Aamir Khan – The Undisputed Box Office King

It has not been easy for Aamir Khan, for he never was the mega ‘superstar’ that he is today. The 90’s were dominated by the likes of Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan. Aamir crawled his

way, all along concentrating on quality and content, to slowly make it to the top league and now beyond!

The last decade, after classics like Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai, Aamir took a 4-5 year long break due to marital issues and other personal problems. He returned with Mangal Pandey which didn’t do too well at the box office. Soon after, many in the media and trade wrote him off.

Aamir stopped giving interviews and never really promoted the commercially risky ‘Rang De Basanti’ – a film that not many would even risk after ‘Mangal Pandey’. The movie went on to do great business, soon after which Aamir returned with the record breaking Fanaa. He then decided to take up direction and directed the brilliant Taare Zameen Par and the rest, including the historic business of Ghajini, is now history.

Aamir Khan - Anushka Sharma PK

But no one in their wildest of dreams would have thought 3 Idiots would come close to Ghajini, leave alone beat the 116 crore record. The film not only went on to do record-breaking business, but became the first film to cross Rs 200 crore in India and Rs 350 crore worldwide – unimaginable for any film during those days.

After the historic success of 3 Idiots, Aamir decided to do yet another off-beat film, with little or no commercial appeal outside multiplexes in cities. A supernatural mystery thriller, no less. The response was mixed, as many returned home disappointed with the fact that Kareena Kapoor was in fact a ghost!

Then came yet another box office monster, Dhoom 3, which went on to be the highest grosser of all time collecting Rs 284 crore in India. The first film to cross the 250 crore mark. Dhoom 3 not only smashed every record in sight in the domestic markets, but also created records overseas – markets that were previously dominated by Shahrukh Khan for decades, now had a new competitor, who could not only challenge him, but also beat him.

A few days prior to the release of PK, we spoke to several distributors and trade experts. Most believed that the film would just about manage to cross the 200 crore mark, while most thought the film had absolutely no chance of crossing the universal success of Dhoom 3. On December 19th, the day PK released, the Rajkumar Hirani film took a much slower opening as compared to Dhoom 3. However, the response (read word-of-mouth) was so good, that the film came into its own in its first weekend itself. PK has now become the first film to collect Rs 300 crore in India and will soon become the first to gross 600 crore worldwide.

Aamir Khan has set the benchmark so high, that it would take nothing less than a miracle for other stars like Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Ranbir Kapoor to match. There are expectations that Bhajrangi Bhaijaan could challenge PK next year, and Shahrukh Khan’s film with Rohit Shetty – if it does release during Christmas – could also have a chance if the word-of-mouth is good. But for now, realistically, the only records that the others will be chasing will be the opening day and weekend. Like 3 Idiots, PK has raised the bar so high, that there are fears that it will take another 4 years for any other film to come close.

Box office milestones

  • First 50 crore film – Salman Khan and Sooraj Barjatya (Hum Aapke Hai Kaun)
  • First 100 crore film – Aamir Khan and A.R. Murugadoss (Ghajini)
  • First 150 crore film – Aamir Khan and Rajkumar Hirani (3 Idiots)
  • First 200 crore film – Aamir Khan and Rajkumar Hirani (3 Idiots)
  • First 250 crore film – Aamir Khan and Vijay Krishna Acharya (Dhoom 3)
  • First 300 crore film – Aamir Khan and Rajkumar Hirani (PK)
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122 Comments

  • http://www.indicine.com/movies/bollywood/top-5-actors-in-bollywood-box-office-battle/
    @Sem read above link.Your king was struggling behind akki and hr that time forget about Aamir.His Paheli was non opener who said he is most popular that time as after classic like vz and swades his paheli was non opener and was the solo release in 2005.
    Srk his prime giving hit superhit chasing his own ddlj and Aamir at his prime setting benchmarks each of time.During srk primetime he failed to cross hahk for 13 years while likes of sunny deol and hrithik had already given all time grosser.Hail the Aamir khan.

  • @sem you know in the story of rabbit and tortoise who won the race.It is a time when all the three khans are near to their ending phase and who made a mark this time that only matters.People will definitely remember Aamir for long time and his career ending is high than any actor of history of cinema.
    Hrithik since 2000-2006 had given 5 blockbuster while srk did only 1 bb that time that also starring k3g.So why are you talking about Aamir only man.Isn’t srk was No. 1 that time.PR made king no. 1.

  • Forgot the haters.Its celebration time for we Aamir fans. 4 atbb in last 5 years.
    Pk Collected huge and its ww collection is tough For coming time.Though its not impossible.But the way Aamir is riding high of success its looking sure when he return with again a universal film that pk records is danger that time.
    Haters dholu just chill.

  • Proud to follow his career since early 90s. Still remember a good looking shy young man trying to establish his way into the industry. When others focussed on box office success he took an unconventional path of chasing excellence. Whenever history of Hindi cinema is to be written, Aamir will find a special place #ThankYouAamir.

    P.S. I request all Aamir fans not to get carried away. It’s possible to celebrate Aamir’s success without deriding any other actor.

  • No one else will be able to break PK’s records. Only Aamir will break his own record with dangal or whatever next movie he comes up with.

  • what i liked about PK is sunny leon’s acting. remember dancing cars ? others scenes r just copy of OMG. debate scene of chiller party was much powerful than that of PK. but all admit that Raju Hirani is the best bollywood director.

  • Technically speaking Aamir has given two ATBBs within one year…Dhoom 3 released on 20th dec 2013 and PK released on 19th dec 2014…..no one else has done so…….. MIND BLOWING

  • @JC please dont encourage the treacherous kshitij sriwastetevar- chameleons like him can turn on anyone in any given moment.

  • i hope all aamir fans accept that sanjay dutt is the no.1 when munna bhai 3 with hirani breaks the records of pk.

    now to the real fact, hirani again proved that content is greater than stardom.

  • SPECIALLY FOR ARJUNKAPUR FAN AS HE HAS GONE WRONG FOR VERDICTS THANK GOD SKY DONT CALL HIM NUTS

    Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak 1989 Super Hit ****
    Raakh 1989 Disaster
    Love Love Love 1989 Flop

    Awwal Number 1990 Disaster
    Tum Mere Ho 1990 Average
    Dil 1990 Super Hit****
    Deewana Mujhsa Nahin 1990 Disaster
    Jawaani Zindabaad 1990 Flop

    Afsana Pyar Ka 1991 Disaster
    Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin 1991 Average

    Daulat Ki Jung 1992 Flop
    Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander 1992 Average
    Isa Ka Naam Zindagi 1992 Disaster

    Parampara 1993 Flop
    Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke 1993 Semi Hit

    Andaz Apna Apna 1994 Flop

    Baazi 1995  Below Average
    Aatank Hi Aatank 1995 Flop
    Rangeela 1995 Semi Hit
    Akele Hum Akele Tum 1995 Flop

    Raja Hindustani 1996 All Time Blockbuster***

    Ishq 1997 Semi Hit

    Ghulam 1998 Above Average

    Sarfarosh 1999 Above Average
    Mann 1999 Flop
    Earth 1999 Disaster

    Mela 2000 Flop

    Lagaan 2001 Hit

    Dil Chahta Hai 2001 Average

    Mangal Pandey 2005  Below Average

    Rang De Basanti 2006 Hit
    Fanaa 2006 Super Hit

    Taare Zameen Par 2007 Super Hit

    ALL KNOW AFTER GHAJINI

    GREAT ACHIVEMENT BY AMIR

  • @ sky you r talking about top 5 but what 4 that-

    Top Actor

    Year Actor

    2010 Aamir Khan
    Shahrukh Khan
    Salman Khan
    2009 Aamir Khan
    Shahrukh Khan
    Akshay Kumar
    2008 Shahrukh Khan
    Aamir Khan
    Akshay Kumar
    2007 Shahrukh Khan
    Akshay Kumar
    Hrithik Roshan
    2006 Shahrukh Khan
    Hrithik Roshan
    Aamir Khan
    2005 Shahrukh Khan
    Salman Khan
    Akshay Kumar
    2004 Shahrukh Khan
    Salman Khan
    Hrithik Roshan
    2003 Shahrukh Khan
    Hrithik Roshan
    Salman Khan
    2002 Shahrukh Khan
    Sunny Deol
    Aamir Khan
    2001 Sunny Deol
    Shahrukh Khan
    Aamir Khan
    2000 Hrithik Roshan
    Shahrukh Khan
    Salman Khan
    1999 Salman Khan
    Shahrukh Khan
    Aamir Khan
    1998 Shahrukh Khan
    Salman Khan
    Sunny Deol
    1997 Sunny Deol
    Shahrukh Khan
    Aamir Khan
    1996 Aamir Khan
    Sunny Deol
    Govinda
    1995 Shahrukh Khan
    Salman Khan
    Govinda
    1994 Shahrukh Khan
    Govinda
    Akshay Kumar
    1993 Sanjay Dutt
    Sunny Deol
    Shahrukh Khan
    1992 Sanjay Dutt
    Anil Kapoor
    Sunny Deol
    1991 Amitabh Bachchan
    Sanjay Dutt
    Salman Khan
    1990 Amitabh Bachchan
    Anil Kapoor
    Sunny Deol
    1989 Amitabh Bachchan
    Anil Kapoor
    Sunny Deol
    1988 Amitabh Bachchan
    Mithun Chakraborty
    Anil Kapoor

  • Sky u r talking about 2000-06 THEN FYI 2000-05 only 4 BB 4 Superhit and 7 Hits means total 15 clear hits out of them how many of srk u count???

    K3G HR threr but dont forget After KNPH 3 failures and K3G and then 4 failures till KMG
    Just c how much BB come in 2007 & 2008

    Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai 2000 Blockbuster
    Mohabbatein 2000 Super Hit

    Gadar Ek Prem Katha 2001 All Time Blockbuster
    Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham 2001 Blockbuster
    Lagaan 2001 Hit

    Devdas 2002 Hit
    Raaz 2002 Super Hit

    Koi Mil Gaya 2003 Blockbuster
    Kal Ho Na Ho 2003 Hit

    Veer Zaara 2004 Super Hit
    Main Hoon Na 2004 Hit
    Mujhse Shaadi Karogi 2004 Hit
    Dhoom 2004 Hit

    No Entry 2005 Super Hit
    Bunti Aur Babli 2005 Hit

    Blockbuster-4
    Superhit-4

    Dhoom 2 2006 Blockbuster
    Vivah 2006 Blockbuster
    Krissh 2006 Blockbuster
    Lage Raho Munnabhai 2006 Blockbuster
    Fanaa 2006 Super Hit
    Don 2006 Hit
    Rang De Basanti 2006 Hit
    Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna 2006 Hit
    Phir Hera Pheri 2006 Super Hit
    Bhagam Bhag 2006 Hit

    IN 2006
    BLOCKBUSTER 4

    Om Shanti Om 2007 Blockbuster
    Welcome 2007 Blockbuster
    Chak De India 2007 Blockbuster
    Partner 2007 Blockbuster
    Taare Zameen Par 2007 Super Hit
    Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2007 Hit
    Heyy Babyy 2007 Hit
    Guru 2007 Hit

    IN 2007
    BLOCKBUSTER 4

    Ghajini 2008 All Time Blockbuster
    Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi 2008 Blockbuster
    Singh Is Kinng 2008 Super Hit
    Race 2008 Hit
    Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na 2008 Super Hit
    Golmaal Returns 2008 Hit
    Dostana 2008 Average

    Three Idiots 2009 All Time Blockbuster
    Love Aaj Kal 2009 Super Hit
    Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani 2009 Super Hit
    Wanted 2009 Super Hit

  • @sem go out in public and say that films like rangeela,dch,hum hai rahi pyar ke,dhkmn,sarfarosh,ghulam all were just avg or semi hit and lagaan was just a hit.

    then wait for their reactions.everyone will b laughingat u bcz public knows that all these films r hit/superhits.

  • Sky srk always in prime form checkout boxoffice history from 1992-2014…u will be sad after seeing that… SRK is not a span superstar….whenever someone giving blockbuster or hits then compare and competition with one and only SRK…sirf naam badalte rehte hai…sky u get hurt as srk compare with sachin and amir with dravid by zeeshan thats why u got angry…

  • Akshay fans can get their answer why amir stops doing 2-4 movies per year bcoz simple as many amirfans bashing akki fans

  • prem ratan dhan payo and shudhi are next to cross 300 cr ….. BB has an outside chance … fan cross 200 cr but not 300 cr rohit shetty n srk next has also a chance to cross 300 cr…!!!

  • @sem I hurt when zeeshan called srk is sachin and Big b is Gawaskar.I would never compare Aamir with Sachin because even I know Aamir wasn’t consistent specially in 1991-2000 though he still had good films in those time but their box office performance was around avg,semi hit.But I never digest someone who degrade big b,how can some one rate big b less than any Bollywood actor.Srk is definitely most consistent actor and if I disagree for that then I am making fool myself rather than others.But don’t you ever think that boi star ranking was flawed.
    For example srk was no. 1 when I think not a single film of his in top 5 in 1994 while Salman who had given hahk in 1994 which broken sholay record wasn’t in top 3,similarly in 1995 Salman should remain at no. 1 though srk given ddlj but Salman too had KA with srk,Aamir came at 1 in 1996.Where srk not in top 3.
    Similarly Hrithik had been 2nd place in 2006 srk at 1,but if srk without big hut remain at top 1 in 1994 than why hr at no. 2 in 2006 despite he had two films in top 3 while srk had 1 at no. 5,boi list was also flawed so as the verdict but we don’t have any trusted source but have to follow them.Partner and cdi was blockbuster in 2007 but tzp is superhit even tzp budget was less was cdi and partner also collection was more than partner. Similarly as per boi jthj collected 101 cr with a budget of 60cr but talaash was semi hit with budget if 45cr with 90cr collection.You are saying that boi is pro Aamir site but basically what I followed its not surely pro Aamir site because they can make Ra1 -115cr movie a clean hit with more than 100cr but talaash semi hit.Similarly Rdb collected 51 cr in 2006,it had highest first week that time,Fanaa on other hand was most expensive film of Aamir collected 2 cr more but Fanna still super hit while rdb not but practically RDB should have been bigger hit than fanna.Ishq,rangeela and Ghulam were clean hit but their verdict change by them later.
    At last I had already said to zeeshan that srk has been always in top 3 since his debut and he also compated with others simultaneously but most of time others oufdobe him too.Whether srk vs Salman in 90,Srk vs Sunny,Srk vs Hrithik,Srk vsAamir.
    Aamur may not compete him well in 90 but since he come back with mangal Pandey he given neck to neck competition to srk and now he outdone him completely.So if srk beat Aamir for more time than Aamir also compete him in last 10 years or can say come ahead in last 7 years.

  • The reason why it hard to beat pk,d3,3i for others.The reason is second and third week collection.Even after 5 years 3i hold highest 3rd and 4th week collection.Pk will sure beat 3rd week collection,even second week collection was broken by d3 after 4 years.So to collect 180-200cr in a week with masala film is not tough for srk and salman but to collect more than 100 or now I say 150 cr is very tough.Only a good film can break pk collection whoever the superstar will be.
    Its definitely being a very proud moment to read.
    Aamir is founder of 100,150,200,250,300,350 cr club.
    50 and 150 cr in overseas.
    200,300,400,500,600 cr worldwide.
    4 atbb in last 7 years.
    The actor who made these strong foundation in people heart with films like Sarfarosh,lagaan,dch,rdb,tzp and Made building with Ghajini,3i,d3 and PK.

  • @sem you duffer, how dare you to make fake analysis? Ishq was super hit, ghoul am was hit, scarf arose was hit, dil chahta hai was hit, and talaash also was hit. If you count them as average or semi hits than srk’s MNIK was semi hit, ra. One was disaster, don 2 was semi hit, JtHJ was just hit. Also chat de was just hit. KANK was semi hit in India. Get some life and run away before I start trolling your useless overactor srk’s.

  • All SRK movies starting MNIK are atleast 200 cr grossers
    worldwide. What abt Sallu’s movies? Jai ho and Ready are 185 each.. Kick was nt able to beat CE worldwide. Aamir and Srk are stars globally. Not the case with Salman

  • I like your article indicine brilliantly posted it. Aamir is the king of all king the biggest megastar of Bollywood ever.

  • Amir always does good films but Dhoom 3 didn’t deserve to such collection coz its not a dhoom its a family drama

  • Aamir has shown what a real king is to so called king n his fans !!!!!!!!!! king title ki toh watt laga di !!!!!!!!!

  • Aamir Khan is down to earth actor.
    Never said he is #1.
    He is really very hard working actor we have in Bollywood.
    He never run for a script to make money.
    He is in a class of Directors like Gurudatt, Raj Kapoor, K. Asif actors like Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bacchhan, Guru Datt, Raj Kapoor.
    He was never in a race of money but the Quality.
    He stands out himself as a best actor.

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