This small film with a Rs 5-crore budget and no big stars was the first Indian film to earn over Rs 100 crore overseas.
Over the last few years, the collections of Indian films overseas have skyrocketed, largely because of the proliferation of Indian releases in new markets like China, as well as consolidation of established stars’ power in old markets like North America, Middle East, and South East Asia. However, it may come as a surprise to many that even some of the biggest films today struggle to match up to the overseas collections of one small-budget film from two decades ago. It was this film that broke the 100-crore barrier in the overseas market for Indian films.
First Indian film to earn Rs 100 crore overseas
Although Indian cinem had seen several overseas successes since the 1950s, none of them had come close to the Rs 100 crore mark. Raj Kapoor films had had stupendous success in the Soviet Union, but their overseas collections ranged in the Rs 14-25 crore range. In 1980s, Mithun Chakraborty’s Disco Dancer came close with an overseas gross of Rs 94 crore but fell just short. It was only in 2001 when Mira Nair broke that glass ceiling with her film Monsoon Wedding. Made on a shoestring budget of $1.2 million (Rs 5 crore) with no big stars, the film was a runaway hit overseas, minting $22.45 million (Rs 110 crore). It not only broke the 100-crore barrier but became India’s highest-grossing film overseas, a tag it held till 3 Idiots crossed it eight years later.
How Monsoon Wedding triumphed overseas
Monsoon Wedding is a comedy drama directed by Mira Nair and focussing on a traditional Punjabi wedding in Delhi. It starred an ensemble cast of Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah, Vijay Raaz, Tillotama Shome, Randeep Hooda, and Vasundhara Das. Due to Mira Nair’s credentials in the West, it was a joint Indo-US production, distributed by USA Films in North America. That gave it a wider release in US and Canada than most Indian films got in those days. Then, after the film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and several other awards internationally, its demand in the global market increased. Further nominations in the BAFTA and Golden Globes led to delayed releases across Europe.
Highest-grossing Indian film overseas
After Monsoon Wedding, several Indian films broke the 100-crore barrier in overseas earnings but none did it quite as beautifully as Dangal. The Aamir Khan-starrer banked on a dream run in China to gross a whopping Rs 1520 crore overseas, the highest-ever by any Indian film by a long margin.
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 "This 2001 family drama grossed Rs 110 crore overseas")
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