After six weeks of airing, blockbuster Pathaan, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, continues to break records in India and abroad.
The blockbuster that marked Shah Rukh Khan’s big comeback to the big screen after a four-year absence, Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan set the Indian box office on fire. A historic triumph that makes the Spy Universe one of the most promising expanded universes in modern pop culture.
At the service of records
RETURN OF THE KING
After a hot start in January, the Indian blockbuster Pathaan could only confirm its long-term triumph. Now that’s done, and we can safely say that the film far exceeded all expectations. Indeed, the new Spy Universe opus is currently approaching $80 million in India alone. This amount, including revenue from dubbing in Tamil and Telugu, makes the film the fourth highest-grossing film in domestic box office history. Outstanding performance for a $30.5 million feature film.
For now, Pathaan will not be able to climb the national podium and surpass the $115.14 million earned by the Telugu blockbuster RRR last year. However, Shah Rukh Khan is beating the competition in Bollywood. Indeed, the previous national Bollywood industry record was held by Dangal with $65.2 million. The one who has been nicknamed King Khan is determined to remember that his reign is unquestioned.
King of Kings
Looking only at the Hindi box office, Pathaan once again sets a historical record. Since 2017 blockbuster SS Rajamouli Baahubali 2 holds the title with $62.4 million in Hindi dubbed version alone. Siddharth Anand’s film has just crossed the 63.5 million Hindi hit mark and will still benefit greatly from the Holi celebration this week. No film made in one language has ever collected so much in India. And even adjusted for inflation, this is the best result for Bollywood since Dangal in 2016.
This colossal success has a special taste. First of all, it’s Shah Rukh Khan’s return to the top after a few difficult years. But above all, Pathaan has revived the dying Bollywood industry, which has been taken over by Tamil and Telugu cinema over the past three years. The film also silenced far-right Hindu boycott calls that have dogged every major release since the recovery from the pandemic.
After this landslide victory, the film immediately made Spy Universe the most promising Indian cinema expanded universe across all industries. And the release of Tiger 3 on November 9, 2023 should further confirm this completely crazy potential. Especially since Shah Rukh Khan will be there soon.
More effective than James Bond and John Wick combined.
WE ARE THE WORLD
Pathaan is not only a national event, but also a surprise, having raised $47.5 million overseas. The spy blockbuster has set a historical record for an Indian film in many territories including the UK, the Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland, Thailand and even Qatar. Its total worldwide value of $127.5 million now makes it the fifth biggest international hit in the history of Indian cinema.
Indeed, except for the amazing RRR C.S. Rajamouli, no Indian film has ever made so much in the international market without the help of the Chinese market. To give an idea of the importance of China to Indian success, we may recall the story of Dangal. The sports drama grossed $238 million overseas, including $197 million in China alone.
It is logical to wonder if Yash Raj Films will try to delay the release of the film in China, which is a very common practice for Bollywood productions. Even if moderately successful in this market, Pathaan could pretty much hope to surpass KGF: Chapter 2 and its 150 million total. Be that as it may, this triumph once again confirms the emergence of the Indian industry in the global box office.