23 Years Of Sooryavansham EXCLUSIVE: Why the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer is one of the BIGGEST hits in the HISTORY of Bollywood in terms of ROI and is at par with The Kashmir Files and Jai Santoshi Maa

By Fenil Seta -

June 2, 2022 - 4:30 PM IST

Sooryavansham released 23 years ago, on May 21, 1999. At that time, it failed to work at the box office. However, over the years, it has achieved cult status. Word-of-mouth has been extremely positive about the film, and later it began to be aired on the Set MAX television channel very regularly. It also gave rise to jokes, especially during the IPL season, when its TV premiere would get affected. Meanwhile, the ‘zehreeli kheer’ scene of the film has become iconic in the world of memes.

23 Years Of Sooryavansham EXCLUSIVE: Why the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer is one of the BIGGEST hits in the HISTORY of Bollywood in terms of ROI and is at par with The Kashmir Files and Jai Santoshi Maa

On the 23rd anniversary of Sooryavansham, Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to Manish Shah, of Goldmines Telefilms. He holds the rights to the action drama, starring Amitabh Bachchan in a double role, the late Soundarya, Jayasudha, Anupam Kher, Kader Khan, Shivaji Satam, Bindu and Mukesh Rishi.

When asked when he bought the rights of Sooryavansham and whether he holds the rights of both digital and satellite, Manish Shah replied, “I bought the rights of the film in 2020 as it is one of the top rated films on satellite. To answer your second question, yes, I hold both satellite and digital rights. In fact, I hold all the rights in the world of Sooryavansham!”

Manish Shah maintained that the “TRPs are consistent” ever since he secured the rights of Sooryavansham. “People enjoy the film as it has great comedy and emotions. It also has characters who possess values and respect for their parents. These factors have clicked with the viewers.”

Sooryavansham was uploaded on Goldmines’ YouTube channel after Manish Shah got the rights, on November 2, 2020. In about one and half years, it has managed to secure nearly 31 crore views and counting. It is the fourth most popular Hindi film on this reputed channel and the only Hindi film amid other South dubbed films. The next original Hindi film to be on top is the Sridevi-Sunny Deol starrer Nigahein at 94th position with 3.70 crore views.

Sooryavansham was made at a modest budget of around Rs. 7-8 crores as per reports. Looking at the way it has performed insanely on OTT and satellite, it must have commanded a high price whenever its TV rights are sold every five years. With so many millions of views, even Manish Shah is earning a huge moolah and will continue to do in future as well. Hence, the film has not just recovered its cost but has earned tons of profits for the producers and other stakeholders.

Recently, The Kashmir Files was said to be one of the biggest hits, in terms of ROI, and at par with another sleeper blockbuster, Jai Santoshi Maa (1975). So does Sooryavansham also feature in this coveted list? “Yes it does,” claimed Manish Shah.

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