Success in cinema is measured in terms of box office revenue more than anything else. Actors’ worth is determined by how much their films can earn upon release. By that metric, Khans are the most successful stars in Bollywood’s history. Each of the three – Shah Rukh, Salman, and Aamir – has grossed over ₹7000 crore at the global box office in their career. And yet, they cannot beat the one actress who has managed to break the ₹10,000-crore mark.
India’s highest-grossing actress
Deepika Padukone has emerged as the most successful and highest-paid female star in Indian cinema over the last decade. With numerous hits across languages to her name, the actor has cemented her place as one of the biggest stars around. Her prolific filmography has allowed her to leapfrog ahead of her male counterparts, including the biggest stars in the country. In a career that has spanned 18 years, Deepika’s films have cumulatively earned ₹10,200 crore at the box office globally. This includes ₹8000 crore from her Indian films, and $345 million (roughly ₹2200 crore) from her only Hollywood release – XXX: The Return of Xander Cage.
Many of Deepika’s hits have indeed been shared with her male co-stars (most would ascribe the success of Jawan to SRK or Kalki to Prabhas), but she has also delivered hits on her own, such as Padmaavat.
How Deepika beat her contemporaries
Interestingly, Deepika was not the highest-grossing actress from India till two years ago. She was not even in the top 5 of all actors (both male and female). Today, she tops both lists, courtesy of some mega releases in 2023 and 2024. She was seen in five films in these two years. Three of these – Pathaan, Jawan, and Kalki 2898 AD – grossed over ₹1000 crore. The other two – Fighter and Singham Again – also grossed over ₹300 crore each. As a result, Deepika was able to add over ₹4000 crore to her box office gross in these two years.
This has meant that she is way clear of Priyanka Chopra ( ₹6000 crore) and Katrina Kaif ( ₹5500 crore) in the list of India’s highest-grossing female stars. Even the male stars are behind her now, with Shah Rukh Khan ( ₹9000 crore), Akshay Kumar ( ₹8300 crore), Salman Khan ( ₹7500 crore), and Aamir Khan ( ₹ 7200 crore) all trailing Deepika.
Deepika has a chance to add to this repertoire as she will reportedly star in Kalki 2 and Brahmastra 2, two mega films with the potential to earn several hundred crore each.
