This Hollywood hit earned more in India than every Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan film; and it's not Avengers or Spider-Man

Hollywood films have always looked at India as a big market. The earnings of big0budget Hollywood blockbusters in the country does not rival other markets like China or Europe but is still pretty substantial. Over the years, several Hollywood films have grossed over Rs 100 crore in India and a few have even surpassed numbers done by some of the biggest Indian hits. The highest-grossing Hollywood movie in India did more business in the country than any film starring Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, or Thalapathy Vijay.

The highest-grossing Hollywood movie in India

The record of highest-grossing Hollywood film in India was broken earlier this year when Avatar: The Way of Water crossed Avengers Endgame’s lifetime India haul of Rs 442 crore. Avatar 2 has earned Rs 484 crore in India (around $60 million), making it the 8^th highest-grossing film in India ever. Above it are seven films, all of which have crossed Rs 500 crore in domestic gross – Baahubali 2, KGF Chapter 2, RRR, Pathaan, Dangal, Baahubali, and 2.0

Avatar: The Way of Water beat every Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Thalapathy Vijay film

The earnings of Avatar: The Way of Water in India are significant considering that they dwarf the collections of films starring some of the biggest superstars in the country today. Avatar 2 has an India gross of Rs 484 crore. Salman Khan’s highest-grossing film in India is Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which grossed Rs 444 crore in India. Similarly, Thalapathy Vijay’s highest-grossing film in India is Varisu, with a lifetime gross of Rs 208 crore. Kamal Haasan fares slightly better with Vikram at Rs 302 crore and Hrithik Roshan with War at Rs 378 crore. But all of them lose out to James Cameron’s mega blockbuster.

Avatar The Way of Water worldwide gross

Avatar: The Way of Water was successful globally just like it was in India. The film, which released in December 2022, raked in $684 million in North America and $1.636 billion overseas (including India) to mint $2.32 billion worldwide. This has made it the third-highest grossing film of all time behind Avatar ($2.92 billion) and Avengers: Endgame ($2.79 billion). It has surpassed the lifetime hauls of blockbusters like Titanic, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Avengers: Infinity War. The Way of Water is the second film in Avatar’s planned five-film franchise.