Pathaan triumphs in Bangladesh, Shah Rukh Khan starrer bests Avatar 2 at the box office

Against all odds, Shah Rukh Khan starrer defied expectations and become the most-watched foreign film in Bangladesh in recent years beating Avatar 2.

By Jatinder Singh

Updated on Sep 01, 2023 | 03:33 PM IST | 563.7K

Shah Rukh Khan in Pathaan (image courtesy of YRF)

The success story of Pathaan continues even today. After months of speculation, the film was finally released in Bangladesh last month, putting an end to the prolonged absence of Indian films on the country's theatrical screens. For decades, Bangladesh had imposed a ban on Indian films, the ban had led to a prevalent culture of piracy for watching Indian movies. Due to the lack of prior communication about the theatrical release of Pathaan back in January, it is likely that most viewers resorted to their usual means of watching the film.

Given the circumstances, including the delayed release and the fact that Pathaan was already available on digital platforms, the release was perceived as merely symbolic and expectations for any commercial success were very minimal.

Against all odds, Shah Rukh Khan starrer defied expectations and took an excellent start at the box office. On its opening day, the film sold over 15,000 tickets across just 40 screens. The ticket sales soared to 40,000 over the weekend, making it the biggest opening for a foreign film in the past two years. Notably, Pathaan outperformed blockbuster Hollywood films like Doctor Strange 2, Thor 4 and Avatar 2.

Initially, it was believed that the excitement of watching an Indian film in theatres after a long time contributed to the impressive start, and the film might experience a front-loaded performance. However, Pathaan proved to be more than just an initial buzz and continued to perform well for weeks to come. Despite facing stiff competition from multiple Hollywood releases, including "Fast X", "Transformers", and "Spider-Verse 2", the film went on to cross 100,000 admits (~$225,000) and become the most-watched foreign film there in recent years beating Avatar 2.

The monies earned by Pathaan in Bangladesh may not look big as compared to what it has done in other markets. However, considering the existing cinema infrastructure and the circumstances surrounding its release, the film's achievements are truly remarkable.

In a country with a population of 170 million people, the number of cinemas is disproportionately low. The success of Pathaan in Bangladesh indicates the immense potential for growth in the country's exhibition sector. With regular and timely releases of Indian films, the cinema landscape in Bangladesh could undergo a transformative shift. This is particularly significant as Pakistan currently remains inaccessible for Indian films due to geopolitical issues. Bangladesh has the opportunity to fill this void and potentially emerge as a thriving multi-million dollar market for Indian films overseas. Such a development would not only benefit the Indian film industry but also have a positive impact on the local film industry in Bangladesh. This pattern has been witnessed in Pakistan, where the local cinema experienced substantial growth after the resumption of Indian films earlier in the last decade.

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