Bollywood international success attributes to the fact that people outside our culture encircling different languages have a desire to observe and understand our Indian culture through films which in some countries have gained popularity. One of the reasons could be is that many westerners think our Indian films are high drama. emotional with a lot of costumes,
Song and dance. However, this doesn’t stand true anymore as India is now making films that are more progressive, with a strong messages for the audience or the biopics of personalities that have taken the top place or have been in the news for various reasons. The film industry has left behind clichéd scenes of dancing around trees, embracing more mature narratives.
The World Loves Bollywood: A Story of International Success
Bollywood is a merging word from India’s most famous city Bombay now called Mumbai where the films were first made. Raja Harishchandra (1913) charmed Western viewers globally, marking the beginning of Bollywood’s enduring influence on Western audiences. The popularity of Bollywood films has also had an impact on the fashions and can go as far as Nigeria in the African country. The trend has continued.
We recently got a glimpse of how China an emerging market that promotes Bollywood films in a big way has a phenomenal Box office collection.
Tubelight – Releasing in June 2017
Salman Khan‘s film Tubelight which features the Chinese actress Zhu Zhu is expected for its mega release in China, which happens to be the film’s leading lady’s country as well. Obviously, the film is gearing up to promote the film in Chinese cities, scheduled for its release on June 25th this year.
Tubelight, a film set during the 1962 Sino-Indo War, narrates a poignant love story between an Indian man and a Chinese woman, promising a global impact. This storyline through the trailer released is appealing to the masses already even before the release of the film.
Baahubali 2 :The Conclusion – 2017
The most recent film that fetched good business on the international circuit is Baahubali 2:The Conclusion. S.S Rajamouli’s magnum opus has created unimaginable waves worldwide, and has had an astonishing bumper collection at the opening over the weekend of its release.
The multi-lingual film starring Prabhas and Rana Daggubati and Anushka Shetty rose to an astonishing box office collection of over Rs. 800 crores worldwide spread out in cumulative languages and is the first Indian film to have reached that height. The film is doing extremely well in the USA, Canada, Gulf countries, and Australia and has had an unbeatable record.
Dangal – 2016
Aamir Khan’s “Dangal” was a huge hit in China, grossing over Rs. 2000 crore and becoming one of the highest-grossing non-English films globally.
Dangal has become a craze in China and one has to actually see this phenomenal popularity with disbelief. A film with an inspirational message and subtle humor. The critically acclaimed film starring Aamir Khan is running packed houses in China and is one of the most popular films on the top in Non-Hollywood foreign films in the country.
PK – 2014
PK, a science fiction comedy film, opened in 22 international markets during its release weekend in 2014. One of the first films to have crossed a gross of US$100 million (Rs.630 crore) worldwide and is currently the third highest-grossing Indian film to have done well on the International scene. Produced by Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra starring Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma and Sushant Singh Rajput.
3 Idiots – 2009
A coming of age comedy-drama film directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi who wrote the screenplay. A story inspired by Chetan Bhagat’s novel Five Point Someone starring Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Omi Vaidya, Parikshit Sahni, and Boman Irani, the film went on to be one of the highest-grossing films worldwide and became one of the few Indian films to have become successful in East Asian markets such as China bringing an overseas collection of more than US$65 million.
The film that had a subtitled version grew popular in China, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The film was so popular that there were talks on the Chinese to remake this film produced by Stephen Chow and also in Hollywood.
Khuda Gawah – 1992
Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi starrer, Khuda Gawah film of 1992 had a lavish production shot extensively in Afghan besides India, Nepal and Bhutan.
The Afghan people warmly welcomed the Bollywood team, extending a gracious reception despite the country’s troubled circumstances during filming. The Soviets left Afghanistan and handed power to Najibullah Ahmadizai, a huge fan of Hindi cinema. He was a die-hard fan of Amitabh Bachchan and encouraged Bollywood film screening in the country. The Khuda Gawah team enjoyed a warm welcome, making their shooting experience one of the most memorable ones.
In the Soviet era, Bollywood shone bright as the go-to entertainment option when Western films were off-limits.
Our films were popular among the masses worldwide as some of them focused on partitions and India’s struggle movement for freedom, People of Russia could relate it to.
Raj Kapoor was a huge hit in Russia, thanks to his film “Mera Naam Joker”, which ran to packed houses. The film’s success might be attributed to its Russian actress, Ksneiya Ryabinkina. Other popular Raj Kapoor films in Russia include “Awara”, “Shree 420”, and “Seeta Aur Geeta”.
The World Loves Bollywood: A Story of International Success
“Mera Joota Hai Japani,” featuring Raj Kapoor in Shree 420 and sung by Mukesh, became a massive hit in Russia, with people humming it nationwide, and it still enjoys immense popularity worldwide.
The 2016 film Deadpool opened with the lyrics “Mera Joota Hai Japani”. According to sources, producer Tim Miller fell in love with the song after hearing it in a New Zealand pub.
Apart from Mera Naam Joker, his classic films such as Awara released in 1951 and Shree 420, also got very popular. What followed was Dharmendra and Hema Malini‘s Seeta Aur Geeta that got lot of success in the country.
Awara – 1951
‘Awara Hoon’ from the film Awara by Raj Kapoor also got very popular in Russia and the whole Asian country that the higher officials would sing this song. What attracted them to the song was its simplicity and clear wording.
In Soviet Republic they loved the name Nargis as they loved the character she played in Shree 420 and Awara and went on to name their baby girls Nargis .
China is a market with a huge potential growth for Indian cinema and our films are also reaching out to some of the most unexpected places around the globe. Young women and men across the world are fans of our popular film stars.
Bollywood hasn’t taken over the world… yet! But it’s remarkable how Indian cinema has crossed borders in ways we’re still figuring out. Bollywood has emerged as a popular industry globally, especially in emerging countries over the past few decades.
Crossing Borders: Bollywood’s Global Appeal
Western women, including blondes in the UK, are huge fans of Shah Rukh Khan. Some even wait for hours in freezing temperatures for a glimpse of him. The 2004 film “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” introduced Indian melodrama to UK audiences. The film’s portrayal of family values and Shah Rukh Khan’s charm won over many fans.
Indian heroes’ warm on-screen presence attracts 95% of female viewers. They’re a refreshing change from stoic Western male characters. The three Khans – Shah Rukh, Aamir, and Salman – have won over Europe with their romantic roles.
In Afghanistan they are biggest fans of Salman Khan. He is more than a superstar, a style Icon for them. Despite the Taliban’s ban on cinemas and girls’ education, Afghan girls found solace in Bollywood films, watching them in secret behind blacked-out windows.
The release of Ek Tha Tiger sparked a nationwide craze for Salman’s scarves. Bollywood posters were everywhere – gyms, beauty parlours, and weddings. Songs like “Parda Mein Rehne Do” were widely played. Bollywood fashion has a huge influence on kids globally, mirroring its fanbase here.
The older generation were not far behind as they were so passionate about Hindi films. Madhubala‘s Afghan look or Feroz Khan‘s hot scenes in Dharmatma in 1975, Kabul Express of 2006 all got their much deserved flash mob.
While we take a look at NRI’s who have continued to boost the fortunes of Bollywood films in USA and Canada, South America have the new fan following.
Fifteen of our best films were screened at the 2007 Bagota International Film Festival. Bollywood films like 3 Idiots, Guzaarish, and Dhoom 3 were huge hits in Peru. My Name is Khan and Ek Main Aur Ek Tu also did well. Some films, like Fanaa and Chennai Express, even released in Peru on the same day as India.
It is not just in India that we have a Fan club for Bollywood. In South America, fan clubs dedicated to Indian stars are thriving. Fans passionately follow Hrithik Roshan, the Khans, Kapoors, Deepika Padukone, and Aishwarya Rai. These celebrities have a huge following across the continent. The latest being Prabhas of the Baahubali 2 :The Conclusion fame.
It’s not just in India where you have diehard fans of Hindi film actors. The fans are spread across the globe. Many overseas viewers watch Hindi films despite not understanding the language or culture. Yet, they’re avid fans of Bollywood stars. The appeal of Hindi cinema transcends language barriers.
In the 80’s, Hindi films gained immense popularity in Egypt, thanks to their song and dance sequences. However, as Indian films gained traction, local films struggled, and revenues dipped. To protect local cinema, the Egyptian government banned Indian films for 25 years. During this time, Hollywood thrived. Despite the ban, Egyptians continued to crave Bollywood films. After a 25-year wait, Bollywood movies finally returned to Egypt through special screenings.
Pakistan is almost as crazy about Bollywood as India. The country has an unimaginable craze for Bollywood films, celebrities, and music. In fact, Bollywood music often goes viral before the film’s release. Although the Pakistan Government banned Hindi films to protect local cinema, it didn’t deter fans. Shah Rukh Khan is a cinematic icon in Pakistan, and the ban only fueled the fan following over time.
Leave a Comment