India's 'Baahubali' Destroys Box Office Records -Is China Next?
Writer-Director S.S. Rajamouli’s epic fantasy Baahubali: The Beginning, the most expensive production in the history of Indian cinema, has been crushing box office records from the day of its release.
The $40 million period film beat previous record holder Happy New Year to score the biggest domestic opening day and opening weekend ever for a film in India, and the fourth biggest worldwide opening ever for an Indian movie.
The visual effects heavy story centers on two rival brothers who battle for supremacy over a rich medieval kingdom.
The 41 year-old Rajamouli, who works mainly in the South Indian Telegu region, has cemented his reputation as a creator of highly regarded blockbuster films. His previous two productions, Eega (2012) and Magadheera (2009) were hits with audiences and critics alike, taking in $20 million and $12 million respectively, and winning several prestigious awards.
The picture also set records in North America, earning $3.6 million in a 236 screen limited release, for an exceptional $15,254 per-screen average.
Baahubali was produced simultaneously in the Telugu and Tamil languages, and released in those languages as well as in dubbed Hindi and Malayalam versions. The film is unusual in that it was is the only non-Hindi language film among the country’s top 10 biggest international openers.
Top 10 International Debuts for Indian Films
1. Dhoom 3 – Indian Rupees (INR) 1.98 billion (US$42.5 million)
2. PK – INR 1.75 billion ($37.5 million)
3. Happy New Year – INR 1.74 billion ($37.3 million)
4. Baahubali – INR 1.62 billion ($34.7 million)
5. Chennai Express EXPR +0.59% – INR 1.60 billion ($34.3 million)
6. Kick – INR 1.26 billion ($27.0 million)
7. Bang Bang – INR 1.23 billion ($26.4 million)
8. Singham Returns – INR 1.19 billion ($25.5 million)
9. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani – INR 1.05 billion ($22.5 million)
10. Dabangg 2 – INR 1.02 billion ($22.5 million)
No release date has been set yet for China, but with its blockbuster reception in international markets, and the recent success there of the Aamir Khan-starring Hindi comedy PK, chances are good that Baahubali will find its way into PRC theaters this year.
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