Biggest Diwali box office hit doesn't star Shah Rukh: Action film bigger than Animal, fans queued all night for tickets

The biggest box office hit on Diwali is an action film that held the collection record for 17 years, dwarfs all Shah Rukh Khan hits.

Shah Rukh Khan has long been considered the king of the box office when it comes to Diwali. He may not have had a release on the festival in the past decade but over the years, the actor has given some of the biggest box office hits on the festival, from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to Happy New Year. However, surprisingly, the biggest Diwali success story from Indian cinema does not feature the superstar. It is, in fact, an action film that was such a rage that people would camp outside theatres waiting for the ticket window to open. (

Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (IMDb)

The biggest box office hit on Diwali

In 1978, Prakash Mehra's Muqaddar Ka Sikandar hit the screens on October 27, three days before Diwali and right in the middle of the festive weekend. The film was an immediate success. The festive rush, Amitabh Bachchan's new superstardom, and Prakash Mehra's goodwill all catapulted it to the top of the charts. The film earned ₹17 crore in India alone, becoming the year's highest-grossing film.

The film's inflation-adjusted domestic collection totals over ₹800 crore in 2024, higher than even the biggest action films such as Pathaan, Jawan, Animal, and Gadar 2 (all between ₹520-640 crore). According to IMDb, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar sold 7 crore tickets in India. Only two films have since crossed this mark - Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. In comparison, recent blockbusters like Animal and Jawan sold 3-4 crore tickets domestically.

The rage that was Muqaddar Ka Sikandar

Muqaddar Ka Sikandar starred Amitabh Bachchan in the titular role, along with Vinod Khanna, Rekha, Rakhee, Nirupa Roy, Amjad Khan, and Ranjeet. Trade pundits have called the film an all-time blockbuster. The film was such a huge hit that people used to stand in queues, waiting endlessly, to buy the film's tickets. Sometimes, the crowds slept in front of the cinema halls overnight in their wait for the tickets.

Muqaddar Ka Sikandar's Diwali collection record was unbeaten for 17 years until surpassed by Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. But given that it was made on a budget of just ₹1 crore, it remains the most profitable Diwali release to date.