Kartik Aaryan, Ajay Devgn and Anupam Kher: Actors who spearheaded the biggest hits of 2022

The year has almost come to an end, and here is our wrap-up of Bollywood’s box office. Though the year seemed dull for Hindi cinema at the box office, there were three talented actors — Kartik Aaryan, Ajay Devgn and Anupam Kher — who drew audiences to the big screens in a big way and created a tsunami at the ticket windows. They also managed to make money for their producers by being the ones to draw the biggest profit margins, as their box-office collections went over and beyond the rate of investment. Take a look:

Kartik Aaryan, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

No list this year would be complete without the mention of Kartik Aaryan’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. The film was the first to truly end the dry spell for Hindi films at the box office after the pandemic, as it managed to achieve a historic worldwide collection of ₹266.88 crore despite a challenging period for films. The actor gave it his all on screen and off it, and with his new promotional techniques, was hailed as the Saviour of Bollywood. He single-handedly drew people back to the theatres. His comic antics, combined with trend-setting moves and a critically acclaimed performance, as well as chart-topping songs, made this masala entertainer the undisputed winner of ’22.

Ajay Devgn, Drishyam 2

Devgn gave us yet another solid performance in Drishyam 2. The official remake of the Mohanlal-led Malayalam thriller has been acclaimed by the critics, and while most sequels never quite live up to the original, Devgn had audiences raving about the gripping sequel with ample twists and turns that is still enjoying a good run at the box office with around ₹300 crore gross collections worldwide.

Anupam Kher, The Kashmir Files

The film grossed ₹340.92 crore worldwide and was the subject of much heated conversation this year, sparking millions of comments online. Kher stepped up to the challenge yet again and was a frontrunner with yet another nuanced and impactful performance. The film, directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, has the rare distinction of also being a commercial hit.

Trade expert Taran Adarsh shares, “Ajay Devgn, Kartik Aaryan and Anupam Kher need to be lauded for their performances and how they have saved the Hindi movie box office this year. Kartik’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was a blockbuster that no one saw coming. He was the first to pull in the masses, giving Bollywood a sigh of relief at a time when the industry was losing hope in the post-Covid era and assuring that the audience is ready for good entertainment. Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files was the underdog of the year and truly a breakthrough film that went over and beyond anyone’s expectations. And the latest, Drishyam 2, has outdone its predecessor by a large margin and all other films this year from Bollywood while it continues its dream run at the box office. What makes the success of these three films stand out is that they were made on modest budgets and went on to earn the highest numbers, raking in the highest profits, thus proving to be the biggest superhits of 2022.”