Bullock Carts Hauled Collected Coins To Producer's Office - Amazing Tale Of Bollywood's First Box Office Hit Movie

Bollywood Movies: At the global box office today, a movie joining the Rs 100- or Rs 200-crore club is hardly a big deal. In terms of box office revenue, Indian films are actually in competition with international films. Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone starrer Pathaan, which was recently released, is the ideal illustration of this; it has performed amazingly well in both Indian and international markets. In just six days, the movie became a member of the Rs. 300 crore club. It shattered numerous domestic box office records, including those for the highest-grossing 2023 film and the highest-grossing Bollywood film. However, the present era is a far cry from the days when films were completely dependent on audiences packing single-screen theaters across India. No illusive "100-crore" clubs existed. Here is a look back at the first Hindi movie to be labeled a box office success and other significant financial achievements in the history of Hindi film in an era of Rs 100 crore smashes.

First Box Office Hit

Dadasaheb Phalke produced a few additional mythological films, including Satyavan Savitri, Mohini Bhasmasur, and Lanka Dahan, inspired by the popularity of Raja Harishchandra. Lanka Dahan was the first commercial success after Raja Harishchandra, the first attempt that was successful. The mythical film, which told the story of Sita's kidnapping, opened at 7 a.m. and continued to screen all day, drawing audiences of all ages until midnight. The movie was favorably received and became very popular. In terms of special effects and technology, Lanka Dahan was extremely sophisticated. It's interesting to note that it was also the first movie in which Rama and Sita were both portrayed by the same performer, Anna Salunke!

Fight For Tickets

Lanka Dahan (1917), a mythical silent film by Dadasaheb Phalke, was one of the first films that the general public lavished with affection and money. According to media sources, coins from ticket booths were reportedly collected in gunny bags and brought to the producer's office on bullock carts. Despite being a silent picture, Lanka Dahan was a huge hit. At Bombay's Majestic Theatre, there were lengthy lines where people jostled for seats and would fight for tickets and throw coins at the ticket window.

When thinking back on the various stages of cinematic culture, the era of silent films seems to be one of the most challenging and frequently disregarded stages of Indian cinema. Actors had to work extremely hard on their acting talents during this time period because they could not speak and had to rely only on their facial expressions.