From Saiyaara to Lokah Chapter 1: The surprise hits of 2025
Bollywood this year delivered a powerful mix of high-energy action spectacles and heartwarming social dramas, captivating audiences worldwide. Let's have a look at the surprise hits of 2025
Saiyaara Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda starrer Saiyaara became the biggest romantic hit of 2025. The film was made on a budget of 60 crores. Despite the low budget and limited production, the film emerged as the first Hindi romantic film to earn over 300 crores. Saiyaara became a cultural phenomenon thanks to the chemistry between Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda, Mohit Suri's direction, and Mithoon's heartfelt music.
2/8
Lokah: Chapter 1 — Chandra Kalyani Priyadarshan starrer Lokah: Chapter 1 — Chandra is the first female superhero film made in India. The film was created with a budget of Rs 30 crore and has entered Rs 100 crore in just two weeks. The film is still running in the theatres and is speculated to become a superhit film.
3/8
Little Hearts The Telugu language romantic comedy starring Shivani Nagaram and Rajiv Kanakala was made on a budget of Rs 2.5 crore. The film has emerged as another blockbuster of the year and has earned Rs 15.25 within a week.
4/8
Mahavatar Narsimha Mahavatar Narsimha, an animated adaptation of the Puranic Narsimha avatar, became an unexpected family favourite. The film, which was made on a budget of about 5–10 crores, became the first Indian animated film to reach the Rs 100 crore milestone in just 10 days, thanks to its powerful visuals and devotional narrative.
Dragon The Tamil coming-of-age comedy drama starring Pradeep Ranganathan, Dragon, is the biggest Tamil blockbuster of the year. The film, which had a budget of about 20 crores, ended up making about 120 crores in India, making it one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of the year. The film follows a college dropout who deceitfully obtains a lucrative job in order to avoid being discovered. He now must take on a significant challenge.
6/8
Su From So This Kannada comedy drama is also the highest-grossing Kannada movie of the year, with a domestic gross collection of over 50 crores. The film was made on a budget of around 4 crores. The movie, which is set in the seaside village of Marlur, which is connected to Someshwara, centers on Ashoka, a carefree young man whose innocent crush turns into rumors that he is being possessed by a ghost called Sulochana. A series of humorous supernatural incidents upends village life.
7/8
Tourist Family The comedy drama received praise as one of the year's most touching tales. With a budget of about 5 crores, it became a huge blockbuster and made over 70 crores in India. The film centres on a Tamil family from Sri Lanka who travel to India in pursuit of a better future after the country's economic crisis.
8/8
F1 Hollywood sports drama F1, starring Brad Pitt, was directed by Joseph Kosinski. The film was predicted to do well worldwide, but its remarkable run in India caught trade analysts off guard. Despite being a niche sports movie about Formula 1 racing, F1 was well-liked by Indian viewers because of its slick graphics, exciting race scenes, and Brad Pitt's timeless star power. It became one of the highest-grossing original Hollywood films in India, earning about 115 crores.
