New Delhi: Last week’s action comedy Dishoom, which opened to collections of Rs.37 crore over the weekend, is the latest addition to a long list of films that celebrate ‘bromance’ in Bollywood. The two-hero formula is a staple and much-loved theme in Hindi movies, most often used for action thrillers or comedies. Here’s a list of 10 two-hero movies.
1. Anand (1971): Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s tear-jerker is the story of a spirited young man counting days to his death and his doctor friend, played by Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, respectively. The film won several awards and made Rs.1 crore at the box office.
2. Sholay (1975): The all-time blockbuster, though featuring an ensemble cast, essentially remains the tale of two petty thieves played by Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan. Director Ramesh Sippy’s cult classic that has developed into a textbook for students of cinema over the years earned Rs.15 crore at the time of release.
3. Deewaar (1975): Yash Chopra’s crime drama tells the story of two impoverished brothers in Mumbai who grow up on conflicting sides of the law, played by Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor. The film was instrumental in establishing Bachchan’s famous image of the angry, young man of the 1970s and netted Rs.6 crore at the box office.
4. Ram Lakhan (1989): Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor played brothers in Subhash Ghai’s blockbuster drama, co-starring Raakhee, Dimple Kapadia and Madhuri Dixit. The film that is speculated to have inspired a sequel earned Rs. 9 crore in box office collections.
5. Saudagar (1991): Subhash Ghai brought veteran actors Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar together in the drama about two friends-turned-foes. The film that also introduced debutants Manisha Koirala and Vivek Mushran earned Rs.6 crore at the box office.
6. Andaz Apna Apna (1994): Director Rajkumar Santoshi’s classic comedy revolves around two small-time daydreamers out to make quick money, played by Aamir Khan and Salman Khan. The film that also stars Karisma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon and Paresh Rawal in pivotal roles only made Rs.5 crore at the box office at the time of release, but has achieved cult status over the years.
7. Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994): The film starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan was part of a slew of films the two did together in the 1990s. Directed by Sameer Malkan and also featuring Shilpa Shetty, it made close to Rs.6 crore at the box office.
8. Karan Arjun (1995): Rakesh Roshan’s rebirth saga featured Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in lead roles, playing sons to Raakhee. The film was one of the highest grossers of its release year, netting Rs.32 crore at the box office.
9. Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999): The David Dhawan comedy essentially centered on the antics of two brothers played by Sanjay Dutt and Govinda who’ve also starred in many other films together. It won Govinda several awards for his comic turn that season and earned Rs.14 crore in box office collections.
10. Dostana (2008): The romantic comedy featuring Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham was one of the earliest takes on homosexuality, albeit a non-serious one. Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, it made Rs.22 crore in box office collections.
All figures have been sourced from movie websites Bollywood Hungama and IBOS Network.
