Diwali Bollywood releases
Diwali 2023 has been an important festival for Bollywood. Filmmakers aim to block dates for their films during the festive period with the sole purpose of entertaining the family audience with fun, light-hearted and engaging stories. The biggest Diwali releases this year are Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi's Tiger 3 (November 12) followed by the hilarious Khichdi 2 which will release on November 17.
Ahead of the Diwali 2023 releases, here's looking back at the Hindi films that released on the festival over the years and how well did they fare at the box office. From Ra.One in 2011, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo in 2015 to Ram Setu and Thank God's clash in 2022, we tracked the performances of these festive releases.
2011 - Ra.One
Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal's high-concept visual effects spectacle Ra.One might have not received the acclaim it deserved in 2011 but the film collected Rs. 118 crores at the box office due to pre-release buzz and the star cast.
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2012 - Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif's Jab Tak Hai Jaan was Yash Chopra's final directorial. The Bollywood drama opened to positive reviews. At the box office, the film was declared a superhit with a collection of Rs. 120.65 crores.
2012 - Son Of Sardaar
Ajay Devgn and Sonakshi Sinha's Son Of Sardaar clashed with Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Despite the clash, the comedy film was a hit at the box office as it collected Rs. 105.03 crores.
2013 - Krrish 3
Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra's Krrish 3 was the biggest Diwali release in 2013. The superhero franchise, owing to its massive fan following, set the cash counters ringing. The film made Rs. 240 crores at the box office.
2014 - Happy New Year
Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani and Vivaan Shah's Happy New Year was a major Diwali release in 2014. The hype around the film made it a successful venture despite mixed reviews. The Farah Khan directorial earned Rs. 203 crores.
2015 - Prem Ratan Dhan Payo
Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor and Sooraj Barjatya brought a perfect family entertainer on Diwali in 2015 with Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. The film reunited the iconic Hum Aapke Hai Koun duo and collected Rs. 207.4 crores at the box office.
2016 - Shivaay
Ajay Devgn's directorial debut Shivaay received a mixed response from the critics as well as the audience. Despite enough buzz and anticipation, the film was declared an average at the box office with a collection of Rs. 100.35 crores.
2016 - Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was one of the most talked about films in 2016. With a Diwali release, the romantic drama directed by Karan Johar earned Rs. 112.5 crores at the box office.
2017 - Golmaal Again
Rohit Shetty cast his magic at the box office with Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Parineeti Chopra, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade and Kunal Kemmu's Golmaal Again. The horror-comedy was a success at the box office as it collected Rs. 205.72 crores.
2017 - Secret Superstar
Despite a clash with Golmaal Again, Zaira Wasim's inspirational Secret Superstar held its ground at the box office. With positive reviews and good word of mouth, the film collected Rs. 62 crores.
2019 - Housefull 4
Akshay Kumar, Kriti Sanon, Riteish Deshmukh, Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Kriti Kharbanda, Chunky Panday and Rana Daggubati's Housefull 4 dominated the box office on Diwali 2019. The comedy film collected Rs. 206 crores.
2021 - Sooryavanshi
Akshay Kumar and Rohit Shetty reopened theatres post the COVID-19 pandemic with Sooryavanshi on Diwali 2021. Despite multiple safety regulations and guidelines, the cop thriller collected Rs. 195.04 crores.
2022 - Ram Setu
Akshay Kumar, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Jacqueline Fernandez's Ram Setu was low on buzz. In spite of being a Diwali release, it failed to draw an audience to theatres with family. The film collected around Rs. 90 crores globally.
2023 - Thank God
Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh's Thank God fared better than Ram Setu at the box office but the report wasn't great either. The film directed by Indra Kumar collected approximately Rs. 98 crores.
