Kolkata which was the biggest centres for Hindi films till the mid 60's has seen 81 films hit the jubilee mark. Mumbai took over as the biggest centre in the mid 60's and then in the multiplex era it has been Delhi which has become the biggest. These are genuine jubilees in Kolkata where films ran for 25 weeks on four shows a day. There will be some films which got there on matinee shows but that is not a real jubilee. Also there are some films which were pushed on matinee shows for a few weeks by distributors to claim a jubilee but it was just a distributor thing to show his producer they managed a jubilee. These have not been included.

 

 

Kolkata was not like Mumbai where every other film was pushed to a jubilee as the perception came from Mumbai for the industry at that time and also Kolkata mostly released weeks or even months after Mumbai so there was never pressure from the producer as pressure of a jubilee was where the early release was. The greatest Hindi film ever Sholay released in Kolkata more than 2 months after its initial release in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

 

 

The longest running film ever in Kokata is the 1943 film Kismet which ran for 184 weeks at Roxy though looking at the whole picture in Kolkata in the last 100 years or so then the biggest BLOCKBUSTER of the city has to be Bobby. The film ran for 52 weeks in the main cinema Metro and then had silver jubilees in a further 3 cinemas which is history not just for Kolkata but for all India. Four genuine silver jubilees in a city without matinee shows and none of the theatres running on deficits.. The last film to get a jubilee in Kolkata was Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai way back in 2000 while the last golden jubilee film was Hum Aapke Hain Kaun in 1994 which had a huge 69 week run and another week to make it 70 but that was matinee shows.

 

 

The one thing that the list shows is the huge success of love stories in the city. All the great love stories of Hindi cinema are there like Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, Dil To Pagal Hai, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Maine Pyaar Kiya, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Betaab, Ek Dujje Ke Liye, Love Story, Aradhana, Junglee and the grandest of them all Sangam and Bobby. The list is full of love stories and its not just these films mentioned but others as well and this also explains why Shahrukh Khan has remained the biggest star in Kolkata for the last 25 years. Even though the last years have not been so great he is still the biggest star in the city due to the romantic image which was built in the late 90's. 

 

 

Dharmendra has the most jubilees in Kolkata with 3 golden jubilees and 5 silver jubilees and that is a case with most cities across India but the biggest stars of the city have been Ashok Kumar, Rajesh Khanna and Shahrukh Khan. We are talking just the city which is now practically the West Bengal circuit for Hindi films though earlier Hindi films had a good following across West Bengal. Ashok Kumar was a local favorite while Rajesh Khanna and Shahrukh Khan are probably the biggest romantic stars in history and its this genre which scores big in Kolkata.

 

 

The list of jubilees in Kolkata are as follows and the last released film is named first if the films have run for the same numbers weeks though if a film is in more than one cinema than that gets precedence. There is one huge grosser which is omitted and that is Mughal - E - Azam but that film had 24 cinema release in Kolkata which is mad considering it started with 4 in Mumbai and 6 in Delhi. Mughal -E - Azam fell short of a jubilee due to an insane release in Kolkata though despite being a big grosser its footfalls will still not be among the top 25 in Kolkata though in the whole of West Bengal it would be easily be among the top ten ever. The years are not the release years but when the respective jubilee was celebrated. Also the cinema where it was a jubilee is in brackets. Paradise which is still the leading single screen in the city has the most jubilees with 15 and Barsaat (released in 1949) being the longest runner in paradise with a 100 week run.

 

1. Kismet (1947) - 184 weeks (Roxy)

 

2. Sholay (1977) - 103 weeks (Jyoti)

 

3. Barsaat (1951) - 100 weeks (Paradise)

 

4. Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1995) - 69 weeks (Hind)

 

5. Bandhan (1941) - 57 weeks (Paradise)

 

6. Shikar (1969) - 56 weeks (Regal)

 

7. Bhabhi (1958) - 54 weeks (Paradise)

 

8. Bobby (1974) - 52 weeks (Metro). The film also ran for 25 weeks in 3 more cinemas, Gem, Menoka and Darpan. Probably the biggest BLOCKBUSTER ever in Kolkata.

 

9. Aradhana (1970) - 51 weeks (Lotus)

-. Junglee (1962) - 51 weeks (Roxy)

 

11. Sangam (1965) - 50 weeks (Orient). The film also ran for 25 weeks in Priya and Darpan

--. Basant (1943) - 50 weeks (Roxy). The film also ran for 25 weeks at Majestic.

--. Yaadon Ki Baraat (1974) - 50 weeks - (Hind)

 

14. Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1961) - 42 weeks (Paradise)

 

15. Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1979) - 41 weeks (Moonlight)

 

16. Azaad (1956) - 40 weeks (Paradise)

 

17. Nagin (1955) - 38 weeks (Hind)

--.  Achhut Kanya (1937) - 38 weeks (Paradise)

 

19. Betaab (1984) - 36 weeks (Jyoti)

-. Geet Gata Chal (1976) - 36 weeks (Lotus)

 

21. Nadiya Ke Paar (1983) -35 weeks (Lotus)

 

22. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1996) - 34 weeks (Metro 25 weeks plus 9 weeks at Paradise)

 

23. Hum Kisise Kum Nahin (1978) - 33 weeks (New Cinema)

 

24. Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1986) - 32 weeks (Majestic) 

 

25. Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1982) - 31 weeks (Jyoti)

 

26. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) - 30 weeks (Paradise)

--. Dushman (1972) - 30 weeks (Moonlight)

--. Shaadi (1942) - 30 weeks (Jyoti)

 

29. Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1979) - 29 weeks (Metro)

--. Chaudvin Ka Chand (1960) - 29 weeks (Orient) 

 

31. Anarkali (1953) - 28 weeks (Society). The film also ran for 25 weeks at Purnasee.

--. Love Story (1981) - 28 weeks (Lighthouse)

--. Anurag (1973) - 28 weeks (Jyoti)

--. Ziddi (1964) - 28 weeks (Jyoti) 

--. Grihasthi (1948) - 28 weeks (Majestic)

--. Shehnai (1948) - 28 weeks (Paradise)

 

37. Nikaah (1983) - 27 weeks (Paradise)

--. Ajanabee (1975) - 27 weeks (Jyoti)

--. Zanjeer (1973) - 27 weeks (Opera)

--. Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1972) - 27 weeks (Lotus)

--. Sasural (1961) - 27 weeks (Hind) 

--. Naya Daur (1958) - 27 weeks (Majestic)

--. Pyaasa (1957) - 27 weeks (Janata)

--. Actress (1949) - 27 weeks (Paradise)

--. Zeenat (1946) - 27 weeks (Majestic)

--. Kangan (1940) - 27 weeks (Paradise)

--. Bhabhi (1939) - 27 weeks (Paradise)

 

48. Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000) - 26 weeks (Hind)

--. Maine Pyaar Kiya (1990) - 26 weeks (Elite) 

--. Trishul (1979) - 26 weeks (Majestic)

--. Samjhauta (1974) - 26 weeks (Lotus)

--. Jugnu (1974) - 26 weeks (New Cinema)

--. Amar Prem (1972) - 26 weeks (Paradise)

--. Arzoo (1966) - 26 weeks (Hind) 

--. Madhumati (1959) - 26 weeks (Janata)

--. Gumashta (1951) - 26 weeks (Majestic)

--. Chandralekha (1949) - 26 weeks (Orient)

 

58. Haathi Mera Saathi (1971) - 25 weeks (Regal). The film also celebrated 25 weeks at Priya and Mitra 

--. Jai Santoshi Maa (1976) - 25 weeks (Kalika). The film also had a 87 week run in noon shows at Ganesh

--. Dil To Pagal Hai (1998) - 25 weeks (Metro)

--. Sharaabi (1985) - 25 weeks (Majestic)

--. Laawaris (1982) - 25 weeks (Majestic)

--. Naseeb (1981) - 25 weeks (Hind)

--. Kranti (1981) - 25 weeks (Gem)

--. Noorie (1979) - 25 weeks (Majestic)

--. Julie (1975) - 25 weeks (Paradise)

--. Deewaar (1975) 25 weeks (Majestic)

--. Pran Jaaye Par Vachan Na Jaye (1974) - 25 weeks (Regal)

--. Prem Nagar (1974) - 25 weeks (Paradise)

--. Seeta Aur Geeta (1973) - 25 weeks (Hind)

--. Naya Zamana (1971) - 25 weeks (Lotus)

--. Johny Mera Naam (1971) - 25 weeks (Moonlight)

--. Sharafat (1970) - 25 weeks (Moonlight)

--. Milan (1969) - 25 weeks (Hind)

--. Aankhen (1969) - 25 weeks (Moonlight)

--. Khandan (1965) - 25 weeks (Roxy)

--. Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961) - 25 weeks (Society)

--. Ganga Jamuna (1961) - 25 weeks (Majestic)

--. Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (1955) - 25 weeks (Orient)

--. Lal Haveli (1944) - 25 weeks (Majestic)

--. Punarmilan (1940) - 25 weeks (Jyoti)