Box Office: 5 slow opening Bollywood movies that went on to emerge big blockbusters; From Hum Aapke Hai Koun to Vivah

Starting off slowly and becoming a sensation in Bollywood is not an easy task. But here are some films that achieved just that. Read on.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 01, 2025 | 03:00 PM IST | 6.5K

Started off slowly but became a talking point later on. (Credits: Rajshri Productions)

In Bollywood, the first weekend is crucial for a film's successful run at the box office. But there are some films that surpass expectations and achieve the unthinkable. Let's delve into some of those films:

Hum Aapke Hain Koun
This iconic film directed by Sooraj Barjatya was released in 1994. The film featured Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan as the main leads. Initially, the family drama opened to a mixed response. However, the songs and performances of the leads became a topic of discussion among the audience. Nobody would forget the iconic performances of Madhuri and Salman in this film. Word of mouth played a significant role for the success of the film, and it became the highest-grossing film at that time.

Vivah
Yet another Sooraj Barjatya film, Vivah, starring Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao, was released in 2006. This film also had a slow start at the box office. Eventually, the film's emotions and narrative resonated with the audience, and the reviews became more positive. A steady jump in collections was visible, and it emerged as a winner.

The Kashmir Files
Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, this film explores the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s. The film started with a 3.3 crore nett opening in India and went on to collect close to 250 crore nett. This is a significant achievement for a film of that style to reach such big numbers. Everyone expected the film to wrap up under 25 crore, but those figures were achieved in the first weekend itself, or even more.

Bandit Queen
Bandit Queen, directed by Shekhar Kapur, was released in 1994. It's based on the life of Phoolan Devi. Like the other films, this film also opened to dismal numbers, but Seema Biswas's performance quickly became a talking point. The word of mouth spread rapidly, and the film eventually became a commercial success.

Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai
Hrithik Roshan's debut film, directed by Rakesh Roshan, was released in 2000. The day 1 numbers were very low, but the film quickly gained pace at the box office. Hrithik's dance moves and acting were praised by everyone. The songs became a sensation, paving the way for a bigger blockbuster.

These films show that slow starts do not hinder the box office success of films. If the content clicks with the majority of the audience, there's no looking back.