Chhaava Tops 2025 Box Office With Rs 601 Crore Run

The final tallies are in for India’s theatrical releases this summer, and Chhaava, the historical action-drama starring Vicky Kaushal, has stormed to the top of 2025’s domestic box office with an astounding Rs 601 crore nett collection. The film, directed by Laxman Utekar, crossed the Rs 600 crore mark early Tuesday evening, per verified trade figures shared with us by box office aggregator Ormax India and confirmed by the studio.

The runner-ups form an eclectic mix of genres—from wide-release comedy sequels to surprise romantic hits—indicating a resurgent theatrical market in post-pandemic India. Here's the full snapshot of the Top 5 earners of 2025 (as of EOD July 22):

🎬 Top 5 Grossing Hindi Films of 2025 (India Nett)

1. Chhaava – Rs 601 crore

2. Housefull 5 – Rs 183 crore

3. Raid 2 – Rs 173 crore

4. Sitaare Zameen Par – Rs 163 crore

5. Saiyaara – Rs 132.25 crore (and counting)

Chhaava: Phenomenal Milestone

Chhaava was released on March 21 across 4,100 screens in India and another 1,200 overseas locations. Within nine days, the film entered the Rs 300 crore club, and by day 20 it had surged past Rs 500 crore domestic nett—faster than any post-2020 release.

Speaking to us late Tuesday, Ayush Jindal, a senior distribution executive at PEN Studios, confirmed,

“We crossed Rs 600 crore India nett around 6:30 PM yesterday. It’s our biggest theatrical success. Overseas, we are nearing Rs 220 crore gross. This is historic for a non-Khan, non-Holiday release.”

The film’s Marathi undertones, nationalist themes and high production value struck a chord across urban and tier-2 territories, notably Pune, Nagpur, Indore, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad.

Housefull 5: A Franchise Resurgent

In the number two spot, Housefull 5 has closed its fourth weekend with Rs 183 crore domestic collection after debuting on June 14. The Nadiadwala Grandson production, helmed by Tarun Mansukhani, has already earned Rs 300 crore globally. It’s the best performance by any installment in the series.

Akshay Kumar—also a co-producer—did a multi-city promotional tour in early June. Trade experts credit the “double ending” plot twist and meme-heavy digital campaigns for keeping footfalls consistent in the first two weeks.

“Even with mixed reviews, daily occupancy across the Delhi NCR and Gujarat markets stayed above 30% into Week 3,” noted exhibitor Rohit Awasthi from PVR Phoenix, Mumbai.

Raid 2: Action Continues to Deliver

Ajay Devgn and Riteish Deshmukh’s Raid 2 managed Rs 173 crore nett in 25 days, making it Devgn’s third biggest earner after Tanhaji and Drishyam 2. Released on June 27, the action-thriller opened with Rs 48 crore in its first weekend.

Despite a dip after the third Tuesday, single-screen chains in Maharashtra and UP continue to screen Raid 2 during primetime slots, aided by strong word-of-mouth in smaller centres like Jhansi, Patna, and Aurangabad.

Sitaare Zameen Par: Steady Word-of-Mouth Success

The surprise entrant into the year’s top 5 is Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par, a spiritual follow-up—not sequel—to his 2007 classic. The film’s domestic take stands at Rs 163 crore, with Week 5 still pulling 10–12% city occupancy. Released on May 9, it opened below expectations but built over time thanks to family-centric content and positive reviews from educators and parenting forums.

“It’s a pure slow-burner. Multiplex chains are reporting minimal weekday drop even into Week 5,” said Kamal Thakkar, a trade analyst with Mumbai Box Stats.

The movie avoided holiday clashes and prevailed via weekend family viewings in malls and tier-1 cities.

Saiyaara: The Newcomer Shocker

And then came Saiyaara. Mohit Suri’s tear-jerking romantic drama launched July 17—and blew past the Rs 100 crore milestone inside its first four days.

By close of Tuesday (Day 5), it had reported Rs 132.25 crore net domestic revenue, putting it firmly on track to enter the Rs 150 crore club before the second weekend. The film stars debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, earning praise for chemistry and an earworm soundtrack that dominated Spotify India this month.

From Andheri cinema halls to Indore’s Cinepolis, shows are running packed—even on weekday mornings—a phenomenon Bollywood hasn’t witnessed for a newcomer film in over a decade.

Trade Reactions and Forecasts

Box office analyst Komal Nahta shared a brief update to media at midnight:

“Five Rs 150 crore-plus films by July is no small feat, especially when one is led by debutants. More than just a hit list, this shows confidence slowly returning to the big screen model.”

According to exhibitors, none of the upcoming July-end releases (including niche films like Kaala Kshetra and The Last Year) are expected to dent the Saiyaara momentum.

A Record Year in Sight

With more than Rs 1,250 crore combined earnings from just five titles, and Chhaava accounting for nearly half that sum, 2025 is already pacing to overtake 2019's theatrical numbers.

Attachment to high-emotion narratives, nostalgia sequels, and new-age romance has defined Indian ticket sales over the first half. If Saiyaara maintains its hold, and with big releases like Tiger vs Pathaan and Brahmastra 2 yet to arrive, insiders suggest Indian cinemas may break all-time yearly gross records by December.

We’ll continue reporting daily updates from producers and distributors as the numbers evolve.