Amitabh Bachchan's Diwali success story: A look back at box office hits

Amitabh Bachchan Pic/AFP

This year, Ajay Devgn's "Singham Again" and Kartik Aaryan's "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3" are scheduled to hit theatres during Diwali, generating significant excitement among audiences about the clash between these two films.

However, while audiences are considering the box office potential of both films, it's worth noting that there was a time when Amitabh Bachchan was the undisputed king of the Diwali box office. Interestingly, Big B has delivered numerous films, many of which have been massive successes. His film "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar" proved to be a blockbuster during the Diwali season.

The film featured stars like Rekha, Vinod Khanna, and Rakhee and was directed by Prakash Mehra. Released in 1978, "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar" was the highest-grossing film of that year. It was the third highest-grossing Indian film after "Sholay" and "Bobby." "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar" was reportably made on a budget of 1.3 crores and the film earned Rs 9 crores at the box office, collecting a worldwide total of 22 crores.

The film won several Filmfare Awards and held its record for seven years until Amitabh himself broke it. In 1985, the film "Mard" was released, which became the highest-grossing film during Diwali after "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar." "Mard" was produced on a modest budget of just Rs 1 crore and went on to earn an impressive Rs 8 crores at the box office. Seventeen years later, Shah Rukh Khan shattered this record with his iconic film "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge," which became the highest-grossing film released during Diwali, surpassing "Mard."

This Diwali, Rohit Shetty's much-anticipated cop drama "Singham Again" is set to go head-to-head with T-Series' horror-comedy "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3" at the box office on November 1. "Singham Again" features an impressive cast, including Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, and Jackie Shroff.

In contrast, "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3," which is co-written and directed by Anees Bazmee, showcases a talented lineup with Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Triptii Dimri, Madhuri Dixit, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, and Sanjay Mishra.

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