Bollywood has long been inseparable from Indian culture. Just as the 2000s are unimaginable without Shah Rukh Khan, the film industry itself feels incomplete without ratings. From critic reviews to public platforms, Bollywood movies have always reflected society, capturing everything from NRI life to the unstoppable rise of Telugu cinema. According to a recent IMDb report, here are the 25 most popular Indian films that continue to shape this cultural journey.
2000-2005: Ruled by SRK
Starting strong, the new century year was ruled by Shah Rukh Khan. With his iconic Mohabbatein, it had the biggest names of the industry at the time. Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, not only did it give the millennials their childhood anthems, but it also portrayed the changing dynamic of young love. Carrying on the sparring duo of Bachchan and SRK, Dharma Productions brought Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham to life. With a timeless background score and loaded with family drama, it is the guilty pleasure of many millennials even today.
Taking the box office by storm, Shah Rukh Khan stunned fans with his character Devdas Mukherjee. Starring Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai, the trio portrayed Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s real-life story, penned in 1917. Directed by Yash Chopra, Veer-Zara is played by SRK and Preity Zinta, who play star-crossed lovers. This romantic tragedy borrows from the iconic theme of theatre, is loaded with melodrama and features Kiron Kher and Rani Mukherji.
The only non-SRK film in the five years, Black, is another Sanjay Bhansali film starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee. The actress played a girl who cannot see, hear, or speak and has given up on herself. The gripping visuals and plot made it a fan favourite of the ages.
2006-2010: Amir Khan era
From Taare Zameen Par to 3 Idiots, Aamir Khan made his comeback in this period. But starting from a visible shift from romantic dramas to heist films, the audience of Bollywood evolved too. 2006’s Dhoom 2 marked the advent of the heist era with Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, and Bipasha Basu. Amir Khan’s revolutionary Taare Zameen Par, brought a crucial developmental disorder to light, winning him big accolades. Shah Rukh’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in 2008, too, became highly popular among fans with his double role and musical format.
Aamir Khan’s second film in the decade ruled the box office with its inspirational theme, slapstick comedy, and hard-hitting messages. Packed with drama and emotion 3 Idiots is also one of the most rewatched films among fans. The decade ended with Shah Rukh Khan’s My Name is Khan, which was 2010’s most popular film.
2011-2015: Beginning of Baahubali
Based on the bond of friendship, Farhan Akhtar’s directorial creation ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ was one of the best from Bollywood in 2011. Alongside stood Rockstar, Don 2, Singham, and even Delhi Belly. Anurag Kashyap‘s only film on the list garnered a cult following in 2012, as Gangs of Wasseypur was known for its rewatches. With intense violence laced with alt-cinema, this is one of a kind. Coming back to the screen after nearly half a decade, Aamir Khan launched PK. One of the most talked-about films, it was remembered for questioning religious norms.
The rise of Bahubali came in 2015, after it quickly rose to popularity across India. Breaking all box office records and language barriers alike, this marked the popularity of South Stars in the SRK-loving Bollywood. Prabhas, Tamannaah Bhatia, Anushka Shetty, and Rana Daggubati quickly rose to fame.
2016-2020: Tollywood dominator
At the helm of another decade, Bahubali 2 too became the most popular film in 2017. As Aamir Khan’s Dangal became a massive hit in 2016, it did not even come close to KGF: Chapter 1 in 2018. Vicky Kaushal’s Uri made big waves at the box office and set his name in stone as a hot favourite for patriotic films such as Raazi, Sam Bahadur, and Sardar Udham. Sushant Singh Rajput’s unfortunate death controversy increased the interest in ‘Dil Bechara’, the Bollywood remake of ‘The Fault in Our Stars’, in 2020.
2021-2025: Pandemic warriors
As the COVID-19 hit India in March 2020, Indian cinema was soon consumed by South Indian directors. From Sukumar’s Pushpa – The Rise in 2021, to KGF: Chapter 2 in 2022, Indian audiences could not get enough of this theme.
Ruling the post-pandemic era too, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, put Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol in an action-packed, twisted tale of tragedy. While the ratings were not that high, there was sure a lot of social media buzz about its content in 2023. Ruling the 2025 box office so far has been the iconic debut of Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda’s Saiyaara. While it is not the highest-grossing film of this year, it is surely one of the most popular one. Collecting more than Rs 500 crore globally, it gave tough competition to Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava.
Rajinikanth’s blockbuster also became the biggest movie across Indian cinema, though and one of the fastest to achieve that status. However, with big releases planned in 2025, Bollywood came out with Akshay Kumar’s Jolly LLB 3 in September and will make its Dussehra release with Varun Dhawan’s Sunny Sanskari. On the other hand, Telugu cinema rolled out with Pawan Kalyan’s OG movie and is yet to woo fans with Kantara: Chapter 1. While it remains a battle at the box office, the most popular film in 2025 remains Saiyaara.