The Indian box office landscape has evolved, with South Indian cinema gaining considerable ground against Bollywood. The year 2025 demonstrates an ongoing rivalry between the two, with both industries producing successful films. ‘Chhava,’ starring Vicky Kaushal, has given Bollywood an advantage so far.
Five Bollywood films have performed well in 2025. ‘Chhava,’ set the pace early in the year, followed by the successful love story ‘Saiyaara.’ Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan also made their mark on the list. However, the South Indian film ‘Kantara Chapter 1,’ starring Rishab Shetty, is expected to challenge ‘Chhava’s’ dominance. This film has the potential to become the first 1000-crore film of the year.
South Indian cinema has also produced five top-performing films in 2025. ‘Coolie,’ starring Rajinikanth, leads as the highest-grossing South Indian film. ‘Mahavtar Narasimha’ and ‘L2 Empuraan’ also earned good collections. Additionally, Pawan Kalyan’s recently released film ‘OG’ is anticipated to join the list.
‘Chhava,’ starring Vicky Kaushal, currently leads the pack. The film, which tells the story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, gained recognition both domestically and internationally, earning over 800 crores. While it didn’t reach 1000 crores, its earnings remain unmatched nine months into the year. ‘Kantara,’ starring Rishab Shetty, has the potential to change this.