George Ritzer termed it as the McDonaldization of the World, where the markets have so easily blended with each other’s that common products do well in the markets monopolized by another party. For instance, Hollywood films over time have found a gratifying market in India. Despite our film industry flourishing in terms of revenue it rakes up, Hollywood films sometimes do manage to carve out a revenue space for themselves, which often runs into profits giving strong competition to few of our own films!
Man Of Steel, which hit the box office this Friday, opened to a very good occupancy here. With its Bollywood counterparts failing to give a promising competition of the Superman film’s newest edition, the film opened to a good performance of over a 65% occupancy at the box-office.
Comparing the last few best Hollywood films and how has India served as a market for them, we will notice that domestic box office has swayed favorably towards non Indian ventures as well. With our multiplex population making itself at par with Hollywood audiences in terms of sensibilities, their films have received more market here.
Iron Man 3 and Man Of Steel Movie Poster
To begin with, the last edition of Spiderman Series performed spectacularly last year. Releasing a week before Rohit Shetty’s Bol Bachchan, the film in the India market went on to be a superhit. Not hogging in Bol Bachchan‘s audiences, but surely without Spiderman on floors then, the film would have raked a better ROI.
More recently, Iron Man 3 released with Vishesh Films’ Aashiqui 2. Though the audiences divided itself between single screens and multiplexes, Iron Man 3‘s performance was miraculous at the box office. It was only after Iron Man 3 left the box office that Aashiqui 2 went on to earn its full blown amount and become one of the most profitable ventures this year!
Fast and Furious 6released with dud films – Ishkq In Paris and Hum Hai Raahi CAR Ke and was placed at an automatic advantage. The film went on have the third highest opening day collections of a Hollywood film in Indian markets! Vin Diesel’s robust charm is a money spinner in India all the way.
Though Hangover 3 that released with Ranbir Kapoor starrer Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani failed to perform as well. With YJHD becoming this generation ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ in terms of stature now, Hangover 3 lost its audiences to YJHD.
YJHD being a multiplex film more than single screen film, hogged off a considerable population of audiences. And hence, Hangover 3 did not really have a chance to gloat too much about its India collection despite being packed with hilarity.
The Indian market is proving lucrative for a range of Hollywood films, with more and more Hollywood films releasing in India. It would be faulty to assume that this is harmful for our industry! Rather it is a symbiotic system which will allow our films to arrange for itself a profitable market overseas as well.
