The most watched Indian film had 25 crore footfalls, more than RR, Kalki 2898 AD, and Jawan put together
Today, if a film manages to secure footfalls of 1 crore, it is considered a huge achievement. Very recently, films like Jawan, RRR, and Animal have been applauded for breaking the 3-crore and 4-crore barriers. But their footfalls pale in comparison with the most watched Indian film ever, one that sold a massive 25 crore tickets worldwide, and played in theatres for five years
1. The most watched Indian film ever
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It should come as no surprise that Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay is the most watched Indian film of all time. The curry Western was the highest grossing Indian film for a decade, celebrating golden jubilees in 60 theatres
2. Sholay’s unbeatable footfall record
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Sholay ran for five years in its initial run. As per Box Office India, the film sold 15-18 crore tickets in India during that time. It beat Mughal-e-Azam and Mother India’s records and set one, that is yet to be broken. Estimates say that the film added 1 crore footfalls over various re-runs in the 49 years since
3. Sholay’s massive success overseas
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In its initial run in 1975, Sholay sold an estimated 2 crore tickets overseas. But it was after its release in the Soviet Union that it picked pace. It sold 4.8 crore tickets there. Together with its domestic footfalls, this gives Sholay an enviable record of 25 crore footfalls
4. Why was Sholay called a flop
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While today it is considered an all-time blockbuster, there was a time when many considered Sholay a box office disaster. The film opened to low numbers and the word of mouth was slow for a day, leading many to prematurely write its obituaries. But eventually business picked up and the rest, as they say, is history
5. Other most watched films of India
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It was Mother India and Mughal-e-Azam that had held the record for most watched Indian films with each selling 12-15 crore tickets worldwide in the 50s and 60s. Others like Awara, Caravan, and Disco Dancer also had around 10 crore tickets, courtesy huge overseas collections
6. Why Sholay’s record may never be broken
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Why Sholay’s 25 crore footfall mark may be unbeatable is because of film’s shorter shelf lives today. The biggest Indian films have come nowhere close to this figure recently. Baahubali 2 had around 15 crore footfalls globally while Dangal had a little less than that, while KGF 2, RRR, Jawan, and Kalki 2898 AD all were in the 5-8 crore category
