Top 13 Highest - Grossing Hindi Films Starring Debutants
Posted On: 19 Jun 2023 | Last Updated : 30 Jul 2025 | Views : 1.7k
Bollywood is a place where every Friday, a film or an actor’s fate is decided. If it’s a hit, it rakes in huge moolah and if that film stars a newcomer, then it’s a double whammy for its makers. Every year, we see some surprise hits and blockbusters starring newcomers who later go on to become our favourite stars. These newbies conquer the audience's hearts and find an instant liking, of which some become stars staying on the peak for a long time, while some are confined to the tag of one-hit-wonder. Yes, we are talking about debutant lead pairs who struck gold at the box office with their very first film. Whether they could retain or repeat that success or not is another story. So, let’s take this moment to revisit the top 13 highest-grossing Bollywood films that starred debutant lead pairs in the last 50-odd years:
(Note: We haven't included Hero (1983), Adventures of Tarzan (1985), QSQT (1988), Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008), Ishaqzaade (2012), and Aashiqui 2 (2013) because these weren't the debut movies of the lead pairs.)
1. Bobby (1973) - 5.5 Crores
After the debacle of Mera Naam Joker (1970) and the moderate success of Kal Aaj Aur Kal (1971), Raj Kapoor was back with a teenage love story, Bobby. Bobby was launched with much fanfare and had son Rishi Kapoor making his full-fledged debut as male lead while Dimple Kapadia was the female newbie in it. Though many thought that the film would be rejected outrightly but all were proved wrong as it went on to rank among the first of the top 10 highest-grossing Hindi films starring newcomers in 1973 giving us stars in the form of Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia.
2. Love Story (1981) - 5.75 Crores
The beginning of the 80s saw Rajendra Kumar’s son Kumar Gaurav’s musical romantic movie, Love Story joining the list of the top 10 highest-grossing Bollywood movies of newcomers. Love Story took the box office by storm breaking all previous records and making Kumar Gaurav and Vijayata Pandit overnight sensations. The songs by R.D. Burman served as the icing on the cake while singer Amit Kumar finally got the recognition he was waiting for. The only controversy that continues to haunt many to date is why Rahul Rawail was not credited for the film’s direction.
3. Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981) - 4.75 Crores
Director K. Balachander’s romantic tragedy film, Ek Duuje Ke Liye was the biggest surprise hit at the box office in 1981. The film which was a remake of the director's Telugu hit film Maro Charitra, was warned of having no chance of succeeding according to the then trade pundits who then felt that a tragic end may not go down well with the Hindi audiences. But fate had other plans for the film as the performances of the debutant lead pair - Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri took everyone by surprise. The audiences went gaga over the songs composed by Laxmikant – Pyarelal making the makers have the last laugh.
4. Betaab (1983) - 6.75 Crores
Another film that launched a star kid and went on to become a blockbuster was Dharmendra’s son Sunny Deol’s Betaab released in 1983. The Rahul Rawail directorial which also introduced Amrita Singh as the female lead had some memorable action sequences and songs making it one of the highest-grossing Bollywood movies featuring debutants. Sunny Deol went on to become a huge star in the coming years while Amrita Singh also managed to feature in quite a few biggies after the success of Betaab.
5. Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) - 15.00 Crores
How can one not mention debutant director Sooraj Barjatya’s Maine Pyar Kiya in the list of top 10 highest-grossing Hindi movies of debutant lead pairs? The romantic musical drama was initially released in a selected number of theatres but slowly and steadily picked up pace and by word of mouth ended up as one of the biggest earners of the 80s. Technically speaking it was Salman Khan’s second release and Bhagyashree’s first but MPK went on to shatter all existing box office records held by Sholay.
6. Saudagar (1991) - 8.75 Crores
Subhash Ghai’s Saudagar was the launch pad for two newbies – Vivek Mushran and Manisha Koirala who did manage to do a good job despite having thespian stalwarts like Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar in the film. Saudagar was launched with much fanfare and did exceedingly well at the box office earning Subhash Ghai his only Filmfare award for ‘Best Director’ that year. Post Saudagar’s success Vivek Mushran ended up as a one-film-wonder while Manisha Koirala became one of the most successful actresses of the 90s.
7. Phool Aur Kaante (1991) - 6.50 Crores
Who can forget director Kuku Kohli’s surprise hit of 1991 starring newbies Ajay Devgn and Madhoo, Phool Aur Kaante? Despite clashing with Yash Chopra’s biggie Lamhe on the same day, Phool Aur Kaante went on to become one of Bollywood’s highest-grossing Hindi movies starring debutants in the 90s. Though many believe that it was Nadeem – Shravan’s music score that made it a blockbuster but a lot of credit also needs to be given to Ajay Devgn’s and Madhoo’s performances and the breathtaking action sequences.
8. Barsaat (1995) - 19.19 Crores
The year 1995 saw the dream launch of two-star kids – Dharmendra’s younger son Bobby Deol and Rajesh Khanna – Dimple Kapadia’s elder daughter Twinkle Khanna. The film was initially planned with Bobby Deol and Karisma Kapoor but somehow didn’t happen. Produced by Dharmendra and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, Barsaat opened to jampacked houses making the two debutants the next big thing in Bollywood. The songs by Nadeem – Shravan became chartbusters helping the action-romantic drama qualify as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood movies of debutants of the 90s.
9. Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000) - 44.28 Crores
It was the Hrithik Mania that struck India after the release of Rakesh Roshan’s Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai in 2000. Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai was not just the comeback film for director Rakesh Roshan but also the perfect launch pad for his son Hrithik Roshan and co-star Ameesha Patel. KNPH exceeded all expectations breaking all the then-existing box office records and making Hrithik Roshan and Ameesha Patel overnight stars. The film set a new record that year by sweeping all popular awards making it one of the highest-grossing Bollywood movies featuring debutants.
10. Vicky Donor (2012) - 35.50 Crores
Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor, released in 2012, turned out to be a surprise hit at the box office. Made on a modest budget of approximately ₹5 crore, the film grossed over ₹35.50 crore domestically and ₹65 crore worldwide, making it a highly profitable venture. Starring Ayushmann Khurrana in his debut role, alongside Yami Gautam and Annu Kapoor, the film's unique take on sperm donation and infertility, combined with its humour and emotional depth, resonated with audiences and critics alike. Backed by John Abraham as producer, Vicky Donor is remembered as a path-breaking film that combined commercial success with critical acclaim.
11. Student of The Year (2012) - 70.00 Crores
Making it to the top 10 highest-grossing Bollywood movies of debutants list is Karan Johar’s Student of The Year. SOTY was a college teenage romantic saga that introduced Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles. The film was Karan Johar’s first directorial without his favourite Shah Rukh Khan since marking his debut in 1998 with the blockbuster Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. SOTY was made on a budget of about 50 Crores and ended up earning 70 Crores at India’s domestic box office making it a semi-hit fare.
12. Dhadak (2018) - 74.19 Crores
Director Shashank Khaitan’s Dhadak, introducing newbies Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, was a hit at the box office when released in 2018. Made on a modest budget of ₹40 crores by Dharma Productions, the romantic drama had generated enough buzz before its release as it was a remake of the 2016 Marathi blockbuster film Sairat, directed by Nagraj Manjule. The movie collected a good ₹74.19 crore at the domestic box office, making it a certified hit of 2018, which also saw the release of biggies like Sanju, Padmaavat and Simmba.
13. Saiyaara (2025) - 350.00+ Crores
Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri, was released on 18 July 2025, and stormed the box office from day one, making it a breakout hit. Made on a modest ₹45 crore budget, the romantic drama starring debutants Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday, swiftly earned ₹172.75 crore net in its first week in India and crossed ₹220.75 crore net domestically in just nine days. Backed by strong word‑of‑mouth, music, and chemistry between the debutants, Saiyaara is set to earn anything in the range of ₹300 – ₹400 crores domestically.
