Maryam Farooqui Moneycontrol News
For the first time ever, two Bollywood biggies -- Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan have come together in Thugs of Hindostan. And the audience is counting on them to deliver a never seen experience that lingers for a while.
While the industry’s hope is riding on Thugs of Hindostan, there have been few times the two actors have disappointed movie-goers.
The 'Shenshah' of Bollywood even at 76 is proving his mettle with new offerings. Age is no bar to success and excellence and actor Amitabh Bachchan personifies this. His almost 50-year-long stint in the film industry is setting career goals for many.
In the last 10 years, Amitabh has done as many as 17 films, which is more or at par with the number of films the Khans of Bollywood (Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir) have delivered. While Salman too has a score of 17 films in 10 years, Shah Rukh’s number of offerings stand at 15 and Aamir’s at 6 films.
However, out of 17 films, Bachchan managed to deliver only four hit films while the others tanked at the box office. But his performance never went unnoticed and nobody ever blamed the actor for the lackluster performance of the films.
In fact, it is Bachchan's charm and his film choices that gives him an edge over his peers. This year’s release 102 Not Out not only tickled the audience’s funny bone but also found a place in their hearts. This, in turn, resulted in strong business for the film which made Rs 52 crore with a budget of Rs 35 crore. Similarly, 2016-release Pink more than doubled its investment while delivering the message of the importance of a woman’s freedom of choice.
Big B’s co-star in Thugs of Hindostan, Aamir Khan also known as ‘Mr Perfectionist’ has his tales of success being narrated beyond borders. His film choices have ensured cinephiles that they if it’s an Aamir film then they are up for quality content.
While the Khans of Bollywood rule the Indian film industry, not all of them have been able to keep up with the number game. Be it Shah Rukh Khan or Salman, both witnessed disappointing collections last year from films like Jab Harry Met Sejal and Tubelight. But Aamir has walked a consistent path with films like 3 Idiots, PK, and Secret Superstar, but it was the wrestling drama Dangal that raised the bar for the industry in terms of both business and content.
Aamir Khan’s film graph in the last 10 years shows that he is a brand that Bollywood can trust with five of his movies being the highest grosser of all time.
(Aamir Khan films: Dangal- Box office collection- Rs 374 cr, PK- Box office collection- Rs 337 cr, Dhoom 3- Box office collection- Rs 260 cr, Talaash- Box office collection- Rs 91 cr, 3 idiots- Box office collection- Rs 201 cr, Ghajini- Box office collection- Rs 114 cr.)
Khan’s 2008 release Ghajini was the first Bollywood film to make an entry in the much-coveted Rs 100-crore club. The film had earned close to Rs 114 crore, shattering the record set by Dhoom 2 of Rs 81 crore.
In 2016, Dangal starring Aamir Khan made a mark not only in India but overseas as well. It also managed to supersede the business of the magnum opus Baahubali 2: The Conclusion because of collections in the Chinese market. The wrestling drama ended its dream run with a business of around Rs 2,000 crore globally.
His other venture, 2014 film PK is the third highest grossing film of all time. Dangal stands second on the list with collections worth Rs 374 crore.
(Numbers sourced from Box Office India)
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