After SS Rajamouli, Aditya Dhar Hits Big With Dhurandhar, Delivers Two Rs 1000 Cr Films; Now Eyes On Other Directors

Hyderabad: Indian cinema has been witnessing a strong run at the box office over the past few years, with filmmakers delivering record-breaking films across languages. Several big-budget movies have not only earned massive collections but also set new benchmarks for the industry.

From Dangal to the Baahubali and KGF franchises, Indian films have consistently pushed the limits of box office success. In 2023, Shah Rukh Khan made a major comeback with Pathaan and Jawan, both of which crossed the Rs 1000 crore mark worldwide. Following this, films like Animal, Dunki, Pushpa 2: The Rule, Salaar and others continued the trend.

At present, filmmaker Aditya Dhar is in the spotlight with his latest film, Dhurandhar: The Revenge. The film is performing strongly at the box office and has already crossed Rs 1000 crore within a week of its release. With this, Aditya Dhar has become the second Indian director, after SS Rajamouli, to deliver two Rs 1000 crore films.

Here is a look at some of the Indian directors who have achieved major box office milestones:

Aditya Dhar

Aditya Dhar, known for Uri: The Surgical Strike, is currently 43 years old. He began his journey as a director with Uri, which was widely appreciated. Over the years, he has also worked on scripts for films like Article 370, Dhoom Dhaam and Baramulla.

In 2025, he wrote and directed Dhurandhar, which went on to earn over Rs 1300 crore worldwide. The film is among the highest-grossing Hindi films, with Dangal still holding the top position.

His latest release, Dhurandhar 2, hit theatres on March 19 and has already crossed Rs 1000 crore in its first week. Trade experts believe the film has the potential to challenge the long-standing record of Dangal.

Nitesh Tiwari

Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari remains one of the key names in Indian cinema due to the success of Dangal. The film, starring Aamir Khan, earned over Rs 2000 crore globally and continues to hold the record even after several years.

Tiwari was around 43 years old when Dangal was released. He is currently working on the ambitious project Ramayana, which is expected to be one of the most expensive Indian films.

Despite strong competition from films like Pushpa 2 and Baahubali 2, Dangal has maintained its position. Now, Dhurandhar 2 is being seen as a potential contender to break this record.

SS Rajamouli

SS Rajamouli is widely regarded as one of the biggest directors in Indian cinema. He played a major role in setting the trend for Rs 1000 crore films.

His film Baahubali 2: The Conclusion earned around Rs 1788 crore worldwide and became a landmark release. He followed it up with RRR, which collected over Rs 1200 crore globally.

Rajamouli remains the only Indian director so far to deliver multiple Rs 1000 crore films consistently. His upcoming project, expected to be released in 2027, is already generating strong buzz.

Sukumar

Director Sukumar gained widespread recognition with the Pushpa franchise starring Allu Arjun. The first part, Pushpa: The Rise, released in 2021, was a major success.

Its sequel, Pushpa 2: The Rule, went on to earn around Rs 1742 crore worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing Telugu films. The director is now expected to continue the franchise with a third instalment.

Prashanth Neel

Prashanth Neel is credited with bringing Kannada cinema to a wider audience. His film KGF: Chapter 1 introduced Yash to a national audience.

The sequel, KGF: Chapter 2, earned over Rs 1250 crore worldwide. His later film Salaar, starring Prabhas, also performed well at the box office.

Atlee

Director Atlee delivered one of the biggest hits of Shah Rukh Khan's career with Jawan. The film earned over Rs 1100 crore worldwide.

Atlee, who is in his late 30s, achieved this milestone early in his career. He is currently working on a new project featuring Allu Arjun and Deepika Padukone.

Siddharth Anand

Siddharth Anand is known for directing commercial hits like War and Bang Bang. In 2023, he directed Pathaan, which marked his entry into the Rs 1000 crore club. The film also played a key role in reviving Shah Rukh Khan's box office dominance.

He is now set to direct King, which is expected to release later this year and could emerge as another major hit.

Nag Ashwin

Filmmaker Nag Ashwin joined the Rs 1000 crore club with Kalki 2898 AD. The film earned over Rs 1000 crore worldwide and received a strong audience response. Starring Prabhas, the film marked a major milestone in his career.

A sequel to the film is currently awaited by audiences.