Director Raja Krishna Menon
· Cast Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur
· Released Jan 22, 2016
Worldwide
₹130 Cr India nett
Gross collection
India Nett
₹130 Cr
After GST
Overseas
₹₹18 Cr
International gross
Budget
₹35 Cr
Production cost
Boxoffy VerdictSuper Hit
Airlift is classified as a Super Hit — a film that performed well above break-even, delivering strong profit for producers and distributors alike. With ₹130 Cr India nett against a reported budget of ₹35 Cr, representing a 371% return on production cost, the film demonstrates solid audience pull across multiple weeks. A Super Hit signals that a film successfully converted its pre-release buzz into sustained footfall, a rare achievement in the competitive Indian theatrical market.
Boxoffy Read
Raja Krishna Menon's Airlift is the decade's finest Hindi patriotic thriller — the 1990 evacuation of Indians from Kuwait, organised by a businessman who had to become more than he had previously been. Akshay Kumar's Ranjit Katyal begins the film as a compromised, self-interested man and ends it having moved over 100,000 people to safety; the transformation is shown, not declared. Super Hit on its budget.
Financial AnalysisBox Office vs Budget
Airlift was reportedly made on a budget of ₹35 Cr. Against that investment, the film collected ₹130 Cr India nett — a 3.7x multiple on production cost and a 371% return on the reported budget. Worldwide gross reached ₹130 Cr, including overseas contribution of ₹-23.4 Cr.
Break-even at the Indian box office typically requires approximately 1.5x the production budget once prints, advertising and distribution costs are factored in — placing the break-even threshold for Airlift at roughly ₹53 Cr India nett. The film cleared this threshold, resulting in the Super Hit verdict.
₹0Break-even ~₹53 Cr₹130 Cr collected
The 2016 Box OfficeYear in Context
Dangal at ₹387 Cr India nett. ₹2,070 Cr worldwide with China. The greatest Hindi box office performance of all time — until 2026. Sultan crossed ₹300 Cr. Rustom and Airlift both delivered 140%+ ROI on modest budgets. 2016 was Bollywood's best year to date — content-driven and star-driven cinema both thriving. Fan and Shivaay proved even the biggest stars couldn't rescue weak content.
Airlift is classified as a Super Hit by Boxoffy. The film collected ₹130 Cr India nett against a reported budget of ₹35 Cr. The film was commercially profitable.
Airlift collected ₹130 Cr India nett at the box office, with a worldwide gross of ₹130 Cr India nett. The India nett figure represents collections after GST extraction, as reported by Box Office India and cross-referenced with Sacnilk and Pinkvilla.
Airlift released in 2016 and is likely available on major Indian streaming platforms. Check Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, JioHotstar, ZEE5 and SonyLIV for current availability, as OTT rights shift periodically.
Airlift was directed by Raja Krishna Menon. The 2016 Hindi film earned a Super Hit verdict at the Indian box office, collecting ₹130 Cr India nett.
Airlift collected ₹130 Cr India nett in 2016, earning a Super Hit verdict. Dangal at ₹387 Cr India nett. ₹2,070 Cr worldwide with China. The greatest Hindi box office performance of all time — until 2026. Sultan crossed ₹300 Cr. Rustom and Airlift both delivered 140%+ ROI on...