From ‘Brahmastra’ to ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’: Biggest Bollywood blockbusters in the post-pandemic era

Hindi cinema went through a major dull phase following the COVID-19 pandemic. Several big-ticket films such as Aamir Khan’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Shamshera’ and Akshay Kumar’s ‘Samrat Prithviraj’, and small-budget films like Ajay Devgn’s ‘Runway 34’ and Shahid Kapoor’s ‘Jersey’ were totally rejected by the audiences and bombed at the box office.
However, there were a few movies that brought some relief to Bollywood. Here's a look at those film that emerged as blockbusters in the post-pandemic era.

Brahmastra
The fantasy adventure, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, is the highest-grossing Hindi movie in the post-pandemic era. ‘Brahmastra Part One: Shiva’, directed by Ayan Mukerji, is the first part of the trilogy. It collected over Rs 420 crore worldwide.

The Kashmir Files
The Vivek Agnihotri directorial is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s. The political drama was the first Hindi release to cross ₹250 crore post-pandemic. The film’s total worldwide gross is over Rs 330 crore, thanks to the state-sponsored initiatives of tax-free status and other monetary incentives.

Sooryavanshi
Starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, ‘Sooryavanshi’ was the first major release in the theatres post-pandemic. It released on Diwali 2021. The Rohit Shetty directorial earned over Rs 290 crore worldwide.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
The horror-comedy starred Kartik Aaryan, Tabu, and Kiara Advani. The Anees Bazmee directorial, which was a sequel to Akshay Kumar’s ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’, was a complete entertainer and it collected around Rs 266 crore globally.

Gangubai Kathiawadi
The Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial was headlined by Alia Bhatt. The film, which was released in February 2022, is the fifth-highest-grossing Hindi film in the post-pandemic era. It earned nearly Rs 210 crore worldwide.

‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ will campaign for BAFTA Awards in all categories, including Best Actress for Alia.