Big stars, massive budgets and blockbuster openings often dominate the Indian box-office conversation. But 2026 has thrown up an interesting twist: some of the year’s most profitable films are not necessarily
the ones with the biggest collections. While films like Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge have shattered box-office records, a small-budget devotional drama, Hanuman Ansh, has now emerged as the year’s biggest success story. As Hanuman Ansh continues to rule headlines and box office, let’s take a look at the top three profitable Indian films of 2026 so far.
1) Hanuman Ansh
The biggest surprise of 2026 is Hanuman Ansh, the Vishal Chaturvedi-directed devotional drama based on the life and legacy of spiritual leader Neem Karoli Baba. It slow at the box office after its release. The film reportedly opened with around Rs 10 lakh on its first day. However, instead of fading after a weak opening, the film gradually picked up through positive word of mouth. Made on a reported budget of around Rs 2 crore, the film crossed the Rs 40 crore mark in India within 24 days and has subsequently gone past Rs 50 crore, making it one of the year’s most unexpected sleeper hits. Reportedly, the film has an return on investment (ROI) of 2,907 per cent with the current box office numbers.
2) Dhurandhar: The Revenge
If Hanuman Ansh is the biggest winner in percentage terms, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is one of the year’s biggest winners in terms of absolute money generated. The Ranveer Singh starrer action thriller, directed by Aditya Dhar, was reportedly made on a budget of around Rs 225 crore. It collected approximately Rs 1,186 crore in India, according to Koimoi. This puts its estimated profit at around Rs 961.32 crore, translating into an ROI of approximately 427 per cent.
3) Awarapan 2
Emraan Hashmi’s recently released movie Awarapan 2 has also emerged as one of Bollywood’s major theatrical hits of 2026. The Nitin Kakkar directorial was reportedly made for around Rs 45 crore. However, it crossed Rs 147 crore in India within 12 days of its release and subsequently reached around Rs 155 crore. Based on those figures, the film has generated an estimated profit of around Rs 109.4 crore, giving it an ROI of approximately 243 per cent.
