India's first film to cross Rs 1 crore, beat ticket sale of Pushpa 2, 3 Idiots; ran for 184 weeks, its not Mughal-E-Azam, Sholay, Disco Dancer

Indian cinema is among the biggest film industries in the globe. From Hindi cinema known as Bollywood to Tamil, and Telugu films known as Tollywood, and films in other languages have contributed to the pride of Indian cinema. The film industry in India was started in 1913, but today we will talk about the first Indian film that created history by crossing the Rs 1 crore mark. 

This film became a blockbuster and remained one of the highest-grossing films for decades. However, it's not Mughal-E-Azam, Sholay, Disco Dancer, or Kranti. This film has even sold more tickets than the biggest blockbusters, including 3 Idiots, Pushpa 2, and Dangal. 

The first Indian film to cross the Rs 1 crore mark is...

Kismet (1943), Gyan Mukherjee-directed, produced by Bombay Talkies, during the Second World War, the film stars Ashok Kumar  Mumtaz Shanti, and Shah Nawaz in the key roles. The film was released in cinemas on January 9, 1943, and it went on to become the biggest blockbuster of the year, and it was also the first big hit in the history of Bombay cinema. Made on a budget of just Rs 2 lakh, the film collected Rs 1.6 crore at the box office and emerged as an all-time blockbuster. 

The bold themes Kismet explored 

Kismet was the first film to have bold themes of an anti-hero, a grey-shade character and an unmarried girl getting pregnant. 

How Kismet crossed Pushpa 2, 3 Idiots, Dangal

Even decades later, Kismet went on to hold the record of having the highest footfalls. Kismet had a footfall of 3.5 crores. Reportedly the film leads with modern-day hits like Pushpa 2: The Rise (2 crores), 3 Idiots (3.2 crores), Dhoom 3 (3.4 crores), and Ghajini (2.4 crores). The film earned over Rs 12 lakh nett from a single theatre, a remarkable feat of the decade.

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