This list includes the most successful Indian films and the biggest box office hits of Indian cinema in 2021, what means all theatrical released Indian hit films which made the audience go to cinema in India and all around the world that year. Here are the box office facts to all the high grossing films from Bollywood (Hindi Cinema), the big South Indian film industries like Kollywood (Tamil Cinema), Tollywood (Telugu Cinema), Mollywood (Malayalam Cinema) or Sandalwood (Kannada Cinema) as well as other regional film industries like Punjabi, Marathi or Bengali Cinema, studded with comprehensive information on domestic gross/overseas gross, verdict and budget.
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For more information on the individual films below, please read the notes!
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The box office data compiled in this list comes from a variety of sources, although care has been taken to ensure that this are mainly relevant and well-known sources that deal with this topic on a day-to-day basis. However, caution should be exercised as there is no official centralized collection of such data in India and no professional official control either. Therefore no liability is assumed for the absolute correctness of the data. What this list can certainly do, however, is to provide a reasonable overview of the 2021 cinema year in terms of Indian films and their popularity with audiences.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the box office results for 2021 were (again) strongly influenced by officially ordered, nationwide cinema closings by the authorities over a period of more than 6 months due to the global corona pandemic and the destructive power of the second wave in India as well as the fact that some cinemas were only allowed to open with strict conditions such as 50% occupation and also the control of the vaccination status of the audience. The restrictions were different in each federal state due to the regionally different severity of the pandemic.
Therefore a very low LIMIT OF 1 CRORE was set for the entry of films on this list! All currency conversions are based on the exchange rate from January 1, 2021 in order to ensure equality when viewing. Numbers of votes from the IMDb given here are rounded up, as constant tracking is not possible with daily changes.
10 HIGHEST RATED INDIAN FILMS ON LETTERBOXD INCLUDED ON THIS LIST
Even commercially highly successful films can be great, this should be written first! But a high box office result is not always synonymous with high film quality or the enthusiastic response from film reviewers and film buffs, but only indicates which films appealed to the broad masses of the population. It is therefore certainly interesting which films were also well received by the critical users of a film site, which is reflected in the average rating. The following overview shows the 10 most highly rated films on Letterboxd with enough votes that are included on this list.
01. Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana - 3.9 [7,8] - Kannada/Sandalwood
02. Karnan - 3.8 [7,6] - Tamil/Kollywood
03. Nayattu - 3.7 [7,4] - Malayalam/Mollywood
04. Maanaadu - 3.6 [7,2] - Tamil/Kollywood
05. Jan-e-Man - 3.6 [7,2] - Malayalam/Mollywood
06. '83 - 3.5 [7,0] - Hindi/Bollywood
07. Operation Java - 3.5 [7,0] - Malayalam/Mollywood
08. Raja Raja Chora - 3.4 [6,8] - Telugu/Tollywood II
09. Ajagajantharam - 3.4 [6,8] - Malayalam/Mollywood
10. Republic - 3.3 [6,6] - Telugu/Tollywood II
HIGHEST GROSSING INDIAN FILMS OF 2021 SORTED BY FILM INDUSTRY
India is the most productive and largest film country in the world. However, there is one special feature: Due to the regional language diversity, several film industries developed in India in the previous century. The following overviews show each the 10 highest grossing films from the most important film industries of which data could be adequately recorded.
⚫ TOP 10 HIGHEST GROSSING HINDI FILMS OF 2021 - BOLLYWOOD
01. Sooryavanshi - ₹ 294.17 cr
02. '83 - ₹ 192.93cr
03. Antim: The Final Truth - ₹ 58.37 cr
04. Bell Bottom - ₹ 50.58 cr
05. Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui - ₹ 38.57 cr
06. Tadap - ₹ 34.86 cr
07. Roohi - ₹ 23.25 cr
08. Mumbai Saga - ₹ 22.29 cr
09. Bunty Aur Babli 2 - ₹ 22.12 cr
10. Satyameva Jayate 2 - ₹ 17.29 cr
⚫ TOP 10 HIGHEST GROSSING TAMIL FILMS OF 2021 - KOLLYWOOD
01. Master - ₹ 223.00 cr
02. Annaatthe - ₹ 172.00 cr
03. Doctor - ₹ 100.50 cr
04. Maanaadu - ₹ 75.00 cr
05. Karnan - ₹ 52.00 cr
06. Sulthan - ₹ 36.50 cr
07. Enemy - ₹ 25.00 cr
08. Aranmanai 3 - ₹ 24.00 cr
09. Chakra - ₹ 18.80 cr
10. Kaadan - ₹ 10.90 cr
⚫ TOP 10 HIGHEST GROSSING TELUGU FILMS OF 2021 - TOLLYWOOD/II
01. Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1 - ₹ 349.00 cr
02. Vakeel Saab - ₹ 137.50 cr
03. Akhanda - ₹ 117.00 cr
04. Uppena - ₹ 84.10 cr
05. Jathi Ratnalu - ₹ 68.00 cr
06. Krack - ₹ 60.15 cr
07. Love Story - ₹ 59.00 cr
08. Shyam Singha Roy - ₹ 44.28 cr
09. Most Eligible Bachelor - ₹ 38.00 cr
10. Red - ₹ 31.20 cr
⚫ TOP 10 HIGHEST GROSSING MALAYALAM FILMS OF 2021 - MOLLYWOOD
01. Kurup - ₹ 74.00 cr
02. Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea - ₹ 45.40 cr
03. The Priest - ₹ 28.50 cr
04. One - ₹ 12.00 cr
05. Ajagajantharam - ₹ 8.08 cr
06. Kaaval - ₹ 6.67 cr
07. Jan-e-Man - ₹ 4.83 cr
08. Kala - ₹ 4.20 cr
09. Operation Java - ₹ 3.60 cr
10. Vellam - ₹ 2.52 cr
⚫ TOP 10 HIGHEST GROSSING KANNADA FILMS OF 2021 - SANDALWOOD
01. Roberrt - ₹ 69.50 cr
02. Pogaru - ₹ 45.10 cr
03. Kotigobba 3 - ₹ 39.10 cr
04. Yuvarathnaa - ₹ 38.70 cr
05. Salaga - ₹ 22.00 cr
06. Badava Rascal - ₹14.04 cr
07. Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana - ₹ 7.85 cr
08. Ninna Sanihake - ₹ 1.35 cr
09. Inspector Vikram - ₹ 1.30 cr
10. 100 - ₹ 1.10 cr
⚫ TOP 10 HIGHEST GROSSING PUNJABI FILMS OF 2021 - PUNJWOOD
01. Chal Mera Putt 2 - ₹ 54.50 cr
02. Honsla Rakh - ₹ 46.40 cr
03. Chal Mera Putt 3 - ₹ 26.00 cr
04. Qismat 2 - ₹ 25.50 cr
05. Puaada - ₹ 16.20 cr
06. Warning - ₹ 9.54 cr
07. Moosa Jatt - ₹ 4.30 cr
08. Teeja Punjab - ₹ 2.98 cr
09. Fuffad Ji - ₹ 2.83 cr
10. Paani Ch Madhaani - ₹ 2.45 cr
⚫ TOP 10 HIGHEST GROSSING MARATHI FILMS OF 2021 - MARYWOOD
01. Jhimma - ₹ 9.80 cr
02. Pandu - ₹ 5.90 cr
03. Oh My Ghost - ₹ 0.20 cr
04. Befaam - ₹ 0.13 cr
05. Gaav Pudhe Aahe - ₹ 0.11 cr
06. Preetam - ₹ 0.10 cr
07. Kaanbhatt - ₹ 0.09 cr
08. Peter - ₹ 0.08 cr
09. Ek Ti - ₹ 0.04 cr
10. Kamlabai Missing - ₹ 0.04 cr
⚫ TOP 10 HIGHEST GROSSING BENGALI FILMS OF 2021 - TOLLYWOOD/I
01. Golondaaj - ₹ 4.18 cr
02. Bony - ₹ 1.40 cr
03. Shororipu 2: Jotugriho - ₹ 0.70 cr
04. Baazi - ₹ 0.70 cr
05. FIR NO: 339/07/06 - ₹ 0.53 cr
06. Prem Tame - ₹ 0.45 cr
07. Magic - ₹ 0.30 cr
08. Flyover - ₹ 0.19 er
09. Tumi Ashbe Bole - ₹ 0.12 cr
10. Miss Call - ₹ 0.12 cr
50 MOST RATED INDIAN FILMS 2021 DIRECTLY RELEASED ON OTT PLATFORMS
OTT means over-the-top-content and is especially in India the official term for subscription-based video-on-demand platforms respectively streaming platforms that directly offer their customers films and series to watch.
Especially in the last two years, which were largely shaped by the global corona pandemic, streaming services have became increasingly popular for the first release of films without a theatrical release, among other things as an alternative station due to closed cinemas and the insecure market situation in general.
An overall view of the Indian film year can only take place if one compares the streaming hits that never ran on a screen with the actual cinema hits. Because the directly digital released films in the following overview with their high number of votes and the resulting presumable high audience popularity would all have had the potential to achieve a good to very good box office result.
01. Radhe - Bollywood - IMDb: 175,200+ [LB: 1.1k] - ZEE5 (overseas in theatres only)
02. Jai Bhim - Kollywood - IMDb: 172,400+ [LB: 4.9k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
03. Shershaah - Bollywood - IMDb: 113,000+ [LB: 3.7k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
04. Dhamaka - Bollywood - IMDb: 38,600+ [LB: 1.6k] - NETFLIX
05. Mimi - Bollywood - IMDb: 36,200+ [LB: 4.4k] - NETFLIX / JIO CINEMA
06. Sardar Udham - Bollywood - IMDb: 35,300+ [LB: 4.5k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
07. Toofaan - Bollywood - IMDb: 34,400+ [LB: 1.2k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
08. Drishyam 2 - Mollywood - IMDb: 33,900+ [LB: 5.5k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
09. Bhoot Police - Bollywood - IMDb: 25,900+ [LB: 0.6k] - HOTSTAR
10. Haseen Dillruba - Bollywood - IMDb: 25,100+ [LB: 3.3k] - NETFLIX
11. Bhuj: The Pride of India - Bollywood - IMDb: 24,300+ [LB: 0.4k] - HOTSTAR
12. Minnal Murali - Mollywood - IMDb: 23,700+ [LB: 6.2k] - NETFLIX
13. Atrangi Re - Bollywood - IMDb: 21,000+ [LB: 3.2k] - HOTSTAR
14. Sarpatta Parambarai - Kollywood - IMDb: 20,200+ [LB: 4.7k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
15. Shiddat - Bollywood - IMDb: 17,600+ [LB: 0.5k] - ZEE5
16. Meenakshi Sundareshwar - Bollywood - IMDb: 16,900+ [LB: 1.2k] - NETFLIX
17. The Big Bull - Bollywood - IMDb: 16,300+ [LB: 0.4k] - HOTSTAR
18. The Girl on the Train - Bollywood - IMDb: 14,600+ [LB: 1.8k] - NETFLIX
19. Malik - Mollywood - IMDb: 12,000+ [LB: 3.9k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
20. #Home - Mollywood - IMDb: 11,900+ [LB: 2.5k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
21. Jagame Thandhiram - Kollywood - IMDb: 11,700+ [LB: 3.3k] - NETFLIX
22. Sherni - Bollywood - IMDb: 11,000+ [LB: 2.2k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
23. Rashmi Rocket - Bollywood - IMDb: 10,300+ [LB: 0.3k] - ZEE5
24. Joji - Mollywood - IMDb: 9,300+ [LB: 6.0k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
25. Pagglait - Bollywood - IMDb: 9,200+ [LB: 2.6k] - NETFLIX
26. State of Siege: Temple Attack - Bollywood - IMDb: 9,000+ [LB: 0.2k] - ZEE5
27. Methagu - Kollywood - IMDb: 8,900+ [LB: 0.2k] - BS VALUE
28. Sanak - Bollywood - IMDb: 8,700+ [LB: 0.4k] - HOTSTAR
29. Kaagaz - Bollywood - IMDb: 8,600+ [LB: 0.4k] - ZEE5
30. The Great Indian Kitchen - Mollywood - IMDb: 7,900+ [LB: 5.0k] - NEESTREAM / APV
31. Mandela - Kollywood - IMDb: 6,800+ [LB: 2.4k] - STAR VIJAY / NETFLIX
32. Hum Do Hamare Do - Bollywood - IMDb: 6,500+ [LB: 0.5k] - HOTSTAR
33. Sunny - Mollywood - IMDb: 6,500+ [LB: 0.5k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
34. Hungama 2 - Bollywood - IMDb: 6,400+ [LB: 0.2k] - HOTSTAR
35. Bob Biswas - Bollywood - IMDb: 6,200+ [LB: 0.5k] - ZEE5
36. Ajeeb Daastaans - Bollywood - IMDb: 5,800+ [LB: 2.3k] - NETFLIX
37. Kuruthi - Mollywood - IMDb: 5,600+ [LB: 2.1k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
38. Nail Polish - Bollywood - IMDb: 5,300+ [LB: 0.3k] - ZEE5
39. Chhorii - Bollywood - IMDb: 5,100+ [LB: 0.4k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
40. 14 Phere - Bollywood - IMDb: 5,000+ [LB: 0.3k] - ZEE5
41. Silence... Can You Hear It? - Bollywood - IMDb: 4,900+ [LB: 0.3k] - ZEE5
42. Sardar Ka Grandson - Bollywood - IMDb: 4,700+ [LB: 0.5k] - NETFLIX
43. Cash - Bollywood - IMDb: 4,600+ [LB: 0.1k] - HOTSTAR
44. Hello Charlie - Bollywood - IMDb: 4,600+ [LB: 0.1k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
45. Skater Girl - Diaspora/Foreign - IMDb: 4,200+ [LB: 3.1k] - NETFLIX
46. Cold Case - Mollywood - IMDb: 4,100+ [LB: 1.6k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
47. Maara - Kollywood - IMDb: 4,100+ [LB: 0.9k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
47. Narappa - Tollywood/II - IMDb: 4,100+ [LB: 0.4k] - AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
49. Rathnan Prapancha - Sandalwood - IMDb: 3,900+ [LB: 0.2k] - AMAZON PRIME VID.
50. Kaanekkaane - Mollywood - IMDb: 3,700+ [LB: 1.1k] - SONYLIV
FAQ: What Does Crore Actually Mean?
People connected with the South Asian sub-continent don't need to read this. But hardly any film fan from the West knows what is behind this word. So here is the short explanation: Crore (cr) is a very commonly used South Asian numeral term to summarize larger amounts of money, of course related to the respective national currency, but also other measurements and amounts of people. In this list it logically means:
100 crore = ⠀⠀1 billion rupees
⠀10 crore = 100 million rupees
⠀⠀1 crore = ⠀10 million rupees
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This list is sorted in descending order by the worldwide gross! Color scheme:
░░░░ = Hindi Cinema (Bollywood)
▓▓▓▓ = Tamil Cinema (Kollywood)
████ = Telugu Cinema (Tollywood/II)
▒▒▒▒ = All Other Film Industries