As Dilip Kumar has bid adieu to the world forever, we’ve decided to let you in on one particular box office record that the legend holds, which has since never been emulated in any Indian film industry leave alone Bollywood
The doyen of Hindi cinema, a thespian if ever there was one, one of the biggest stars cinema on an entire world stage has ever seen and arguably the greatest actor India has ever produced passed away today, 7th July. Dilip Kumar (real name Yusuf Khan) was 98 years old and died due to age-related natural causes, leaving an indelible mark and then some on the Indian film industry and movie-buffs for generations to come. Not surprising, his irreplaceable legacy was built on delivering a number of Hindi cinema’s finest performances in many of its most memorable classics and masterpieces, which had draws box office records that are too vast to list in one article alone.
So, today, when Dilip Kumar has bid adieu to the world forever, we’ve decided to let you in on one particular box office record that the legend holds, which has since never been emulated in any Indian film industry leave alone Bollywood. You’d be extremely surprised to know that Dilip saab is the only actor in India to have delivered at least one bonafide, clean hit at the box office for 15 years straight, from 1947 to 1961. A herculean feat indeed, especially in Bollywood, where actors are happy to deliver a clean hit at least once every 2 years. Check out the superstar’s hit-machine record over these years, including all the box office numbers and verdicts:
1947
Jugnu – Collection Unknow [Verdict: Hit]
1948
Shaheed – Collection Unknow [Verdict: Hit]
Mela – Collection Unknow [Verdict: Hit]
1949
Andaz – Collection Unknow [Verdict: Hit]
Shabnam – Collection Unknow [Verdict: Hit]
1950
Babul – Rs. 70 lakh nett [Verdict: Hit]
Jogan – Rs. 62 lakh nett [Verdict: Hit]
Arzoo – Rs. 45 lakh nett [Verdict: Hit]
1951
Deedar – Rs. 80 lakh nett [Verdict: Hit]
1952
Aan – Rs. 1.50 crore nett [Verdict: Blockbuster]
Daag – Rs. 80 lakh nett [Verdict: Hit]
1953
Footpath – Rs. 55 lakh nett [Verdict: Hit]
1954
Amar – Rs. 50 lakh nett [Verdict: Hit]
1955
Uran Khatola – Rs. 1.10 crore nett [Verdict: Superhit]
1956
Azaad – Rs. 1.50 crore nett [Verdict: Superhit]
1957
Naya Daur – Rs. 2.25 crore nett [Verdict: Blockbuster]
1958
Madhumati – Rs. 2.00 crore nett [Verdict: Blockbuster]
Yahudi – Rs. 1.00 crore nett [Verdict: Hit]
1959
Paigham – Rs. 1.40 crore nett [Verdict: Superhit]
1960
Mughal-E-Azam – Rs. 5.50 crore nett [Verdict: All-Time Blockbuster]
Kohinoor – Rs. 1.50 crore nett [Verdict: Hit]
1961
Gunga Jumna – Rs. 3.50 crore nett [Verdict: Blockbuster]
RIP, Dilip Kumar. There’ll never be another like you!