Bollywood has several stars who command enormous budgets despite inconsistent box office records. One leading actor has delivered just two blockbusters across nearly two decades.
His filmography includes major commercial failures alongside critically-appreciated performances. Yet filmmakers continue to invest heavily in his projects.
The actor is , whose box office journey presents an interesting contrast.
Ranbir has delivered two blockbusters, according to Bollywood Hungama.
Sanju (2018) earned ₹342.53 crore during its lifetime theatrical run. The film opened with ₹34.75 crore and collected ₹120.06 crore during its opening weekend.
However, (2023) remains his biggest commercial success. The film collected ₹556.36 crore, earning the All Time Blockbuster verdict. Its opening day collection reached ₹63.80 crore. Animal earned ₹201.76 crore during its opening weekend.
These two films represent Ranbir’s biggest commercial achievements.
Ranbir’s career also includes 8 films classified as flops. That includes his debut movie, Saawariya, as well as Besharam, Bombay Velvet and Tamasha. Tamasha, which has now become a cult Imtiaz Ali movie, tanked at the box office. Jagga Jasoos, Roy, Shamshera, and other unsuccessful releases compounded his setbacks.
Abhinav Kashyap’s Besharam earned ₹59.79 crore despite opening at ₹21.56 crore. Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet performed particularly poorly, collecting just ₹23.67 crore.
Meanwhile, Shamshera – produced by Yash Raj Films – earned ₹42.48 crore during its theatrical run. These figures highlight the inconsistency in Ranbir’s commercial performance.
Ranbir Kapoor has also delivered films classified as hits and semi-hits. Barfi! earned ₹112.15 crore and received a Hit verdict. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, another fan favourite, collected ₹188.57 crore. It was called a Super-Hit.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil earned ₹112.48 crore and was classified as Semi-Hit. Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar collected ₹149.05 crore, receiving another Semi-Hit verdict. Meanwhile, Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva earned ₹257.44 crore but received an Average verdict.
Despite mixed box-office results, Ranbir continues to receive major film opportunities. His latest release, , has a never-before-seen budget for a Hindi film. The two-part epic has a reported budget of ₹4,000 crore.
While there have been unsuccessful movies in his career, there has been no doubt about his potential as an actor. There hasn’t been any question about his star power either. Probably, that’s why Ranbir Kapoor continues to attract the biggest producers and directors in Bollywood.
