As Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel-starrer ‘Gadar’ celebrates 25 years since its release, the actress has reignited a discussion among movie buffs about box-office footfalls. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Ameesha shared screenshots of publicly available data to support her assertion that the ‘Gadar’ franchise attracted more cinema-goers than the ‘Dhurandhar’ films. Calling herself fortunate to have been part of a landmark cinematic journey, the actress highlighted figures that compared the audience turnout of both franchises across their theatrical runs.
How Ameesha Patel compared the numbers
According to the details shared by Ameesha, the original ‘Gadar’, released in 2001, reportedly recorded over 50 million footfalls in India. The sequel, ‘Gadar 2’, which arrived in theatres in 2023, is estimated to have drawn between 34 and 34.5 million admissions.The figures cited in her post also mentioned that the first instalment of ‘Dhurandhar’ generated approximately 32.2 to 35.6 million footfalls domestically, while ‘Dhurandhar 2’ reportedly crossed the 43 million mark. Using these numbers, Ameesha reiterated her belief that the combined audience attendance of the ‘Gadar’ films remains unmatched.
The legacy of Sakeena
In a recent interaction, the actress spoke about the enduring popularity of her character Sakeena and revealed that the film continues to receive affection from audiences across borders. Recalling reactions she received over the years, Ameesha said, “Kya Ameesha ji, Pakistan ko apne rula diya, Sakina ne rula diya” (Ameesha ji, you made Pakistan emotional; Sakina made Pakistan emotional).She further shared that several parents named their daughters Sakeena after the character, something she considers one of the most heartwarming outcomes of the film’s success.Discussing the audience response to the franchise, Ameesha reflected on what the footfall figures mean to her personally. “Gadar 1 and Gadar 2 (combined) have the biggest footfalls, more than even Dhurandhar 1 and 2. Just purely on footfalls that means the amount of people that have actually entered the cinema houses to watch both films is so heartening and to feel that I am part of the cinematic history, to be privileged, to be blessed.”For the actress, the numbers are less about competition and more about the affection audiences have shown towards the story over multiple generations.
A franchise that continues to resonate
Directed by Anil Sharma, ‘Gadar’ was set against the backdrop of the Partition and followed the love story of Tara Singh and Sakeena. The film became one of the defining blockbusters of its era and remains deeply embedded in popular culture.More than two decades later, ‘Gadar 2’ revived the franchise for a new generation, once again drawing audiences to theatres in huge numbers and reaffirming the enduring appeal of Tara Singh and Sakeena’s story.
