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India's most-watched film sold 25 crore tickets, more than RRR and Baahubali combined, but was still labelled a flop
The most-watched Indian film ever is Sholay, which sold a record 25 crore tickets worldwide, several times more than modern blockbusters like RRR and Jawan.
Today, the success of films' box office is measured by the crores they earn at the ticket window. It's a straightforward formula where a film that earns more is celebrated more. However, pitting a film's collection against another from a different time often becomes difficult due to inflation, changing ticket prices, and varying screen counts. In the years gone by, metrics like silver and golden jubilees or footfalls were considered to determine a film's success. And if footfall alone is the metric, the one particular blockbuster rules the roost with 25 crore tickets sold, the highest for any Indian film. (Also read: Exclusive | Ramesh Sippy says Sholay was one of the first pan-India films)
India's most-watched film
Ramesh Sippy's era-defining film Sholay is the most-watched Indian film in theatres. Upon its release, the film broke several box office records, grossing over ₹15 crore at the box office. According to IndiCine, Sholay sold an estimated 15 crore tickets in India in its initial run, which lasted six years. Subsequent re-releases over the years have seen the film add 3 crore more footfalls in the domestic market. The Curry Western was also a hit overseas, particularly in the Soviet Union, where it sold 48 million tickets in the original run and 60 million - or 6 crore - tickets overall. Sholay is estimated to have sold over one crore more tickets over the years in Europe, North America, and the Middle East, taking its total footfall count past 25 crore.
In comparison, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, one of the biggest hits in Indian history, saw an estimated 15 crore footfalls worldwide. RRR, SS Rajamouli's other blockbuster, is even lower at 6 crore. Many recent blockbusters fare quite low in the list, with Jawan, Pathaan, and Kalki 2898 AD all fitting in the 4-5 crore bracket.
Why was Sholay labelled a flop
Sholay was released in theatres on the Independence Day weekend in 1975. It boasted the biggest star cast ever assembled and had the highest budget ever for an Indian film at that point. Considering all this, it was expected to have a bumper opening. However, the film had a slow start. And by Saturday, people were writing its obituaries, calling it a box office failure. However, Sholay picked up courtesy of strong word of mouth by Sunday, and the cash registers soon began ringing. By the end of its run, Sholay earned ₹15 crore, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film, beating the record of Mughal-e-Azam.
Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Hema Malini, and Jaya Bachchan, Sholay remains one of the most iconic Indian films with a large pop culture presence even almost five decades after its release.
