One would consider a multi-starrer like Sholay to have broken all box office records when it was released 50 years ago in 1975. It had a box office clash with another release titled Jai Santoshi Maa, and the latter overpowered Ramesh Sippy's Sholay in certain aspects. The two films were released on August 15, 1975. While Jai Santoshi Maa attracted the audience with its devotional theme, Sholay was initially declared a flop.
An interesting cross-study done by certain media reports, adjusting inflation, states that Sholay would have earned above Rs 3000 crore had it been made today. This would also map the film alongside or ahead of some of the highest-grossing films recorded in the history of Indian Cinema.
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Sholay Competing With Jai Santoshi Maa
The two films were released on August 15, 1975. While Jai Santoshi Maa attracted the audience with its devotional theme, Sholay was initially declared a flop.
Sholay was made on a budget of Rs 2.5 crore and had a lifetime collection of 15 crore with a 500% profit. Jai Santoshi Maa's budget was Rs 30 lakh and collected 5.25 crore in its lifetime with a profit of 1,616%.
Ramesh Sippy's film first-day collection was Rs 8 lakhs at the box office, while Jai Santoshi Maa earned Rs 7 lakhs, as per an India Today report.
Such was the craze that Jai Santoshi Maa earned a greater profit margin than Sholay and overshadowed a cult classic led by superstars such as Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan.
In A Nutshell
Revisiting the budget and box office collections of Sholay as it clocks 50 years today, and the competition it faced from Jai Santoshi Maa. Some media reports also came up with estimates of how much Sholay would earn if it was made today.
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