Multi-star Hindi-Urdu films
'Multi-star' Hindi-Urdu films
Two leading actors of the same gender
Andaz (1949) was, arguably, the first Hindi-Urdu film with two leading men, indeed the no. 1 and no.2 male stars of the era. It was the second biggest hit of the year. Sangam (1964) starred two top leading men remains one of the biggest hits in the history of Filmistan. Aayee Milan Ki Bela with two leading men, one of them (Dharmendra) not yet in the top rung, was the no.2 or 3 hit of 1954.
Hum Dono was perhaps the first hit (no. 5 or 7 in 1961) with two leading ladies: but them it had with two leading men as well, albeit played by the same actor.
Sahib, Bibi aur Ghulam (1962), with two leading ladies, had been the no.11 grosser of its year--not great but all right considering that it was a serious, literary film. Jewel Thief had five leading ladies for one hero, but only one of the actresses was in the top bracket. Secondly, in India actresses have only rarely pulled in the crowds. Therefore, Jewel Thief could only make the no. 5 or 6 spot in 1967.
(In the 1960s many films starred Ashok Kumar--no longer a romantic hero--with a younger actor playing the romantic lead, e.g. Kanoon, Gumrah and Bahu Begum. Similarly, Rehman, whose Chaudhvin ka Chand was the no.4 hit of 1960 and who was also part of the Sahib, Bibi aur Ghulam quadrangle does not count because he was a good actor, not a 'star.')
In general, two leading men (even if one of them was Rehman) and, to a lesser extent, two leading actresses tended to be more successful than the so-called 'single-starrers.'
Three or more leading actors of the same gender
In Filmistan a film is called a 'multi-starrer' if it has at least three leading men and more or less an equal number of leading ladies to match. Chalti ka Naam Gaadi (the no. 2 hit 1958) had three heroes, but only one of them was a star, while another would become one after the film. Similarly, Yaadon Ki Baraat was a mega-hit in 1973 (officially no. 6 that year, perhaps some its earnings spilt into 1974) but only one of its three heroes was a star, and of its leading ladies Neetu Singh had a fleeting role and the nameless third lady had a non-speaking part.
Therefore, Waqt (no.1 in 1965) and Kaajal (no. 10 or 11 in 1965) were the first 'multi-starrers' in Hindi-Urdu. The latter did not have as good a star cast as Waqt, nor as strong a script.
Mera Naam Joker (1969) had five major male stars (and a sixth one in the making) and three leading ladies, but it flopped because it had a bad script. Therefore, multi-star films were not seen as worth the while--till Sholay (1975) happened.
Then suddenly there was a spate of multi-starrers. The craze got so out of hand that old-timers (ironically, including Raj Kapoor, one of the stars of Andaz, and the director-star of Sangam and Mera Naam Joker) condemned it roundly--mainly because they found themselves left out and left behind, but officially on the ground that an assembly of stars betrayed a lack of self-confidence on the part of the director and story writer.
The formula did not work either for Salim-Javed (who had thitherto had a string of ??? mega-hits) or Ramesh Sippy (for whom Sholay was the second major hit in a row). Their next together, Shaan zxc
The biggest multi-starrer of them all was The Burning Train, which had a huge cast, was in 70 mm (and its 35 mm prints--unlike those of Around the World and Sholay --were in Cinemascope), and was a huge budget 'disaster'film (a genre very popular internationally in those days). However, not only did it have a lifeless script, it made the mistake that several flop multi-starrers also made. Instead of giving each character a distinct role (as Waqt, Sholay and Yaadon ki Baraat had) it was reduced to 'balancing' the roles given to its stars. If one star landed a blow in one scene, his rival star had to give a similar punch a few scenes later.
