In the blockbuster year of 2023 for Indian cinema, Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, has achieved a remarkable milestone by joining the elite ₹650 crore worldwide gross club. Released on December 1, the film, still running successfully in theaters, crossed the coveted mark on Sunday. This places Animal alongside other cinematic giants like Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan and Pathaan, Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2, and Rajinikanth’s Jailer, all of which achieved this significant feat earlier in the year.
Film trade analyst Ramesh Bala took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the news, listing the top five grossing films of 2023:
- Pathan
- Jawan
- Jailer
- Gadar 2
- Animal – still running
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s action-packed Animal has garnered an impressive ₹660.89 crore worldwide in just nine days since its release. Despite facing criticism for alleged toxicity and misogyny, the film, also featuring Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol, is inching towards the ₹700 crore mark.
Shah Rukh Khan’s espionage thriller, Pathaan, set the pace by becoming the first film of the year to surpass ₹650 crore globally. Released around Republic Day, the movie, co-starring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, boasts a lifetime worldwide gross of ₹1055 crore, according to Sacnilk.com.
Both Gadar 2, featuring Sunny Deol, and Rajinikanth’s Jailer, released in August, grossed over ₹650 crore worldwide. Gadar 2’s lifetime collection reached ₹686 crore, while Jailer, dubbed in multiple languages, achieved widespread success with over ₹650 crore worldwide, as reported by film trade analyst Manobala Vijayabalan in September.
Jawan, another Shah Rukh Khan starrer, emerged as a blockbuster, amassing ₹1160 crore worldwide, setting high expectations for his upcoming release, Dunki, to match the phenomenal success of Pathaan and Jawan. As 2023 continues to unfold, with highly anticipated films like Dunki and Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire yet to hit the screens, the Indian film industry is poised for more groundbreaking box office records.
