As Bollywood struggles to hit the bull's eye at box office this year, American action-thriller 'Furious 7' has grossed over Rs 100 crore in India. We list Hollywood movies that stormed ticket windows here
Hollywood movies that took the Indian box office by storm!
While Bollywood releases this year have been struggling to set off fireworks at the ticket windows, Hollywood action flick 'Furious 7' has taken the Indian box office by storm. After a first-day opening of Rs 12 crore in India, the movie has grossed Rs 100 crore in three weeks and is racing towards becoming the most successful Hollywood film to be released here.
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Box office collection of 'Furious 7': Rs 104 crore
A still from 'Furious 7', which has collected nearly Rs 104 crore in India
The flick released in four languages in India — Hindi, English, Telugu and Tamil —and is considered special as it conveys a heartfelt goodbye to one of the lead actors, Paul Walker, who died in a road accident in 2013. Much hype was built around the movie as it features Bolly actor Ali Fazal, although in a miniscule role, but with the lead cast.
A still from 'Furious 7'
A source says, "It released on nearly 2200 screens across India and is doing really well even in its third weekend. Its total business stands at Rs 104 crore now."
Trade expert Taran Adarsh states Hollywood films are no longer the second choice for viewers. "These days, Hollywood movies have got a good penetration in the Indian market and are being distributed on a large scale. At times, they are dubbed in regional languages for easy acceptability of the audience here. The production value of their films, scripts and casting is always up to the mark," he adds.
On the enormous response that Hollywood movies have been receiving in the Indian market over the last few years, Manish Dutt, MD of VR Films and Studios, says: "India is a small territory for Hollywood and we buy the distribution rights which doesn't include the making cost of the film. So, even if you spend a good amount of money for the P&A, then also it's win-win for us."
Hitlist points out a few other big Hollywood releases that set the cash registers ringing in India...
'Avatar' (2009)
Director: James Cameron
Lowdown: Set in the mid-22nd century, the sci-fi drama portrayed an imaginary universe where humans seek to mine unobtanium (a superconductor) on Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system. The expansion of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of a local tribe of Na'vi species and The film's title referred to a genetically engineered Na'vi body with the mind of a remotely located human that is used to interact with the natives of Pandora.
Box office collection: Rs 145.9 crore
'2012' (2009)
Director: Roland Emmerich
Lowdown: The plot of this sci-fi film followed failed writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), who attempts to bring his family to refuge amidst the events of a geological and meteorological super disaster, prophesised as the end-of-the-world cataclysm. The film included references to Mayanism, the Mesoamerican Long Count Calender, and the doomsday prediction.
Box office collection: Rs 94.10 crore
'Life of Pi' (2012)
Director: Ang Lee
Lowdown: Based on Yann Martel's eponymous novel, this Oscar-winning film revolved around an Indian man named Piscine Molitor (Pi) Patel from Canada narrating his lifestory to a novelist— how at 16 he survived a shipwreck which claimed his family members' lives, and was stranded in the Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat with a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker.
Box office collection: Rs 80.30 crore
'Titanic' (1997)
Director: James Cameron
Lowdown: This American epic romantic drama was a fictionalised account of the sinking of the ill-fated RMS Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912. Featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, respectively, the film showed a 'forbidden love' blossoming on the "unsinkable" ship. The upper strata 17-year-old girl falls for the free-spirited steerage passenger, but little do they know that it would be a short-lived affair. Titanic's collision with an iceberg claims hundreds of lives, including Jack's.
Box office collection: Rs 76.80 crore
'The Avengers' (2012)
Director: Joss Whedon
Lowdown: This one had Nick Fury (played by Samuel Jackson), director of the peacekeeping organisation S.H.I.E.L.D, initiating a superhero recruitment effort to defeat the unprecedented threat to Earth from Thor's brother, Loki. Nick's team comprises Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Captain America (Chris Evans), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner).
Box office collection: Rs 76.00 crore
'Iron Man 3' (2013)
Director: Shane Black
Lowdown: The third instalment of this superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man starred Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow. The story revolved around a brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark (Downey Jr) as he is pitted against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. During his fight, he finds out the answer to a question that's been secretly haunting him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?
Box office collection: Rs 75.00 crore