: Salman Khan's second major release of the year, a family drama directed by Sooraj Barjatya, earned over ₹400 crore worldwide.

: Directed by Kabir Khan, this film emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi movie of the year, earning over ₹900 crore worldwide. It featured Salman Khan in a nuanced, emotional role that deviated from his typical "action hero" persona.

One of the most defining trends of 2015 was the "Small is Big" phenomenon. The year began with a bang in the form of NH10 . Starring Anushka Sharma, this gritty thriller proved that a film did not need a massive budget or a male superstar to succeed; it only needed a compelling story. This trend continued with the release of Masaan , a film that garnered international acclaim at Cannes before its domestic release. Masaan was celebrated for its poetic realism and marked a departure from the glossy escapism typical of Bollywood. However, the true game-changer arrived in June with Bajrangi Bhaijaan . While it starred Salman Khan, the film’s soul lay in its secular message and emotional narrative rather than just action sequences. It became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time, striking a chord across the border in Pakistan and domestically.

Box Office India, IMDb, Wikipedia (Bollywood films of 2015), National Film Awards Archive.