Filmmakers often schedule their films around festivals such as Holi, Diwali and Dussehra, hoping to draw audiences to cinemas during the holiday period. This year, too, several films arrived in theatres ahead of Dussehra. Here’s a look at some notable releases from previous years and how the latest films have fared.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Released around Dussehra in 2007, Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a popular Hindi horror-comedy directed by Priyadarshan. The film featured Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja, Ameesha Patel and Paresh Rawal in key roles. Made on a reported budget of around Rs 32 crore, the film was a box office success. It collected Rs 49.11 crore net in India.
Bang Bang
Starring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif, Bang Bang! was released during the 2014 Dussehra season. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the action film revolves around the theft of the Koh-i-Noor diamond and the efforts of terrorists to acquire it. According to reports, the film was made on a budget of approximately Rs 140-160 crore. Sacnilk data puts its India net collection at around Rs 181.03 crore.
Badhaai Ho
Released on October 18, 2018, Badhaai Ho proved to be a major box office success. The film starred Ayushmann Khurrana, Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Sanya Malhotra and Sheeba Chaddha. According to Sacnilk, the film collected Rs 137.31 crore net in India. It was reportedly made on a budget of approximately Rs 23-29 crore and emerged as a blockbuster.
Namaste England
Also released on October 18, 2018, Namaste England starred Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra. It was presented as a follow-up to the 2007 hit Namaste London, which featured Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. However, the film failed at the box office. According to Sacnilk, it collected around Rs 9 crore in India.
Jigra
Starring Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina, Jigra was released in theatres on October 11, 2024, around Dussehra. Directed by Vasan Bala, the film revolves around the bond between a brother and sister. Despite its emotional storyline, the film struggled at the box office. Reports put its budget at approximately Rs 80-90 crore, while its reported collection stood at Rs 31.98 crore.
Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video
Released on October 11, 2024, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video featured Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri, with Mallika Sherawat also appearing in the film. Directed by Raaj Shaandilyaa, the comedy is set in the 1990s and follows a couple whose private video goes missing. The film delivered a moderate box office performance. According to Sacnilk, its India net collection stood at Rs 42.09 crore, against a reported budget of Rs 40 crore.
Dussehra box office 2026: How this year's releases are performing
Several films arrived in theatres ahead of Dussehra this year, with Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 emerging as a major box office draw. Released on October 15, the film has made a strong start, with its worldwide collection approaching the Rs 500 crore mark.
According to Sacnilk, Jailer 2 earned approximately Rs 57 crore in overseas markets on its opening day, giving it the highest overseas opening-day collection among Indian films released in 2026 at the time of reporting. By comparison, Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2 collected around Rs 52 crore overseas on its opening day.
Meanwhile, Ranabaali, starring Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, has also arrived in theatres but has not matched Jailer 2’s box office performance. From Bollywood, Rajkummar Rao’s Prahaar: The Ujjwal Nikam Story and Yami Gautam’s Nayyi Navelli have recorded more modest collections.
As the festive period continues, the box office figures offer another look at how films released around Dussehra have fared, from earlier hits such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Badhaai Ho to this year's releases.
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