The first half of 2025 was more or less dull for the Indian box office, as almost all the movies that emerged as massive blockbusters that year hit the screens after June, with the sole exceptions being Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava and Mohanlal’s L2: Empuraan.
However, things are different this time around, as the movies released from the start of January to the end of April registered a cumulative gross of Rs 4,219 crore in the domestic market, which is 15 per cent higher compared to the same period last year.
The Dhurandhar phenomenon
Director Aditya Dhar’s Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar: The Revenge emerged as the biggest hit during this period, grossing Rs 1,275 crore in the country, amounting to about 30.22 per cent of the total collections registered by films released in India during this period, according to “The India Box Office Report” unveiled by media research and audience insights firm Ormax Media.
How Bhooth Bangla and Vaazha 2 saved April
After a fairly good first quarter, the Indian box office witnessed a slowdown in April, when the total domestic gross collections stood at Rs 787 crore, with director Priyadarshan’s Akshay Kumar-starrer Bhooth Bangla (Hindi) and director Savin SA’s Vaazha 2 (Malayalam) emerging as the biggest hits. While Bhooth Bangla grossed Rs 190 crore in the domestic market, Vaazha 2 minted Rs 148 crore, together accounting for 43 per cent of the month’s total gross collections.
Here is a month-wise break-up of gross domestic collections in India.
Although the Indian box office’s performance in April was better than in February (Rs 427 crore), the earnings were significantly lower than in January (Rs 1,324 crore) and March (Rs 1,680 crore).
Malayalam cinema doubles box office share in April
Interestingly, Malayalam cinema grossed over Rs 190 crore in April, doubling its share from 4 per cent (January-March) to 8 per cent (January-April), with Saiju Kurup’s Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam and Tovino Thomas’ Pallichattambi contributing Rs 30 crore and Rs 16 crore, respectively, to the total haul.
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The other top-grossers for April in the Indian box office were Michael (Rs 78 crore), Love Insurance Kompany (Rs 51 crore), Dacoit (Rs 43 crore), Kara (Rs 43 crore), Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (Rs 37 crore), and KD: The Devil (Rs 24 crore).
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Unfortunately, only four films — Bhooth Bangla, Vaazha 2, Michael, and Love Insurance Kompany — crossed the Rs 50 crore mark in domestic gross collections during the month.
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Here are the Top 10 releases of 2026 in India.
Top 10 Indian grossers of 2026
However, even with April’s dullness, 2026 has so far been eventful for the Indian box office, with a Rs 1,000-crore grosser already in the list. The top 10 titles released during this period with the highest gross domestic box office collection across all language versions are: Dhurandhar 2 (Rs 1,275 crore), Border 2 (Rs 379 crore), Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu (Rs 255 crore), Bhooth Bangla (Rs 190 crore), The RajaSaab (Rs 172 crore), Vaazha 2 (Rs 148 crore), Project Hail Mary (Rs 86 crore), Ustaad Bhagat Singh (Rs 85 crore), Michael (Rs 78 crore), and O’Romeo (Rs 78 crore).
While Hindi cinema is dominating the domestic box office in 2026, with a 50 per cent share, Telugu (20 per cent) and Tamil (11 per cent) follow.
