Box Office 2025 (Jan–Apr): Only Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava roars at the box office

As the first four months of 2025 come to a close, the Hindi box office has already seen its fair share of highs, lows, and surprises. From period dramas and action-packed entertainers to modest political thrillers and romantic comedies, the slate has been diverse, and so has the audience’s response. With Chhaava rewriting records, Jaat has reaffirmed that Sunny Deol is the last action hero while Salman Khan’s Sikandar though crossed Rs 100 crore mark - needs to rethink his film choices, Here’s a look at how Bollywood’s box office shaped up between January and April 2025.
If there’s one film that truly dominated conversations and collections this year so far, it’s Maddock Films’ Chhaava. Directed by Laxman Utekar, this ambitious period action drama brought the valorous story of Sambhaji Maharaj to the big screen with Vicky Kaushal in the titular role.
Released with high expectations, Chhaava not only lived up to the hype but surpassed it. With India collection crossing Rs 600 crore mark, it comfortably emerged as the biggest grosser of 2025’s first quarter. The film’s grandeur, AR Rahman’s evocative score, and Utekar’s vision received widespread praise, with particular applause for Vicky’s performance as the fearless Maratha warrior. Chhaava’s success has not only cemented Vicky’s standing as a bona fide box office star but also reaffirmed the audience’s appetite for historical action dramas done right.
Salman Khan’s mass-market appeal showed no signs of waning as Sikandar, clocked Rs 110 crore at the box office. Released as a traditional Eid entertainer, the action-packed film played right into Salman’s strengths — high-voltage drama, gravity-defying stunts, and dialogues tailored for single-screen whistles.But bad reviews and lack of connection with the audience failed to give Salman the kind of box office one was expecting from the audience.
Akshay Kumar returned to familiar patriotic territory with Sky Force, a film based on India’s first airstrike during the 1965 Indo-Pak war. The film managed to strike a chord with audiences looking for high-octane action and nationalistic fervor.The film managed to earn Rs 112 crore in India, but its performance has been underscored with the rumors about huge block bookings.
One of the surprise successes of this quarter has been Jaat, a regional-rooted action-drama with Sunny Deol in the lead. This was his first film post the success of Gadar 2 and the film has been gaining tracktion even in it’s third week as it’s collection crossed Rs 85 crore mark in India. Jaat found strong footing in North India, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi NCR circuits. Its success has encouraged conversations around mainstream Hindi films embracing authentic regional stories, a trend that seems to be gathering steam.
Sequel films have always had a tricky history in Bollywood, but Kesari Chapter 2, is having a respectable run at the box office.
Carrying forward the legacy of the 2019 hit Kesari, this film introduced fresh faces like R. Madhavan and Ananya Panday alongside Akshay Kumar. While it didn’t reach the box office heights of its predecessor, the film’s respectable run reaffirmed the viability of well-made patriotic dramas and historical franchises.The film has made Rs 68 crore in 10 days and has performed much better that a lot of Akshay’s past releases . The film is based on Raghu and Pushpa Palat’s The Case That Shook the Empire and brought the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in front of world press.
Mid-budget thrillers have often faced an uphill climb at the box office, but The Diplomat and’ Deva fared reasonably well.The Diplomat, a political thriller led by John Abraham minted almost Rs 36 crore and Shahid’s Deva wrapped up around Rs 34 crore. ,
Kangana Ranaut’s directorial venture Emergency, based on the politically charged Emergency period in India, struggled to find takers at the box office despite the controversy and pre-release buzz surrounding it.While critics appreciated its bold storytelling and Kangana’s portrayal of Indira Gandhi, the film’s heavy political overtones and lack of commercial trappings kept mainstream audiences away having a box office collection of just Rs 18.4 crore.
The January–April 2025 box office trends point to an evolving Bollywood ecosystem. Big-budget historical dramas like Chhaava continue to draw crowds, but mid-budget action thrillers and culturally rooted stories are carving their own niches.
There’s also a clear indication that while star power still holds sway — content-and character driven films like Jaat and Chaava can rack up impressive numbers if the storytelling clicks with audiences.
With major releases likeRaid 2, Thug Life, Sitaare Zameen Par, Jolly LLB 3, War 2, Alpha lined up for the rest of the year, Bollywood’s 2025 box office journey has only just begun. If the first quarter is anything to go by, it promises to be an exciting ride.