Nag Ashwin's 'Kalki 2898 AD' has grossed over ₹1,200 crores worldwide. However, it's still far behind in the race!
The mammoth commercial success of 'Kalki 2898 AD' makes us realize just how far our cinema has come. And it's definitely not the first instance of an Indian film doing so well at the box office. Back in 2016-17, Aamir Khan-starrer 'Dangal' collected ₹2,024 crores, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film of all time. The list is followed by 'Baahubali 2: The Conclusion' (₹1,810.595 crores), 'RRR' (₹1,387.26 crores), 'KGF: Chapter 2' (₹1,250 crores), and 'Jawan' (₹1,148.32 crores) among others.
‘Kalki 2898 AD’ continues to make waves
These huge box office figures have become a common phenomenon in Indian cinema, and they don't surprise us anymore!However, what's also essential to note is this trend is a result of wide releases, the increase in theatre screens, extensive marketing campaigns, and rising ticket prices among others. So, we certainly cannot compare the recent films' box office performances with the past releases (let’s say, films of the 60s or 70s, and even 90s). And even if we exclude all these factors, there's something called 'inflation' (the rate of increase in prices over a given period of time) that comes in between.
A still from ‘Dangal’
But what if we adjust inflation through all these years, and then compare the box office collections? Would the list of India's highest-grossing films still remain the same? The simple answer: NO! And you would be really surprised to know that a Hindi film from 1960 would top the list. And in that case, these recent releases won't come even close!
Yes, the highest-grossing Indian film of all time when adjusted for inflation is 'Mughal-e-Azam' (1960), directed by K. Asif. Widely considered a milestone of Indian cinema, the epic historical drama film had the widest release at that time, and went on to set several box office records. After a long theatrical run, it collected ₹11 crores at the global box office. Now, the amount is equivalent to over ₹3700 crores as of 2024. Fascinating, isn't it?
Notably, the second spot in the list goes to Ramesh Sippy’s 'Sholay' - ₹2800 crores when adjusted for inflation. The third and fourth spots are occupied by 'Dangal' and 'Baahubali 2: The Conclusion'. And then it includes 'Mother India', 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun', 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge', 'Awara', 'Disco Dancer', and 'Bobby' among others.
Directed by K. Asif, 'Mughal-e-Azam' was the most ambitious Indian film at the time of its release. The film stars Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote among others in lead roles. Besides being a major commercial success, it also received several awards including one National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards.
Its soundtrack (comprising 12 songs by playback singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Shamshad Begum, and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan) is still popular among fans.
'Mughal-e-Azam' was released across 150 theatres in India. Nowadays, big-budget Indian films are released on thousands of screens.
Just a day before the film's bookings were open, over 100,000 people gathered outside the Maratha Mandir to buy tickets. According to some reports, people would wait in queues for four to five days to get tickets.
At the Maratha Mandir, the film had screenings at full capacity for three years.
Many tickets for 'Mughal-e-Azam' were sold in black for ₹100 (equivalent to ₹4000 today) compared to the usual price of ₹1.5.
Well, upon its theatrical release back in 1960, 'Mughal-e-Azam' emerged as a revolution, and took Indian cinema to the next level. And even after over six decades since its release, the film continues to hold the same appeal and leave us in awe with its grandeur.
