Shah Rukh Khan's 'Pathaan' becomes first Hindi film to cross Rs 1,000 crore in worldwide gross

According to YRF, "Pathaan" has become the highest grossing Hindi film worldwide in the history of Hindi cinema in its initial run. Aamir Khan's "Dangal" is the highest grossing Indian film with a reported earnings of around Rs 2,000 crore.

In its initial run or phase one of the release, the movie earned over Rs 700 crore. In its second phase, when it was released in theatres in China, the film's box office crossed the Rs 1,000 crore mark in worldwide gross.

Other Indian films that crossed Rs 1,000 crore mark at the global box office include "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion", "RRR" and "K.G.F: Chapter 2".

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh termed the movie's collection numbers "phenomenal" as the film is yet to release in China.

"It (Rs 1,000 cr mark) is a phenomenal achievement and this is without China market release. In India, it (box office collection) is over Rs 620 crore and Rs 377 crore from overseas market gross... Shah Rukh Khan has come back after four years with this movie and the kind of craze the film has, not just in India but also overseas, proves his supremacy worldwide. And very few actors can boast of that," Adarsh told PTI.

Adarsh believes it is a sign of good things to come.

"It is a positive sign for the industry and people who are saying Bollywood is finished, Shah Rukh Khan is finished and Yash Raj Films is finished, but Bollywood is very much zinda (alive)." Himesh Mankad, another trade expert, said the humongous success of 'Pathaan' is a great achievement.

"It is the first ever original Hindi film to have done this feat without China. In the past, 'Dangal' had crossed Rs 1,000 crore but in that large chunk of the box office collection came from China. 'Dangal' approximately had earned Rs 2,000 crore of which approximately Rs 1,200 crore had come from China, 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' also did Rs 1,000 crore but this was including the collection from China," Mankad told PTI.

"After a dull (phase) we finally have a blockbuster not just in India but abroad. It has got the overseas market to life, which was not performing well for Hindi films in the pandemic world. Now things from here should be bright... the two Shah Rukh Khan films 'Dunki' and 'Jawan' and 'Tiger 3' will do well," he added.

'Pathaan', which also stars John Abraham and Deepika Padukone, is an important step in YRF's spy franchise where characters from different films will cross paths at some point. The film follows the titular spy (Shah Rukh) who comes out of exile to stop terrorist group Outfit X from launching a debilitating attack on India.

"Pathaan" is the fourth movie in producer Aditya Chopra's spy universe, following Salman Khan's "Ek Tha Tiger" and "Tiger Zinda Hai", and "War", featuring Hrithik Roshan.