Hits, Misses, Super Hits, Disasters and All-Time Blockbusters: The Box Office classification and Report card of 2024

The year 2024 has been a rollercoaster for Bollywood at the box office, with films spanning the spectrum of performance categories, from All Time Blockbusters to outright Disasters. The classification of each release is determined by its box office earnings relative to its production cost, ensuring a fair assessment of profitability and audience reception. For instance, the modestly budgeted Munjiya emerged as a Super Hit, achieving exceptional returns and proving that good content can trump scale. In stark contrast, the highly anticipated Bade Miyaan Chote Miyan, despite its star-studded cast and massive budget, fell drastically short of expectations, barely scraping by at the box office, and was deemed a Disaster. This classification system provides a comprehensive lens to evaluate the varied fortunes of Bollywood in 2024, offering insights into audience preferences and the dynamics of filmmaking economics.All Time BlockbusterPushpa 2 [Hindi dubbed]: Released on December 5, 2024 the much talked about sequel to the previous release Pushpa: The Rise featured Allu Arjun returning as Pushpa, alongside Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil. Made on an estimated budget of Rs. 250 cr, the film which faced multiple delays has been rocking the box office window since its release. In fact, making it an All Time Blockbuster, Pushpa 2: The Rule has raked in approximately Rs. 769.75 cr. till date from its Hindi version alone.Stree 2: The Rajkummar Rao – Shraddha Kapoor starrer Stree 2 released on August 15, 2024, fast become one of the biggest money spinners of the year raking in Rs. 627.02 cr. over its theatrical run. Super HitArticle 370: Article 370 starring Yami Gautam that hit screens on February 23, 2024 worked wonders at the box office. Despite its modest budget the film that was high on content managed to rake in Rs. 82.37 cr. at the box office.Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: The third instalment in the hit Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 starring Kartik Aaryan, Tripti Dimrii, Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit proved to be a runaway hit. Thanks to the franchise popularity, and the cast of the film not forgetting the story, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 raked in Rs. 278.42 cr. at the box office.Kalki 2898 AD [Hindi Dubbed]: The highly anticipated Prabhas starrer Kalki 2898 AD that also featured Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan hit screens on June 27, 2024. With a thunderous start at the box office the film eventually managed to rake in Rs. 294.25 cr.Munjya: Released on June 7, 2024, Munjiya that featured an ensemble cast of Abhay Verma, Sharvari, and Mona Singh managed to cross the Rs. 100 cr. mark becoming a sleeper hit of the year. Collecting Rs. 107.48 cr, the film made on a rather modest budget emerged as one of the biggest earners of the year.Shaitaan: The Ajay Devgn, R Madhavan and Jyothika starrer Shaitaan that release on March 8, 2024, nearly made it past the Rs. 150 cr mark. Collecting a staggering Rs. 149.49 cr. Shaitaan proved its mettle at the box office. HitCrew: Crew that hit screens on March 29, 2024, featured Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon in lead roles and did rather well at the box office. Collecting Rs. 89.92 cr. at the box office, the film surpassed expectations. Semi HitMadgaon Express: Madgaon Express featuring a relatively small cast of Divyendu Sharma, Pratik Gandhi and Avinsh Tiwari proved to be, yet another sleeper hit of 2024. Released on March 22, 2024, the film collected Rs. 38.47 cr. at the box office.Srikanth: Released on May 10, 2024, Srikanth a heartfelt family drama that resonated well saw its business grow exponentially collecting Rs. 50.05 cr. at the box office.Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya: This romantic drama struck a chord with its emotional storytelling on its release in February. With Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon leading the cast, the film managed to collect Rs. 80.88 cr. at the box office. AverageBad Newz: Released on July 19, 2024, the film which as a sequel of sorts to the previous release Good Newz managed to draw in Rs. 6.28 cr. despite featuring names like Vicky Kaushal, Ammy Virk and Tripti Dimrii.Devara - Part 1 [Hindi Dubbed]: The Jr NTR, Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan starrer Devaran that released on September 27, 2024, only managed to rake in Rs. 67.24 cr. at the box office.Fighter: The Hirthik Roshan – Deepika Padukone starrer Fighter that was promoted heavily as India’s first ever ariel combat film, and even released on January 25, 2024, managed to rake in just Rs. 205.55 cr.Kill: Kill that hit screens in a limited release on July 5, 2024 managed to collect Rs. 24.25 cr. after receiving highly appreciative reviews.Laapataa Ladies: Released on March 1, 2024, Laapataa Ladies that garnered rave reviews and highly appreciative posts from the industry managed to draw in just Rs. 20.24 cr.Singham Again: The multistarrer Singham Again that release on Diwali, managed to rake in Rs. 268.35 cr. despite the immense hype and promotions surrounding the film.The Sabarmati Report: The Vikran Massey, Raashi Khanna, Ridhi Dogra starrer Sbarmati Report found itself making headlines around its release. Despite the promotions and hype the film managed to collect Rs. 31.20 cr.Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video: Released on October 11, 2024, this Rajkummar Rao – Tripti Dimrii starrer managed to rake in just Rs. 39.56 cr. over its theatrical run. Below AverageMr. & Mrs. Mahi: For a film based on cricket that features stars like Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor, Mr. & Mrs. Mahi was a massive underperformer managing to collect just Rs. 36.28 cr. Notable FlopsAuron Mein Kahan Dum Tha: Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey tried his hand in the romance genre through this Ajay Devgn and Tabu starrer, which released on August 2. The movie not only turned out to be boring but also a one where there were no surprises for the audience. Hence, its box office number remained a disastrous Rs. 8.59 crores.Baby John: Filmmaker Kalees’ Baby John was a masala movie that saw Varun Dhawan in an actions role for the first time. It also acquired the Christmas release period. But the film didn’t impress the audience as much as the makers would have liked. It was also affected by the tsunami called Pushpa 2: The Rule. All this ensured that it could manage only Rs. 30.18 in its first six days.Chandu Champion: Kabir Khan’s ambitious tribute to India’s paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar, which saw a dedicated Kartik Aaryan in the titular role, generated good reviews when it released on June 14. However, the film couldn’t attain success at the ticket window because of an overdose of sports movies in recent years and could only earn a lifetime of Rs. 62.95 crores.Jigra: Vasan Bala’s Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina starrer, which released on October 11, had an interesting premise. But the film’s niche appeal didn’t entice the masses, and it went onto become a rare unsuccessful film for Alia as it could only manage Rs. 30.69 crores.Khel Khel Mein: Filmmaker Mudassar Aziz’s Khel Khel Mein, which was a multi-starrer headlined by Akshay Kumar, wasn’t criticized for its content. However, the film was released alongside Stree 2 and Vedaa during the Independence Day weekend. The former became one of the biggest blockbusters, ensuring that Khel Khel Mein managed a mere Rs. 40.36 crores.Maidaan: Just like Kabir Khan’s Chandu Champion, this Ajay Devgn starrer which released on 11 April was also affected by the overdose of sports dramas or biopics. Despite glowing reviews and Ajay Devgn’s heartfelt performance, it could rake in only Rs. 52.29 crores.Sarfira: Akshay Kumar is going through a lean patch for a couple of years. Sarfira, which released on July 12, was another addition to his unsuccessful films. Remake of the acclaimed Tamil film Soorarai Pottru, it managed a dismal number of only Rs. 22.13 crores.Vedaa: This John Abraham and Sharvari starrer received mixed reviews. On top of that, it was also affected by the Stree 2 juggernaut as it was released alongside that film during Independence Day. The end result for this Nikkhil Advani directed film was only Rs. 20.25 crores.Yodha: Released on March 15, Dharma Productions’ Yodha was promoted as the next big thing in the action genre in Bollywood. However, the Sidharth Malhotra, Raashii Khanna and Disha Patani starrer didn’t click at the box office as it only managed a lifetime number of Rs. 32.45 crores. Disaster Bade Miyan Chote Miyan: This Ali Abbas Zafar directorial, which released on April 11, was an expensive and highly mounted action flick shot in various countries. It also starred two action specialists in the form of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff. Alas, the film just bombed at the ticket window and turned out to be a major loss-making venture for Pooja Entertainment as it earned only Rs. 59.17 crores.