It was in 2017 that Aamir Khan’s Dangal got its belated release in China and Hong Kong. Over the next six weeks, the sports drama rewrote the record books as it became the most successful overseas release in the country and set new box-office collection standards for Bollywood. Dangal had earned a little over ₹600 crore worldwide prior to its release in China. After that, it ended its run with ₹2070 crore, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film ever, a record it holds to this day.
In the nine years since, only a few films like Baahubali 2 and Pushpa 2 have come close to the ₹2000-crore mark. Even with inflation and rising ticket prices, no film has managed to out-earn Dangal. But that is set to change, feels film marketer Varun Gupta. The man behind the marketing campaigns of blockbusters like Baahubali, RRR, Animal and Dhurandhar, Varun feels that in the next year and a half, at least three films have a shot at surpassing Dangal and becoming Indian cinema’s next ₹2000 crore hit.
‘SS Rajamouli will always better the hype’
In a chat with Hindustan Times, Varun spoke about the upcoming projects his firm, Max Marketing, is handling. “That’s the beauty of our job: you have Dhurandhar 2 in one hand and a Sooraj Barjatya film in the other. It is your quintessential Sooraj Barjatya coming back, and I am very excited to see how today’s audiences lap it up. Then, there is Varanasi, SS Rajamouli sir’s huge film. I am very happy with the kind of range we have.”
With Dhurandhar, Varun and his team followed an understated approach to promoting the film. With Varanasi, they plan to go all out. “In my career, if there is someone’s film I don’t mind overhyping, it is SSR because I know he will always better the hype. I don’t think I can say that for a lot of other films. Sometimes, overmarketing kills. But with his film, I am always confident,” says Varun, adding, “No matter what the story is, you know SS Rajamouli will still be able to surprise and shock you. It will be the biggest film India has ever seen overseas.”
Dhurandhar 2, Ramayana, Varanasi have potential to beat Dangal
Varanasi is one of the most anticipated Indian films in the months to come. The only films that can match its hype are Dhurandhar 2 and Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana Part One. When put on the spot, if these three films – or any other – can finally dethrone Dangal as the highest-grossing Indian film, Varun confidently responds, “Today, we are talking in February 2026. In 16 months, we can talk again, and we definitely will have crossed it. All three films you mentioned – Dhurandhar 2, Ramayana Part One, and Varanasi – have a very clear potential.”
Dhurandhar 2 is the sequel to Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025. The Ranveer Singh-starrer earned ₹1300 crore worldwide, and trade expects the sequel to do better. It releases on March 19. Varanasi, SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus, stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj. The grand time-travelling adventure releases in theatres in April 2027. Both these films are being marketed by Varun’s firm.
Then there is Nitesh Tiwari’s adaptation of the Ramayana. Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, and Sunny Deol, the epic is a two-part film with music from Hans Zimmer and VFX by a nine-time Oscar-winning studio. Part One releases during Diwali 2026.
