Box Office: From Salman Khan’s ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ to Hrithik Roshan’s ‘War 2’, Ranking Opening Weekend Collections of YRF Spy Universe From Lowest to Highest

We are now six films into the YRF Spy Universe, which began in 2012 with Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger and most recently expanded with Ayan Mukerji’s War 2. Until 2023, the franchise had only three films - Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, and War. While their protagonists were RAW agents, the films never suggested they existed in the same universe. That didn’t stop each of them from becoming major hits, even if audiences didn’t get to see Salman Khan’s Tiger cross paths with Hrithik Roshan’s Kabir. From Salman Khan’s ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ to Hrithik Roshan’s ‘War 2’, Ranking All YRF Spy Universe Movies From Worst to Best.

Things shifted in 2023 when Pathaan hit theatres. The film was a game-changer for everyone involved, marking a massive comeback for Shah Rukh Khan, who had been struggling at the box office since 2013’s Happy New Year. Pathaan officially cemented the YRF Spy Universe, bringing the Tiger films, War, and itself under one banner.

The film featured Salman Khan's Tiger in two memorable cameos - one crucial action sequence and a fun mid-credit scene. Colonel Luthra (Ashutosh Rana) from War also appeared, alongside a few Easter eggs linking the films together.

Pathaan went on to become the highest-grossing entry in the franchise, a record still unbeaten despite the release of Tiger 3 a few months later. However, that triumph also seemed like the zenith of the YRF Spy Universe. Tiger 3 underperformed, and now War 2 - released two years later - has not only received poor reviews but is also expected to finish as a major box office disappointment. Starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Kiara Advani, War 2 is already being called the weakest link in the series. ‘War 2’ Movie Review: Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s Spy Showdown Sinks Under Bad VFX and Brain-Dead Screenplay.

Ranking the YRF Spy Universe by Opening Weekend Collections

Here’s how all six films rank, from lowest to highest, based on their opening weekend collections. We also include their lifetime earnings, budgets, and whether they benefited from extended opening weekends.

6. Ek Tha Tiger (August 15, 2012) 

Opening Weekend Collection: INR 100.16 crore (Released on Wednesday)

Considering the first film in the YRF Spy Universe released 13 years ago, it was expected that Ek Tha Tiger would have the lowest opening weekend collection and even lifetime collection, netting INR 198.78 crore in India. But also considering it was reportedly made on a budget of INR 75 crore, the movie is a huge hit, recouping the budget in the first weekend itself.

5. Tiger Zinda Hai (December 22, 2017) 

Opening Weekend Collection: INR 114.93 crore (Released on Friday)

The sequel to Ek Tha Tiger, also the second film in the franchise, performed quite better than the first film in the opening weekend. It ultimately earned INR 339.16 crore nett in India on a budget (reported) of INR 130 crore.

4. War 2 (August 14, 2025) 

Opening Weekend Collection: INR 120 crore (Released on Thursday)

It is still early to put a status on War 2's lifetime box office performance, since it has just completed a weekend. But based on just that weekend itself, the film has underperformed for a film that has been reportedly made on a budget that ranges from INR 300 to 400 crore. However, thanks to the presence of Jr NTR, the Telugu version of the movie is also crucial to consider for the collection. So the total opening weekend collections stand at INR 173.9 crore (all languages). ‘War 2’ Ending Explained: From ‘Pathaan’ Easter Egg to Bobby Deol’s ‘Alpha’ Cameo – How Hrithik Roshan-Jr NTR’s Film Sets Up Future of YRF Spy Universe.

3. Tiger 3 (November 12, 2023)

Opening Weekend Collection: INR 148.50 crore (Released on Sunday)

Tiger 3 took a strange decision of releasing on a Sunday, and many think it was to avoid comparing its opening weekend collection to that of Pathaan. That backfired for the film (Salman did it again for Sikandar and even that flopped hard). Though Tiger 3 maintained a healthy net India collection of INR 285.52 crore lifetime, it is still a huge underperformer for a film that was reportedly made on a budget of INR 300 crore.

2. War (October 2, 2019)

Opening Weekend Collection: INR 166.25 crore (Released on Wednesday)

The reason why people feel that War 2 is underperforming is also because of how the first film managed to perform. Even though it also received mixed reviews upon release, War still toppled the opening weekend collections of the two Tiger movies that came before, riding on the star power of Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff. It ultimately earned less than Tiger Zinda Hai, netting INR 318.01 crore on a budget of INR 170 crore. But the movie's box office performance was enough for YRF to trust Siddharth Anand and give him the film that cemented the universe. Which brings us to...

1. Pathaan (January 25, 2023) 

Opening Weekend Collection: INR 280.75 crore (Released on Wednesday)

Pathaan, which starred Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, not only had the highest opening weekend collection of all the films in the franchise, but also netted INR 543.05 crore in India  -the highest earner for all YRF Spy Universe movies. The movie was reportedly made on a budget of INR 250 crore.

The Future of the YRF Spy Universe

The YRF Spy Universe has given Bollywood some of its biggest action spectacles, but its trajectory shows worrying signs. Pathaan remains the benchmark, both critically and commercially, while Tiger 3 and War 2 failed to live up to the franchise’s hype. For a cinematic universe that relies heavily on star power and escalating budgets, its future success will depend not just on crossover cameos, but on delivering fresh narratives and memorable characters that can pull audiences back to cinemas.

As of now, the only confirmed film in the franchise is Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt, Sharvari, Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor, scheduled to release in December 2025. Will it redeem the franchise? Let's wait and watch.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2025 03:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).