How Satish Shah broke a box office record that even Shah Rukh and Salman Khan couldn't: All about his ₹500 crore run

In the 90s, Satish Shah emerged as one of the most successful character actors, appearing in many hits and bagging a box office record that the Khans couldn't.

After Satish Shah began his film career in 1976 during his time at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), the actor did not find much success in films. Even though he appeared in the cult classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, the film did him no favours. Through the 80s, he found success on television, but his film roles were limited to appearances in B-grade actioners and Ramsay Brothers’ horror films.

Satish Shah with Shah Rukh Khan in Main Hoon Na.

This changed in the 90s. Starting with the 1991 hit Narsimha, Satish Shah increasingly began to appear in big-budget films with top heroes that almost always had him in important roles. This led to the actor accidentally setting a box office record that even the three Khans could not during their peak.

The box office record Satish Shah held

In 1994, Satish Shah appeared in his biggest film to date as he landed a small but significant role in Sooraj Barjatya’s Hum Aapke Hain Koun. The film grossed ₹128 crore worldwide and became the highest-grossing Indian film ever, breaking Disco Dancer’s record. The record lasted just over a year till Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge broke it with a global haul of ₹130 crore. Satish Shah was a part of the ensemble cast here, too. This made him the only actor since Raj Kapoor in the 50s to appear in two back-to-back Bollywood industry hits. The only difference is that Raj Kapoor did it as a lead actor (with Barsaat and Awara) while Satish Shah did it in supporting roles.

Neither Shah Rukh Khan nor Salman Khan was able to emulate this feat in the 90s when they were at their peak. Eventually, Aamir Khan went one step ahead as he gave three back-to-back industry hits with Ghajini, 3 Idiots, and PK between 2008 and 2014.

Satish Shah’s career peak in the 90s

Through the remainder of the 90s, Satish Shah continued to appear in box office hits. He collaborated with his FTII batchmate David Dhawan in hits like Saajan Chale Sasural, Hero No 1, Judwaa, and Anari No 1, while also appearing in other hits like Akele Hum Akele Tum. In 1999, he was part of another film that ended up as the year’s highest-grosser: Hum Saath Saath Hain. This gave him the distinction of being one of only five actors with three or more number-one hits in the 90s. The other four were Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Anupam Kher.

Satish Shah appeared in just over 50 Hindi films in the 90s, along with one Marathi and Kannada film. According to trade estimates, the films he appeared in grossed close to ₹500 crore worldwide in the decade, one of the highest for all character actors. This figure was only surpassed by the likes of Johnny Lever and Anupam Kher, who were also extremely prolific.

Satish Shah’s death

Satish Shah died on Saturday after a long battle with kidney ailments. According to his manager, the actor collapsed at his home in Mumbai while having lunch on Saturday afternoon. He was rushed to the Hinduja Hospital, where he was declared dead. The actor, known for his comedic roles in a wide variety of films and shows, was 74. His last rites took place at a crematorium in Ville Parle on Sunday afternoon.