Indian films with highest number of footfalls

Hindi and Telugu cinema release hundreds of films every year. However, one film has held an unbeatable record for 50 years. That film is Sholay, which has the highest footfalls in Indian cinema history. Meanwhile the only 21st-century film to enter the top five is Baahubali 2. Let’s take a closer look at this record.

Released in 1975 Sholay directed by Ramesh Sippy remains one of Bollywood’s most iconic films. The film starred Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri and Amjad Khan. It was India’s highest-grossing movie until Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! took the lead in 1994.

Over the past 49 years, Sholay has seen multiple re-releases. It has recorded a total of 12.5 crore footfalls, the highest ever for an Indian film. Interestingly apart from Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, no modern-era movie has entered the top five. The ranking of the highest footfall films is as follows:

1. Sholay – 18+ crore

2. Mughal-E-Azam – 14+ crore

3. Mother India – 12+ crore

4. Baahubali 2 – 10+ crore

Despite Baahubali 2’s success, it still lags behind Sholay by 1.27 crore footfalls. Even with future re-releases, it will take years to match the milestone set by Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan’s action-packed film.

The legacy of Sholay continues, proving that some classics remain unbeatable despite changing times.