Box‑office collections aren't a fair way to compare because the benchmarks keep changing. Back in the day, hitting 100 crore was a huge milestone, but now films can cross that on day one. So we need someone who knows box‑office numbers and can factor in inflation to tell who the real biggest star is in real terms.
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Amitabh, obviously.
Amitabh Bachchan.
Bachchan ji, most probably.
Bachchan. No doubt about it.
Bachchan, because he was so consistent during his peak years.
Amitabh Bachchan has the most consistent audience reach across many films. If we adjust his box‑office pull for inflation, he would be miles ahead, especially considering the 70s alone. Though we should note how movie consumption has changed – DVDs, streaming, etc.
Amitabh Bachchan is number one, SRK is number two. Amitabh's string of hits in the 1970s and 1980s, and his mass appeal with directors like Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra, is still unbeatable.
Everyone's a superstar in their own way. Take the three Khans as an example (since I'm not too familiar with pre‑90s Bollywood): Aamir started the 100, 200, 300 crore club and has the highest‑grossing Indian movie so far (maybe Dhurandhar 2 will break it). Salman has delivered more than 15 straight 100‑crore films in an era when 100 crore was a massive milestone. SRK has consistently given blockbusters from 1995 to 2013, and in 2023 he had two films crossing 1,000 crore. So there's no single "right answer" to your question.
That KBC‑style uncle.
Let me tell you, Amitabh started his career when the original pioneers of cinema were fading. He was there with Rajesh, with Rishi, with Dharmendra, and later with Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir. He's played side‑kick roles, mainstream hero, mass hero, and now does father and grandfather roles, but his screen presence is still the best I've seen. He may not have a 'face card', but he has aura and consistency, and he built it himself on the box‑office.