In the last 6 months or so, after the record-breaking overseas success of films like Dhoom 3, PK and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, one question that we get asked quite frequently is about Shah Rukh Khan’s overseas dominance. Has Aamir Khan sneaked ahead of Shahrukh to establish himself as the biggest crowd puller overseas?
First things first, it’s way too early to write off SRK’s overseas dominance. Here’s why:
- SRK’s last release, Happy New Year, recorded the biggest opening weekend in one of the biggest overseas markets – UAE / GCC. A record that still stands, even after the release of PK and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (which is currently the biggest grosser).
- My Name Is Khan held the record for the highest opening weekend in UK for nearly 4 years, before Dhoom 3 broke the record.
- Chennai Express recorded the highest opening in North America, when it released back in 2013.
- Almost all SRK films that have released in Pakistan, have opened to record-breaking numbers.
- And finally, even though the Top 3 highest grossers belong to Aamir, Shahrukh still has 9 movies in the Top 20.
When it comes to the all-important current standing in the major overseas territories, films starring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead are still opening to record numbers, but are not sustaining well enough to do well in the long run. So when a film with good content that strikes a chord with the overseas audience, releases, it’ll be an interesting comparison with films like PK and Dhoom 3.
Moving on to all-time records, there was a time when almost all the Top 10 overseas grossers belonged to SRK. The period between the release of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in 1995 to My Name Is Khan in 2010, Shah Rukh Khan had no competition.
Check out the list of Hindi films that broke all-time records at the overseas box office.
| Year | Movies | Collections |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Hum Aapke Hain Kaun | $3.85 million |
| 1995 | Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge | $4.68 million |
| 1998 | Kuch Kuch Hota Hai | $6.31 million |
| 2001 | Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham | $8.6 million |
| 2006 | Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna | $10.80 million |
| 2010 | My Name Is Khan | $23.78 million* |
| 2009-2012 | Three Idiots | $25.45 million* |
| 2013 | Dhoom 3 | $31.09 million |
| 2014 | PK | $47.22 million |
As is pretty evident from the table above, Shahrukh set all time overseas records and he broke them himself. No other actor in the industry came close during that period. It wasn’t just those films (listed in the table) that did well, but almost every SRK film opened well overseas.
Check out the list
- Happy New Year (Blockbuster)
- Chennai Express (Blockbuster)
- My Name Is Khan (All Time Blockbuster)
- Jab Tak Hai Jaan (Blockbuster)
- Don 2 (Blockbuster)
- Ra One (Blockbuster)
- Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (All Time Blockbuster)
- Om Shanti Om (All Time Blockbuster)
- Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (Blockbuster)
- Veer Zaara (All Time Blockbuster)
- Don (Blockbuster)
- Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (All Time Blockbuster)
- Devdas (All Time Blockbuster)
- Kal Ho Na Ho (Blockbuster)
- Mohabbatein (Blockbuster)
- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (All Time Blockbuster)
- Dil Toh Pagal Hai (Blockbuster)
- Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (All Time Blockbuster)
Did we miss any? We probably have, because for most part of the 90s and 2000s, Bollywood meant Shah Rukh Khan for the overseas audience.
But that has changed in the last 4-5 years. After the release of 3 Idiots, overseas business of Hindi films has grown by leaps and bounds. A film like PK has collected more than Rs 130 crore from China alone, something that was unthinkable not too long ago. The exponential growth has meant that films featuring Shahrukh have to perform well outside major markets like North America, United Kingdom, UAE and Australia.
Business in countries like China has become crucial for Bollywood films to set all time overseas records and it remains to be seen if SRK films, in the future, can do well in those countries.
Until then, the least we can do is to respect the love that Shahrukh Khan has got for nearly 2 decades. The non-resident Indians and others.
Note: The comments section for this article will be closely monitored. Any silly or nonsensical comments will be deleted. Please stay on topic.
Taking nothing away from SRK, YRF is the biggest production house in India.
They have had contacts all over the world.
All the movies they made in 90s, most featuring SRK, released in a lot of screens overseas which helped them get good opening.
More than SRK, it was YRF and Dharma that made these movies blockbusters in overseas due to their reach.
Otherwise, result is for everyone to see.
A movie without YRF and Dharma, HNY collection 1.5 crs lifetime even on 5000 screens.
It was not SRK but YRF and Dharma.
SRKians, One day, SRK’ll say I’m over. Don’t ever lie to us to protest his truths.
SRK’s masala films like CE & HNY crossed 100 crore there , he is still dominating salman n aamir are kids in front of him.
according to indicine logic then DILIP KUMAR IS WAS N WILL BE NO.1 ACTOR
Komal Nahi Nahata – these lame excuses are not going to help you. Aamir’s Parampara ( YRF’s film, directed by YC) why failed and why became a industry disaster both in india and in overseas then?, Salman’s ETT (YRF’s film) why failed to cross even SRK’s 15 years old K3G’s in overseas even failed to beat OSO which is not a YRF/DP’s film.. just accept the fact that both Bhaijaan and Aamir are actually half actors in front of SRK’s fame and popularity and stardom, if you can’t doesn’t matter as that is a universal FACT that SRK is the KING while both Decades disasters. Both Aamir and Salman look like a kids in front of him .
@Indicine
The above article shows the love interest u have for Sarook…
There is a famous dialogue said by Telugu Superstar Mahesh Babu in POKIRI film
“Yeppudochham kadhu annayya… Bullet digindha ledha???”
Which means “Doesn’t matter when we have come… What’s matters is who as hit the bullseye…
It has been proved that sarook is faded star since 2009… His genre romance is all over now… And plz stop posting such articles its disgusting…
Live today and hope better tomorrow… And its just waste of time thinking abt past…
But at present srk is chasing his own records..n his dominance period is over
This article has completely shut haters
mouth.
They can’t say anything except to give
some excuse !
carry on ?
Hats off to indicine ?
Now wait for Dilwale, Fan and Raees and
see how many records will be shattered by
them both in domistic and overseas !!
just wait and watch haters .
stay frosty haters .
i think this article was not required as top overseas films article was already there. ok gud one to boost srk fans cnfidence as they were in dilemma
As expected indicine posted for srk and look at their biasness we all know HAHK was bigger grosser than ddlj in India in overseas and worldwide too.And first time i have seen indicine making a note we are monitoring this page carefully don’t post comments out of topic.Why not you make this note on every article???
Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!is one of the biggest grossers ever in the history of Hindi cinema, and is said to have changed film business forever in the country.[21]Made on a budget of around?42.5 million(US$660,000),[22]it went on to collect?1.23 billion(US$19 million) in India[18]and?1.35 billion(US$21 million) worldwide.
ddlj earned?1.06 billion (valued at about US$32,766,000 in 1995)[a]in India and?160 million (valued at about US$4,946,000 in 1995)[a]overseas; it became the biggest Bollywood grosser of the year,[4][73]and the second highest-grossing film of the 1990s behindHum Aapke Hain Koun..!. It was the second Bollywood film to gross over?1 billion worldwide
OK srk fans..I agree that in the last two decades he was dominating in overseas only.. But in present n next two decades..amir n salman will dominate..
No chance for srk to dominate in the same manner like he was dominating in the previous decases
He will still remain in top 3..but not no 1
Respect Srk he is the king of domestic and oversease proud to be King khan fan
When people questioned Aamir’s stardom after Talaash, no website supported him. Checkout some websites like bollywood life, they openly call Aamir, “shorty Khan” But when it comes to SRK, I don’t hear a single word against him!
It’s amazing how Indicine is defending SRK using such detailed statistics. It’s very obvious that Srk was at the top in mid 90s and 2000s because he was working on scripts (rather projects) which were cautiously NRI appealing. From 2000 to 2010, hardly 4-5 SRK films (like Swades, Chak de India) were out of box.
Can someone tell me how on earth will a film like Lagaan compete a film like kal ho na ho? The latter will definitely appeal NRI coz its setting is in their land. Checkout Aamir Khan films in the last decade.
– Lagaan
-Dil Chahta Hai
-Mangal Pandey
-Rang De Basanti
-Fanna
– Taare Zameen Par
-Ghajini
-3 Idiots
Out of these 8 films, which film uses foreign locations, NRI appealing theme?
Only 1; Dil Chahta Hai.
Well I’m not trying to Aamir was the biggest commercial star overseas but I’m just saying, websites like @indicine are harming their credibility by posting articles like these. They could have answered this question 4 months later when Dilwale will release or maybe on his birthday?
But no, they posted all of a sudden, because of the rising dominance of Salman! This article looks more like a fake adulation of SRK to sustain SRK fans on indicine especially after Bajrangi Bhaijaan’s mammoth collections.
I am not a hater of SRK, but this kind of PR activity never happens in case of Aamir and it just saddens me that some people can’t just accept SRK is no longer a ‘king’
Top 3 In India
1-PK
2-BB
3-D3
Top 3 OS
1-PK
2-D3
3-BB
Top 3 WW
1-PK
2-BB
3-D3
HGOTY From 2008
Aamir And Salman
Salman and Aamir Fans talk about ATBBs,ATGs,Blockbusters,HGOTDs,HGOTYs and all! Sarook fans talk about Hits! Garib fan base! Lulz!
it means hahk did 120 milion and ddlj did 160 milion rs.
baap of bollywood srk
Shah Rukh Khan The King Of Multi-starrer Movies.
1- Deewana
2-Chamatkar
3-Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman
4-Dil Aashna Hai
5-Maya Memsaab
6-King Uncle
7-Baazigar
8-Darr
9-Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa
10-Karan Arjun
11-Zamaana Deewana
12-Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India!
13-Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
14-Ram Jaane
15-Trimurti
16-Chaahat
17-Army
18-Dushman Duniya Ka
19-Yes Boss
20-Pardes
21-Dil To Pagal Hai
22-Duplicate
23-Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
24-Hey Ram
25-Josh
26-Mohabbatein
27-Gaja Gamini
28-One 2 Ka 4
29-Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
30-Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam
31-Devdas
32-Shakti: The Power
33-Saathiya
34-Kal Ho Naa Ho
35-Main Hoon Na
36-Veer-Zaara
37-Paheli
38-Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
39-Don
40-Chak De! India
41-Om Shanti Om
42-Billu
43-Bhoothnath
44-Dulha Mil Gaya
45-Ra.One
46-Don 2
47-Happy New Year
48-Dilwale
Sarook Fans Should Die Of Shame.
10 blockbusters
08 all time blockbusters
And Bhaitards says Salman challenging SRK in overseas…LOL
SRK having 18 BB+ATBB….which is way more then the Combined of Salman&Aamir
The only Star who Fineshed the career of Sarook with his just one movie: Aamir. PK is bigger than Sarook all movies India, Overseas and Worldwide
When will Sarook eventually learn acting?
When will he stop eating in the name of YRF,DHRMA,ROHIT?
When will he stop fooling people by his Crappy films.?
How many official/unofficial copy/Remake movies sarook has??
@indicine one thing u forgot to state when srk was rulling oversea his movies used to break all territory unlike Amir whose 3 idiot was well below kank in UK, and pk was well below than HNY in UAE/ GCC 3 idiots was only above MNIK because of china, honkong and Korea contribution.
For salmir fans, u can only measure srk’s stardom when his guest appearence shaki was among top 5 grossers. Billu first weekend collection were more than Xmas released gajini. Now no need to prove anything.
Bhai fans one reason to celebrate HAHK was first blockbuster in overseas but don’t know Lamhe was first then darr was super hit in overseas.
Some chinamir fans satisfying themselves calling srk was because of yrf and dharma but they don’t know srk’s offbeat paheli was bigger grosser than yrf bunty aur bubbly, guest role shaki was bigger grosser than sathiya, mere yar ki Shadi etc. swades was bigger grosser than dhoom, hum Tum, I don’t bring here srk’s big movie for comparison. His delayed movie hths had similar collection to yrf Muzse dosti karoge.
Now this enough and start to respect this man.
Shahrukh is in overseas what Salman khan is in the mass centres.IRREPLACABLE.
@indicine darr & main hoon na is also blockbuster u missed out..
Correction:chennai express-ATBB,
Kal ho na ho- ATBB
Check on rentrack
Shaggy says SRK is big zero in India..
Ya u r right that’s why he is the first one to hit 100 cr plus weekend in India twice in a row..
That’s why ur bhai couldn’t break opening record of hny with so claimed bb..
That’s why bhai’s jaiho in 2014 couldn’t break 2011 release ra. One..
That’s why srk has maximum hits nd highest success ratio in India..
Too much fun..
All I want to say is – stardom is based on opening u get..
Movie runs on its merit after first weekend itself..
So with this view bhai is not near to srk in terms of opening in India also.. lol..
@Indicine some users write wrong name of Shahrukh Khan. They are insulting Srk to write wrong name of him they use sarook for Shahrukh.
U can hate him or love him but can’t ignore him…
SRK for u..
Every time each nd every actor’s fan compare his fav with srk only..
That’s a tradition for years now..
It itself says all about his charisma..
His articles get more comments from haters also..
That’s his ora…
Lots of love.. SRK..
Hats off king Khan..this is sheer dominance.. @Indicine Team- An article on all time opening records in overseas and domestic would also be very interesting..I hope if u can publish that also..
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