A new name has entered Indian cinema’s all-time top 10 box office list — and it has come at the cost of a recent blockbuster. Dhurandhar has officially edged past Animal, claiming the 10th spot with a strong
third-Sunday surge that pushed its India total beyond Rs 555 crore. The shift is not just about numbers. It also triggered a rare, public exchange of praise between two filmmakers known for bold, masculine storytelling — Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Aditya Dhar. The box office moment that changed the list By 10 pm on its third Sunday, Dhurandhar had earned Rs 555.7 crore in India, nudging past Animal’s lifetime domestic collection of Rs 553 crore. With that, Animal slipped out of the top 10, making way for Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller. The milestone also makes Dhurandhar the second 2025 release to feature on the list, after Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1, which currently sits higher with an India total of Rs 622 crore.
Animal vs Dhurandhar: No bad blood
Despite the box office reshuffle, there has been no rivalry between the two films. In fact, Vanga openly praised Dhurandhar after watching it. “DHURANDHAR is built like a man who doesn’t talk much & carries a masculine spine…. DHURANDHAR The title fits because the film moves with dominance & fierce. The depiction is very clear with zero chaos. Music, performances, screenplay & direction are on the top. #AkshayKhanna sir and @RanveerOfficial erased into air & just disappeared into characters effortlessly,” he wrote.
Dhar reacted, “Coming from you, this means a great deal. I’ve always admired the fearlessness with which you stand by your cinema and your faith in unapologetic, masculine storytelling. Dhurandhar was shaped with sincerity, restraint, and conviction–your words give that journey its quiet validation. Grateful for voices like yours that keep Indian cinema honest, rooted, and strong.”
Dhurandhar review
News18 Showsha gave the film 4 stars. An excerpt from the review read, “Dhurandhar is marked with profanity, gore and violence, lots of it, but it only adds more character and even nuance to the narrative. Here, none of it is for cheap thrills. And that’s what makes this film unique and stand out from the host of those that uses savagery as a titillation device. Before we deep dive into what this film entails, let us mention that be prepared for a complex, long, meandering story set against an intricate political and espionage landscape – one that’s based on an incredibly true story but also dramatised for effect.”
Set in Pakistan, Dhurandhar follows an Indian spy who infiltrates the Lyari gangs. Directed by Aditya Dhar and based on true incidents, the story unfolds in the early 2000s. The cast includes Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and R Madhavan, alongside Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi.
| Rank | Movie Name | India Collection (₹ crore) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2 (2024) | 1234.10 |
| 2 | Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) | 1030.42 |
| 3 | KGF Chapter 2 (2022) | 859.70 |
| 4 | RRR (2022) | 782.20 |
| 5 | Kalki 2898 AD (2024) | 646.31 |
| 6 | Jawan (2023) | 640.25 |
| 7 | Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 (2025) | 622.42 |
| 8 | Chhaava (2025) | 601.54 |
| 9 | Stree 2 (2024) | 597.99 |
| 10 | Dhurandhar (2025) | 555.70 |
