Jodhaa Akbar Overseas: First weekend

BOXOFFICEINDIA

BOI - Jodhaa Akbar Storms The Overseas Market

Jodhaa Akbar has stormed the International markets with bumper openings in most overseas territories. The film seems to be heading for a half million pounds weekend gross in UK with total overseas gross looking to be 10 crore plus over the weekend.

It is almost certain that Jodhaa Akbar will emerge Hrithik Roshan’s biggest solo overseas hit. The business will easily surpass the likes of Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish and if it keeps up at the initial pace then even the 2006 blockbsuster Dhoom 2 may be surpassed.

If the total overseas business was to reach 30 crore then this will ensure profits for UTV as a 18-20 crore share is a given from India even if collections were to fall badly.

IBOS: Jodha Akbar opening in overseas

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Jodha Akbar may be getting banned in large parts of India and its depictions being called politically and communally distortive by many, but the same is being used by it for advantage with the Pakistanis and with the muslim heavy overseas crowd. And atleast in the short term, the Bollywood film is expected to close in on a $1.5+ million 4-day opening extended weekend from screenings in US/Canada theaters.

In comparision, Hrithik Roshan’s big blockbusters like Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish have all been relatively damp squibs at the box office in North America. So for a Jodha Akbar, the projected opening to be in the range of $1.5 million off the weekend is quite telling.

This is in contrast to the film’s opening in India which is below expectations and specially in contrast to the similarly themed 2001 fare Gadar, which too was set on a historic backdrop on communal integration, but was not supported by the overseas composition crowd proportionately. Gadar however went onto to break box office records across the country anyway.