeshkar as Golu Khan, and Aayush Bhansali as Lotus. 'Sitaare Zameen Par' review 'Sitaare Zameen Par' has mostly struck the right chord with reviewers. The Times of India gave it a solid 3.5-star rating. The review shared, 'The film mixes sentiment with spunk, avoiding overly preachy tones. ID (intellectual disabilities) is described through relatable lines like, 'Humaari kismat haathon pe nahi, chromosome pe likh ke aati hai (Our destiny isn't written on our palms — it's written in our chromosomes). ' While the underdog sports narrative and troubled-coach arc feel familiar, the film's heart and humour keep it engaging.' But it wasn't all glowing. The same review also pointed out a few bumps in the story. It noted, 'That said, the story does wander. Subplots involving his mother, Preeto ( Dolly Ahluwalia Tewari), and their butler Daulatji (Bijendra Kala) contribute little to the core story. A few other sequences feel stretched, and pacing suffers in parts. The climax gets overly sentimental in parts. Some scenes, like the team managing airfare and accommodation for the final match, come across as convenient and trite.'
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Crowning Glory: Fashion entrepreneur becomes first Indian to win global title
When fashion entrepreneur Sharada Narayanan stood on stage with her counterparts from across the world, waiting with sheer anticipation and racing hearts for the announcement of Mrs Classique Globe Choice of the People, she took a moment to process that her name had been called out. 'I was in a complete shock. I don't think I reacted the way everybody usually does – the awe, the crying or hands thrown up in the air,' she recalls. While winning the title with 50 other contestants competing for it might have been a surprise for Narayanan, her mentor, Veena Jain, the winner of Mrs India Globe Classique 2017, had complete confidence. 'When we started from Bengaluru, I had a feeling that we were going to make it this year. It may have been a surprise for Sharada, but for me, I was very confident that she was going to come out with the title – her confidence and elegance made me believe so. I'm especially proud because this is the first time an Indian delegate has won such an honour,' says Jain. Achieving the highly coveted Swarovski crystal-studded crown was no easy feat with Narayanan's schedule being jam-packed with rehearsals and galas from the moment she arrived at Palm Springs on June 16 to the moment she was crowned on June 21. 'Once we went there, it was a complete grind – it's like a boot camp. We get up early in the morning and go on late into the night on some days. You go through one regiment after the other, but there were a lot of fun times in between practice and exercise too, when we got to bond with women from different countries and cultures,' says Narayanan, explaining the preparations that went into the three final rounds – national costume, swimsuit, and evening gown – as well as the Bollywood-themed welcome party, charity galas, and preliminary rounds that preceded them.
