SS Rajamouli's 'RRR' starring South superstars Ram Charan and Jr NTR has emerged as the third highest-grossing Indian film of all time. With earnings of around ₹970 crore, the SS Rajamouli film is behind only Dangal ( ₹2024 crore) and the director's own Baahubali 2: The Conclusion ( ₹1810 crore). The gross of these two films seems out of reach for RRR unless it gets a delayed China release like Dangal. However, it is unlikely the Chinese authorities would allow the release of a film about two Indian freedom fighters. In that case, the film sits pretty at number three, ahead of the highest-earning films of the likes of Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, and Rajinikanth.
RRR's success is unprecedented as it came during a pandemic. In the past two years, the highest-earning Indian film had grossed just over ₹300 crores. RRR has done over thrice that amount. At number four and five are 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' and 'Secret Superstar' which earned Rs 969.06 and Rs 966.86 worldwide, respectively. Set in 1920, 'RRR' explores the undocumented period in the lives of Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan), when both the revolutionaries choose to go into oblivion before they joined the fight for independent India. The film has explored a blind spot in history for a cinematic spectacle, as there seem to be no records about what happened in the lives of these freedom fighters when they were away from their homes. Also starring Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn, the film hit theatres on March 25.