EXCLUSIVE: Since it opened in late February, Hindi crime drama Gangubai Kathiawadi has been racking up impressive numbers at the international box office and setting pandemic-era records for an Indian title. Starring Alia Bhatt, the feminist tale based on the true story of a girl from an affluent family sold into prostitution who became a so-called “mafia queen” of Mumbai, is proving a rare breakout for a female-led Bollywood feature.
At home, the PEN Studio-backed film has grossed 117.5 crore ($15.4M), making it the biggest title of 2022 locally and the second-biggest of the pandemic. The well-reviewed pic, directed and co-written by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, has also been particularly strong in the 7 markets where Paramount is releasing, including the UK. (Read Deadline’s review here.)
When it released in the UK on February 25, it went on to score the highest opening weekend for an Indian film (all languages) since the pandemic started, coming in ahead of Akshay Kumar-starrer Sooryavanshi and 83 with Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. It’s a notable feat given the UK audience for Indian cinema tends to lean towards Bollywood ensembles and male-led casts.
Bhatt, whose credits include Gully Boy, Raazi and Highway, next stars in Brahmastra, the first part of a trilogy that kicks off what’s billed as India’s first original cinematic universe. Repped by WME, she was also recently cast in her English-language debut in a major studio film, signing on for Netflix and Skydance’s Heart Of Stone with Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan.
Speaking about Gangubai’s success, Bhatt tells Deadline, “To me, character comes first — then the gender. If you write attractive, interesting, unique, special characters the audience will enjoy that first then think about the gender. And Gangubai is a classic example of that — we have people whistling and clapping in the theater — not because of her gender, but because of her personality and the things she’s saying and doing. I put two years of myself and my soul into this film, so the fact that it’s being loved all over brings me a lot of relief and gratitude. She’s very special to me and now she’s special to the world.”
Along with the UK, Paramount handles Australia, Germany, the UAE and other Middle East markets. Through yesterday, it had grossed a combined $2.7M from Paramount hubs.
Looking more closely at the numbers, in the UK Gangubai opened at No. 11 with £244K ($317K) from 151 sites where the per-screen average was third for the frame, just behind Uncharted and Sing 2. In its second weekend, Gangubai moved up to the No. 10 spot on the charts and scored the best sophomore session for an Indian title since the pandemic. The cume through this past Sunday is $765K.
The UAE, which gave the film a No. 3 opening slot, currently leads all play at $854K with the total Middle East region at $969K. In Australia, Gangubai debuted at No. 7 and has grossed $687K through Sunday.
In the U.S., Hamsin has rights with a gross of $2.8M.
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