Mumbai (Pakistan News) The most successful Khan in the history of cinema has earned Rs 22,000 crore at the box office, which is more than the combined earnings of Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir Khan.
Ever since the trend of keeping box office earnings records of films has become common, the popularity and stardom of actors have started to be measured by the earnings of their films. Many people say that success at the box office is proof of an actor’s appeal to the public.
That is why the more an actor’s films earn, the bigger the star he is considered. The same tradition has been in Hollywood too, where names like Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Burton are among the highest-grossing actors in history.
But an actor in India has changed this calculation, because he has achieved extraordinary success in Western cinema as well. Due to his work in Hollywood films, he earned billions in dollars and pounds, surpassing not only Bollywood but also the three Khans.
The most successful Khans of Bollywood were actually well-known names in Hollywood as well. Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan have been the biggest stars of the Hindi film industry for the past three decades. After Amitabh Bachchan’s relative decline in the 1990s, these three took over the reigns of Bollywood, leaving behind big actors like Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt.
However, the late Irrfan Khan is still considered the highest-grossing Indian actor in the world. In his career spanning three decades, he worked in films that grossed nearly $4 billion worldwide. Four major Hollywood blockbusters played a major role in this success. These include Jurassic World, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire. During his career, Irrfan Khan has acted in several international films and has become one of the most recognizable Indian actors globally.
From 2006’s The Namesake to 2016’s Inferno, his Hollywood films have grossed around Rs 21,000 crore in Indian currency. His Indian films have also grossed over Rs 1,000 crore, including Piku and Gunday, which grossed over Rs 100 crore. Of these, Piku proved to be his biggest Indian hit, earning Rs 141 crore ($23 million) worldwide.
Shah Rukh Khan is considered the most successful hero in Bollywood history, with his films grossing around Rs 10,000 crore. Salman’s films have grossed over Rs 7,500 crore, while Aamir Khan’s films have grossed around Rs 7,000 crore. But the difference between Irrfan Khan and them was that all three were always the heroes of their own films, while Irrfan Khan played mostly supporting roles in Hollywood.
His big films were made under the leadership of global stars like Chris Pratt, Andrew Garfield and Tom Hanks. Irrfan Khan, considered one of the best actors in Indian cinema, started his career in 1987 with a TV show.
He later worked in Salaam Bombay and Ek Doktor Ki Moot. His real success came in 2003 with the film Hasil. After which he did successful films like Maqbool, Paan Singh Tomar, Blue, Saat Khoon Maaf and Haider. Irrfan Khan died of cancer in 2020 at the age of 53.