In today’s Bollywood, it has become common to make films with budgets exceeding Rs 100 crore. As a result, higher budgets bring increased pressure on actors and filmmakers to recover production costs.
However, there was a time when superstar films generated impressive earnings on modest budgets. Among the top actors who drew large box office numbers were Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra. Yet, in 1984, a film created a stir at the box office and gave solid competition to these stars. This movie went on to become the highest-grossing film of the year, and the lead actor was neither Amitabh Bachchan nor Rajesh Khanna, but Jeetendra.
If you’re wondering who this actor was, it was none other than Jeetendra. His film Tohfa, directed by Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao, turned out to be a massive hit and earned significant profits. According to reports, the film, made on a budget of Rs 2-4 crore, went on to gross Rs 13 crore. The profit margin was considerable, with a net collection of around Rs 9 crore, approximately Rs 40 crore in today’s value.
Plot of Tohfa
The storyline of Tohfa revolves around two sisters, Janaki and Lalita, who both fall in love with the same man, Ram. When Lalita discovers her sister’s feelings for him, she decides to step aside and let her sister pursue her love. Tohfa was a remake of the 1982 Telugu blockbuster Devatha. The film received three nominations at the 32nd Filmfare Awards, including Best Comic Actor, Best Music, and Best Lyrics.
Apart from Tohfa, several other notable films hit the big screen in 1984, including Jeetendra and Rajesh Khanna’s Maqsad, Dharmendra’s Raaj Tilak, Amitabh Bachchan’s Sharaabi and Inquilaab, Rajesh Khanna’s Dharam Aur Kanoon, Awaaz, Asha Jyoti, Mithun Chakraborty’s Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki, and Dilip Kumar’s Mashaal.
