3 min readNew DelhiJun 14, 2026 03:47 PM IST
While everyone is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Lagaan, another iconic film that released alongside it is also marking the milestone. Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, starring Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel and Amrish Puri, hit theatres on June 15, 2001, and went on to become one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema history. Now, ahead of the film completing 25 years, Ameesha Patel has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to proudly claim that Gadar continues to hold the record for the highest footfalls among Indian films.
Sharing her thoughts, the actress wrote, “GADAR is completing 25 years on June 15th. Very proud to feel that till date it’s the No. 1 film with the highest footfalls compared to any other film in Indian history. The Gadar brand, in total, has had 8.5 crore footfalls, beating the amazing Dhurandhar, which had 7.5 crore footfalls in total.”
In another post, Ameesha Patel expressed gratitude to fans for keeping the franchise alive over the years.
“Very blessed to have such love from all the fans till date to keep the Gadar brand as the No. 1 brand in Indian history. Thank you, Box Office India, for all the updates related to the footfalls of our brand. Tara and Sakina shall shine once again very soon,” she wrote.
Directed by Anil Sharma, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha was set against the backdrop of the Partition of India in 1947. The film starred Sunny Deol as Tara Singh, a truck driver who rescues a Muslim girl, Sakina (Ameesha Patel), during the communal violence that accompanied Partition. The two fall in love and marry, but their relationship is tested when Sakina’s family takes her back to Pakistan, prompting Tara to cross the border to bring her home.
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Over the years, Gadar has remained a cultural phenomenon, with its emotional story, patriotic themes and powerful performances continuing to resonate with audiences.
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In an earlier interview with SCREEN, director Anil Sharma reflected on the film’s historic success.
“When I was making Gadar, I knew it would become India’s Titanic, and it did. When the ticket sales figures came out, we learned that its ticket sales had even surpassed Titanic. Such was its footfall. Even today, it is said that Gadar recorded the highest ticket sales and footfalls ever seen by a film in India,” he said.
The filmmaker added, “We’ve had bigger filmmakers in our industry, but it is God’s blessing that my film created such a record. The magic remains the same even today whenever it airs on television.”
Released alongside Aamir Khan’s Lagaan, Gadar emerged as a box-office juggernaut, proving that there was enough room for two cinematic giants to thrive simultaneously. 25 years later, both films continue to be celebrated as landmarks in Indian cinema.
