'My Name Is Khan' grosses Rs174.60 crore worldwide

Shah Rukh Khan starrer My Name Is Khan has grossed Rs174.60 crore worldwide with India contributing Rs102.2 crore and international markets netting an all time high of Rs72.4 crore for a Hindi film, distributors said today.

It has become the highest grossing Bollywood film in the Middle East at $3.3 million. With the movie opening in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria on March 10, the number is expected to go much higher, according to Vijay Singh of Fox Studios.

In the UAE, MNIK's collections are nearly on par with `Dark Knight', `Transformers 2', `Spider Man 3' and `Twilight: New Moon'. At final count, the Middle East distributors expect the figures to be twice of Fox Searchlight's global 2008 phenomenon `Slumdog Millionaire' in this market, he said.

"In other markets too, it continues to grow and has crossed over to non-diaspora audiences. In Indonesia, for example, the film has grown from 6 to 14 screens."

"The film has not just done the highest-ever theatrical business for a Bollywood film, it has become a national phenomenon," Singh said.

Directed by Karan Johar, the movie is about the journey of an Indian family and their saga post the 9/11 attacks on the US.