This Ashok Kumar-starrer Was The First Hindi Film To Earn Rs 1 Crore – News18

Hindi movies are creating records at the box office these days, with some films earning as high as Rs 1000 crore. Even movies with smaller budgets and lesser star power are earning Rs 100 crore at the box office. We may have 100 crore, 200 crore and 500 crore clubs today, but like every good thing in the world, even Hindi cinema had its own humble beginnings. The budget for the first ever Indian film, Raja Harishchandra – made by the legendary Dadasaheb Phalke – was Rs 15,000. Box office records of films in that era were hardly talked about. Do you know which Hindi movie was the first to reach the Rs 1 crore mark? Let us tell you. In the year 1943, when the Ashok Kumar-starrer Kismet was released, history was created. The film, directed by Gyan Mukherjee, made a collection of more than Rs 1 crore. It was the first time a Hindi film had achieved this feat. The budget of Kismet was Rs 5 lakh.

Kismet also featured Mumtaz Shanti and Mehmood Ali. Kismat did not just dominate the box office, it also held the record for having the longest runtime in theatres. The movie was shown in some theatres for about three years. It was another unique record for the film. Roxy Theatre in Kolkata screened the film for three years straight.

The feats achieved by Kismet are no doubt remarkable because it was released at a time when the whole world was plunged into a state of chaos because of the Second World War. The film also dealt with bold themes for the first time in the history of Indian cinema. Kismet showed an anti-hero character with dual roles and the pregnancy of an unmarried woman.