India, Dec. 31 -- Till December, many trade pundits in Indian cinema had marvelled how no Indian film in 2025 had crossed the Rs.1000-crore mark, considered the benchmark for an 'all-time blockbuster'. Kantara Chapter One came close, Chhaava threatened it for a bit. But both failed. Till Dhurandhar sailed past the mark in just over three weeks, it seemed as if the year would end for Indian cinema without a '1000-crore hit'. But would that have been any indication of how stellar the year has been for Indian cinema? Not by a mile. At the box office, in terms of revenue, diversity, and range across genres and languages, this has been the best year for Indian cinema, a resounding comeback after the dark depths of the pandemic years.

Trade so...