Newer Box Office Report Available HERE!!! Dilwale still leads!

Okay, the 4 week report is out, and despite losing screens worldwide, and its steep drop off in the major Indian territories, Dilwale is far outstripping Bajirao in the global box office.

In fact, it has already beat Salman’s Kick receipts, and is coming up on Shahrukh’s own records, for Happy New Year and My Name is Khan.

All of which I predicted!  (if you follow those links, you can see my previous posts).  But, why is this happening?  Why does the global picture look so different from the local?

Update: To see how I think the new Fan “Tu Nahin Samjhega” videos relate to this, check out posts here and here.

Well, I suspect there are 3 main reasons:

1.  As I said when discussing the territories in which Dilwale triumphed within India, it is a good film when you just want a vanilla all-India sort of flavor.  Which is also why it would do well in the diaspora.  Hindi dialogue anyone can understand, a neutral all-region version of the country, and a plot that focuses more on action scenes and songs than on specific social commentary.
2. At the same time, it is distinctly “Indian” in its film styles, which can not be said about Bajirao.  So it provides the comfort and reliability the diaspora is looking for, without challenging any of their perceptions.
3. Shahrukh is huge overseas.  Since DDLJ, he has crafted an Indian identity that is beyond geography.  He is a Hindustani boy, whether he was raised in London, Bulgaria, or Delhi.  Not to mention his constant overseas concerts, interviews, grand openings, and so on.  No one goes after, and gets, the overseas audience like he does.