Box Office Throwback: Here's how Ranbir Kapoor led Animal became 1st Indian A-rated film to nett Rs 500 crores

Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Rashmika Mandanna among others, ended up as the 2nd highest domestic grosser of 2023.

By Rishil Jogani

Published on Jun 06, 2024 | 06:01 PM IST | 253.8K

Animal shattered box office myths and became the first Indian A-rated film to nett over Rs 500 crores (Credit: T-Series)

Animal directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol among others, was a movie with the most divided opinions for an Indian feature, in a very long time. Regardless of whether it was loved or hated by the viewers who watched, it is undeniable that Animal is an all time blockbuster, that disrupted how films are seen and consumed in India.

Animal Disrupted Box Office And Became The Fourth All Time Blockbuster Of 2023

Animal was a project that gained immense hype for itself, as it went on floors. Sandeep Reddy Vanga was returning as a director after the blockbuster success of Kabir Singh and this time around, with a bankable, A-list actor like Ranbir Kapoor. The movie was first scheduled to release on 11th August, 2023, setting it up against Gadar 2 and OMG 2 at the box office. Due to delays in the post-production, the movie was shifted to the 1st of December, 2023, where it locked horns with Sam Bahadur. Although unintentionally, the separate release of Animal and Gadar 2 resulted in the Hindi Movie industry having 4 all time blockbusters instead of the 2 that it would see, had the two movie monsters clashed with one another over the Independence Day 2023 weekend.

Animal, Despite Being An A-Rated Flick, Surprised Everyone By Netting Over Rs 500 Crores In India

The trailer of Animal that released just a week prior to the release on 1st December, took everyone by surprise and that reflected in excellent advance ticket sales. Despite being an A-rated movie, it collected more than Rs 50 crores on the first day and ended up netting around Rs 550 crores in its full run. The movie grossed around Rs 885 crores worldwide. Animal ended up becoming the third highest Indian grosser of 2024 at the worldwide box office, behind the two 1000 crore grossers Pathaan and Jawan. In India, it was the second highest grosser of 2024, only behind Jawan. Animal was the fourth highest Hindi grosser behind Jawan, Pathaan and Gadar 2 and it continues to be the highest grossing movie for everyone associated to the film.

Watch the Animal Trailer

The Thumping Reception Of Animal Has Led To Animal Park Becoming One Of India's Most Awaited Films

Animal clashed with a well-received Sam Bahadur and in a no-clash scenario, the Ranbir Kapoor starrer could have also grossed Rs 1000 crores worldwide. Regardless, Animal has now become a pop-culture phenomenon and will be part of discussions for years, be it for the right reasons or the wrong reasons. It has been performing extremely well on Netflix and this should help the sequel of Animal titled Animal Park in a very big way. Animal Park will go on floors after Ranbir Kapoor finishes his work on Ramayana and Love And War and after Sandeep Reddy Vanga wraps up work on Spirit.

About Animal

A son (Ranbir Kapoor) undergoes a remarkable transformation as the bond with his father (Anil Kapoor) begins to fracture, and he becomes consumed by a quest for vengeance.