Back in 2013 the Aamir Khan starrer Dhoom 3 hit screens, and while the film itself went on to create box office records, Aamir had come up with a different theory to gauge a film’s true success. According to him, “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.”
A decade later, this formula continues to offer one of the most objective and content-driven metrics of a film’s success — its Weekend to Lifetime Multiple. And the latest to storm into this elite list is Mahavatar Narsimha, which despite a relatively modest opening weekend of Rs. 12.11 crore, has clocked an impressive lifetime total of Rs. 65.64 crore, giving it a multiple of 5.42x.
With this performance, Mahavatar Narsimha has officially entered the Top 10 All-Time Successful Films as per Aamir Khan’s metric — settling at the 10th spot on the list. In doing so, it edges past several high-profile films and proves once again that compelling content, rather than just opening hype, determines a film’s staying power.
The top rank continues to be held by Kantara (2022) with a staggering multiple of 10.54x, followed closely by The Kashmir Files (2022) at 9.31x. Both films, like Mahavatar Narsimha, were dark horses that relied heavily on word-of-mouth and grassroots audience engagement to deliver box office longevity.
Other significant entries in the list include Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1 (8.54x), 12th Fail (8.47x), Uri – The Surgical Strike (6.87x), and The Kerala Story (6.82x) — all of which demonstrated how strong narratives and emotional resonance can outlast opening weekend buzz.
Tiger 3, which released in 2023 with huge fanfare, finds itself at No. 7 with a multiple of 6.42x, while Queen (6.10x) and Hindi Medium (5.54x) occupy the eighth and ninth spots respectively. These films underscore the importance of strong word-of-mouth in building momentum beyond opening weekends — the very essence of Aamir’s argument.
That Mahavatar Narsimha finds a place in this illustrious list is especially noteworthy, considering it had little star power or marketing blitz. Instead, it banked on a spiritually charged narrative and cultural intrigue to draw in audiences, with interest peaking only after its theatrical release — a rare case of a genuine sleeper hit in today’s front-loaded industry.
As the box office continues to evolve in the age of OTT and tentpole spectacles, Mahavatar Narsimha serves as a compelling reminder: in the long run, it’s not the opening figures, but the repeat footfalls that define a film’s true legacy. And if Aamir Khan’s theory is anything to go by, Mahavatar Narsimha has certainly passed the test with distinction.
Top 10 Successful movies according to Aamir Khan’s formula:
Kantara – 10.54
The Kashmir Files – 9.31
Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1 – 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
Mahavatar Narsimha – 5.42