Back in 2013 the Aamir Khan starrer Dhoom 3 hit screens, while the film itself went on to create box office collection records, Aamir had come up with a different theory to gauge a film’s success. According to Aamir Khan, “To measure a film’s success, you need to see the weekend figures and compare it with the total collection. Like 3 Idiots did Rs. 40 crores on the weekend and the total business was Rs. 202 crores, so the weekend multiplied by 5, is the behaviour of the film which is very good. That shows people have gone again and again to see the film. Jo film teen din mein 100 crore karein aur total mein 200 crore karein, then that film is not good.”
In this report, while comparing the quality of movies, we introduce a metric – Weekend to Lifetime Multiple – for the 100 crore club. According to this comparison, a higher multiple indicates strong content and therefore longevity at cinemas, which in turn signifies repeat viewership and consistent footfalls in subsequent weeks.
By this measure, Mahavatar Narsimha has emerged as a surprise frontrunner, scoring a multiple of 12.85, comfortably surpassing acclaimed performers like Kantara (10.54) and The Kashmir Files (9.31). The number suggests that despite a relatively modest opening, the film has drawn audiences steadily over weeks, pointing to word-of-mouth appeal and a narrative strong enough to ensure repeat patronage.
Interestingly, while Mahavatar Narsimha leads the chart with the highest multiple at 12.85, Pushpa – The Rise whose sheer box office scale made it the most commercially impactful film follows, with a multiple of 8.54.
The comparative table further highlights the consistency of content-driven films. 12th Fail (8.47), Uri: The Surgical Strike (6.87), and The Kerala Story (6.82) all demonstrate how smaller and mid-budget productions converted positive reception into long legs at the box office. Even mainstream commercial films like Tiger 3 (6.42) and older hits such as Queen (6.10) and Hindi Medium (5.54) reflect the same principle: strong word-of-mouth extends a film’s run far beyond its opening weekend.
That said, Mahavatar Narsimha’s showing is remarkable because it has outperformed some of the most talked-about recent successes on this metric. The fact that it managed to beat Kantara and The Kashmir Files — both films hailed as examples of content-driven phenomena — positions it among the most resilient performers of the last decade.
The lesson that emerges from this list is clear: box office success cannot be judged by opening weekends alone. Films like Mahavatar Narsimha reaffirm Aamir Khan’s decade-old formula — the true measure of success lies in a film’s ability to sustain interest over time, drawing audiences back into theatres week after week.
Top 10 Most Successful films as per Aamir Khan’s formula
Mahavatar Narsimha – 12.85
Kantara – 10.54
The Kashmir Files – 9.31
Pushpa – The Rise – 8.54
12th Fail – 8.47
Uri – The Surgical Strike – 6.87
The Kerala Story – 6.82
Tiger 3 – 6.42
Queen – 6.10
Hindi Medium – 5.54