List of highest-grossing Indian films in overseas markets

Indian films have been released in overseas markets since the latter half of the 1940s. Few of these have had significant commercial success. Target audience for Indian films in overseas markets has been mostly limited to the Indian diaspora. Due to this, the overseas gross of Indian films is often insignificant compared to the domestic gross.

The first Indian film to have a worldwide release was from 1952 (Aan, directed by Mehboob Khan). In the 1950s, Indian films saw success in a handful of regions. At the time, the most significant market for Indian films was the Soviet Union, gaining considerable success and occasionally leading to Indian-Soviet co-productions. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Indian film industry also expanded in China and East Africa, which, after the Soviet Union, accounted for some of the largest shares of overseas revenues. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the most significant market has been the South Asian diaspora. China, India's geographic neighbour and the world's second largest film market (after the United States), has seen growing success for Indian films since the beginning of the 21st century.

History

The first Indian film to have a commercial release in an overseas territory was Dharti Ke Lal (1946), directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and based on the Bengal famine of 1943. It was released in the Soviet Union in 1949. The first Indian film to have a worldwide release in many countries was Aan (1952), directed by Mehboob Khan, and starring Dilip Kumar and Nimmi. It was subtitled in 17 languages and released in 28 countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, France, and Japan, earning a considerable profit from overseas. Mehboob Khan's Academy Award-nominated Mother India (1957) was an unprecedented success in overseas markets, including Europe, Russia, the Eastern Bloc, French territories, and Latin America.

In the 1950s, Hindi and Egyptian films were generally more popular than Hollywood films in East Africa. By the 1960s, the region was one of the largest overseas export markets for Indian films, accounting for about 20-50% of global earnings for many Indian films.

Soviet Union

Up until the 1980s, the largest overseas market for Indian films was the Soviet Union. After Dharti Ke Lal, the first Indian film to become a blockbuster at the Soviet box office was Awaara (1951), directed by Raj Kapoor and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, released in the Soviet Union in 1954. Indian films had the strongest presence in the Soviet foreign blockbuster charts for four decades. 300 Indian films were released in the Soviet Union, most of which were Hindi films. Among the foreign films that sold more than 20 million tickets in the Soviet Union, 50 were Indian films, the highest from any nation, compared to 41 Hollywood films. Indian films were routinely released with hundreds of prints in the Soviet Union, with the most popular Indian films releasing with more than a thousand prints there.

The highest-grossing Indian film in the Soviet Union was Disco Dancer (1982), written by Rahi Masoom Raza and starring actor Mithun Chakraborty. In terms of footfalls, the only Indian films estimated to have sold 100 million tickets overseas were Awaara and Disco Dancer in the Soviet Union. Indian films were very popular in Soviet Union at the time, routinely opening to packed houses. However, the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, bringing an end to Indian cinema's largest overseas market at the time. The decline of Russian cinema in the post-Soviet era led to Indian films largely disappearing from Russian cinemas by the mid-1990s.

China

In China, some of the Indian films to gain commercial success there during the 1970s–1980s included Awaara, Tahir Hussain's Caravan (1971), Noorie (1979), and Disco Dancer.

After Indian films declined in the country, it took decades before Tahir Hussain's son Aamir Khan opened up the Chinese market for Indian films in the early 21st century. His Academy Award nominated Lagaan (2001) became the first Indian film to have a nationwide release there. When 3 Idiots released in China, the country was only the 15th largest film market, partly due to China's widespread pirate DVD distribution at the time. However, it was the pirate market that introduced 3 Idiots to most Chinese audiences, becoming a cult hit in the country. It became China's 12th favourite film of all time, according to ratings on Chinese film review site Douban, with only one domestic Chinese film (Farewell My Concubine) ranked higher. Aamir Khan gained a large growing Chinese fanbase as a result. By 2013, China grew to become the world's second largest film market (after the United States), paving the way for Aamir Khan's Chinese box office success, starting with Dhoom 3 (2013).

PK (2014) was the first Indian film to collect 2 billion overseas, and Dangal (2016) is the first Indian film to exceed 10 billion and $100 million overseas, including ¥1.299 billion ($196.89 million) from China. Dangal became the 16th highest-grossing film in China, the fifth highest-grossing non-English language film worldwide, and the highest-grossing non-English foreign film in any market. His next film, the Zaira Wasim starrer Secret Superstar (2017), broke Dangal's record for the highest-grossing opening weekend by an Indian film, cementing Aamir Khan's status as a superstar in China, and as "a king of the Chinese box office". Salman Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Irrfan Khan's Hindi Medium also became blockbusters in China during early 2018.

South Asian diaspora

Since the 1990s, the largest overseas market for Indian cinema has been the South Asian diaspora. South Asians in the United Kingdom were the first major diaspora market, with Indian film releases in the United Kingdom dating back to the 1950s.

The diaspora market grew significantly in the early 1990s, with the popularity of Shah Rukh Khan largely credited for popularizing the trend of Indian films targeting overseas NRI audiences. After substantial overseas success from the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Darr (1993) and the Madhuri Dixit-Salman Khan-starrer Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994), the biggest overseas breakthrough came with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as NRIs in love. Afterwards, Indian films followed a trend of releasing worldwide with an increasing number of screens. The Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dil Se.. (1998) was the first Indian film to enter the United Kingdom's top 10 box office charts. Diaspora audiences in the United States and United Kingdom accounted for 55% of overseas ticket sales for films such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Taal (1999). In 2000, the overseas export market for Indian films was worth $100 million annually. The Naseeruddin Shah-starrer Monsoon Wedding (2001) crossed ₹100 crore overseas, followed by the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer My Name Is Khan (2010) and then the Aamir Khan-starrer 3 Idiots (2009) in 2011. Shah Rukh Khan also holds the record for having starred in the annual highest-grossing Hindi film in overseas markets for 15 individual years, the highest for any actor, with the latest being Pathaan (2023).

Highest-grossing films

The following list of films is sorted in terms of US dollars (not adjusted for inflation), the standard currency used to measure box office performance for overseas markets.

* Denotes films still running in theaters
Rank Title Overseas gross Original
language(s)
Year Ref.
1 Dangal $258,000,000 Hindi 2016
2 Secret Superstar $130,000,000 Hindi 2017
3 Pushpa 2: The Rule $89,000,000 Telugu 2024
4 Bajrangi Bhaijaan $75,000,000 Hindi 2015
5 Baahubali 2: The Conclusion $64,000,000 Telugu 2017
6 Disco Dancer $59,000,000 Hindi 1982
7 RRR $53,000,000 Telugu 2022
8 Andhadhun $49,100,000 Hindi 2018
9 Pathaan $49,000,000 Hindi 2023
10 Jawan $47,000,000 Hindi 2023
11 PK $46,000,000 Hindi 2014
12 Caravan $39,000,000 Hindi 1971
13 Hindi Medium $36,520,000 Hindi 2017
14 Animal $35,000,000 Hindi 2023
15 Dhoom 3 $31,800,000 Hindi 2013
16 Dilwale $30,200,000 Hindi 2015
17 Sultan $29,820,000 Hindi 2016
18 Bobby $29,400,000 Hindi 1973
19 Kalki 2898 AD $29,300,000 Telugu 2024
20 Padmaavat $29,140,000 Hindi 2018
21 Barood $28,200,000 Hindi 1976
22 Sholay $28,200,000 Hindi 1975
23 Jagir $28,010,000 Hindi 1984
24 KGF: Chapter 2 $28,000,000 Kannada 2022
25 3 Idiots $26,000,000 Hindi 2009
26 Seeta Aur Geeta $25,900,000 Hindi 1972
27 Awaara $25,830,000 Hindi 1951
28 Hichki $25,000,000 Hindi 2018
29 Leo $23,900,000 Tamil 2023
30 Jailer $23,800,000 Tamil 2023
31 Dunki $23,681,130 Hindi 2023
32 My Name Is Khan $23,500,000 Hindi 2010
33 Monsoon Wedding $22,450,000 Hindi 2001
34 Mera Naam Joker $22,130,000 Hindi 1970
35 2.0 $22,000,000 Tamil 2018
36 Sanju $21,500,000 Hindi 2018
37 Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani $21,000,000 Hindi 2023
38 Ponniyin Selvan: I $20,700,000 Tamil 2022
39 Chennai Express $20,649,000 Hindi 2013
40 Adventures of Ali-Baba and the Forty Thieves $20,500,000 Hindi 1980
41 Tiger Zinda Hai $20,300,000 Hindi 2017
42 Coolie $20,270,000 Tamil 2025
43 Saiyaara $19,178,000 Hindi 2025
44 Toilet: Ek Prem Katha $18,880,000 Hindi 2017
45 Thugs of Hindostan $18,670,000 Hindi 2018
46 Mom $18,670,000 Hindi 2017
47 The Greatest of All Time $18,500,000 Tamil 2024
48 Dhurandhar * $18,180,000 Hindi 2025
49 Happy New Year $17,120,000 Hindi 2014
50 L2: Empuraan $16,400,000 Malayalam 2025

Highest-grossing films by market

Market Title Gross Year Ref.
Asia
China Dangal CN¥1,299,320,000 2017
Japan RRR JP¥2,420,000,000 2022
United Arab Emirates Jawan US$14,583,754 2023
Taiwan Dangal NT$166,966,601 2017
South Korea Black ₩6,254,367,609 2009
Lebanon Happy New Year ل.ل 7,409,228,150 2014
Malaysia The Greatest Of All Time RM16,710,000 2024
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Jawan US$8,000,000 2023
Hong Kong Dangal HK$27,139,998 2017
Pakistan Sanju Rs. 373,000,000 2018
Indonesia Kuch Kuch Hota Hai US$3,000,000 1998
Nepal Pushpa 2: The Rule रु26,44,00,000 2017
Saudi Arabia Jawan US$5,000,000 2023
Singapore Enthiran S$2,500,000
Bangladesh Jawan US$350,000
Sri Lanka The Greatest of All Time LKR 310,000,000
Thailand Pathaan US$100,000
Eurasia
Soviet Union Disco Dancer 60,000,000 руб 1984
Turkey Secret Superstar ₺1,902,634 2017
Russia Pushpa: The Rise ₽35,000,000 2021
Americas
United States Pushpa 2: The Rule US$29,751,618 2024
Canada US$11,142,168
Peru Dilwale S/.1,011,653 2016
Trinidad and Tobago US$258,000 2015
Argentina The Lunchbox AR$1,909,640 2014
Mexico Mex$1,885,972
Brazil R$271,798
Colombia COL$239,381,792
Caribbean Maine Pyar Kiya Unknown 1989
Guyana
West Indies Dilwale Unknown 2015
Europe
United Kingdom Pushpa 2: The Rule £8,050,154 2023
France Salaam Bombay! 633,899 tickets 1988
Italy Pushpa 2: The Rule US$2,854,325 2024
Germany €2,350,674
Spain $1,856.985
Netherlands Pathaan €616,337 2023
Sweden The Lunchbox kr 2,982,258 2014
Austria €177,860 2013
Belgium €154,085
Norway kr 1,030,016 2014
Switzerland Samsara (2001 film) 92,995 admits 2023
Oceania
Australia Pushpa 2: The Rule A$6,500,258 2024
New Zealand Pathaan NZ$1,373,787
Fiji Golmaal Again $235,440 2017
Africa
Nigeria English Vinglish $842,330 2012
Egypt My Name Is Khan E£2,911,204 2010
South Africa Dilwale $466,000 2015

Highest-grossing films by country

China

Rank Title Gross (CN¥) Language(s) Release year Ref.
India China
1 Dangal ¥1,299,181,400 Hindi 2016 2017
2 Secret Superstar ¥747,068,700 2017 2018
3 Andhadhun ¥325,322,100 2018 2019
4 Bajrangi Bhaijaan ¥285,597,700 2015 2018
5 Hindi Medium ¥210,386,400 2017 2018
6 Hichki ¥149,574,700 2018 2018
7 PK ¥118,182,200 2014 2015
8 Mom ¥112,993,200 2017 2019
9 Toilet: Ek Prem Katha ¥94,608,000 2017 2018
10 Maharaja ¥78,348,000 Tamil 2024 2024

Soviet Union

Rank Title Gross (est. руб) Language(s) Release year Ref.
India Soviet Union
1 Disco Dancer 60,000,000 Hindi 1982 1984
2 Awaara 37,750,000 1951 1954
3 Mera Naam Joker 18,280,000 1970 1972
4 Bobby 15,700,000+ 1973 1975
5 Barood 15,000,000+ 1976 1978
6 Sholay 15,000,000+ 1975 1979
7 Seeta Aur Geeta 13,800,000+ 1972 1976
8 Mamta 13,000,000 1966 1969
9 Aradhana 11,850,000 1969 1972
10 Phool Aur Patthar 11,600,000 1966 1970

United States of America

Rank Title Gross (US$) Language(s) Year Ref.
1 Pushpa 2: The Rule $40,875,786 Telugu 2024
2 Baahubali 2: The Conclusion $20,792,334 2017
3 Kalki 2898 AD $18,565,192 2024
4 Pathaan $17,485,357 Hindi 2023
5 Jawan $15,589,542 2023
6 RRR $15,342,254 Telugu 2022
7 Animal $14,000,000 Hindi 2023
8 Dangal $12,391,761 2016
9 Padmaavat $12,156,170 2018
10 Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani $10,599,832 2024

Arabian Gulf Countries

Rank Title Gross (USD) Language(s) Year Ref.
1 Jawan $26,800,000 Hindi 2023
2 Pathaan $24,700,000 2023
3 Pushpa 2: The Rule $22,500,000 Telugu 2024
3 Baahubali 2: The Conclusion $10,310,000 2017
4 L2: Empuraan $9,719,000 Malayalam 2025
5 Bajrangi Bhaijaan $9,450,000 Hindi 2015
6 Dangal $8,800,000 2016
7 Sultan $8,570,000 2016
8 Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra $8,510,000 Malayalam 2025
9 Dilwale $8,410,000 Hindi 2015

United Kingdom

Rank Title Gross (£) Language(s) Year Ref.
1 Pathaan £4,379,014 Hindi 2023
2 Jawan £3,276,981 2023
3 Saiyaara £3,008,000 2025
4 My Name Is Khan £3,000,000 2010
5 Dhoom 3 £2,710,319 2013
6 Bajrangi Bhaijaan £2,662,115 2015
7 Dangal £2,600,000 2016
8 Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham £2,499,000 2001
9 Animal £2,405,465 2023
10 PK £2,387,000 2014

Australia

Rank Title Gross (A$) Language(s) Year Ref.
1 Pushpa 2: The Rule A$6,500,000 Telugu 2024
2 Animal A$5,022,387 Hindi 2023
3 Pathaan A$4,720,711 2023
4 Jawan A$4,678,779 2023
5 Baahubali 2: The Conclusion A$4,501,217 Hindi 2017
6 RRR A$3,598,591 2022
7 KGF: Chapter 2 A$3,473,771 Kannada 2022
8 Padmaavat A$3,163,487 Hindi 2018
9 Kalki 2898 AD A$3,130,256 Telugu 2024
10 Dunki A$2,817,812 Hindi 2023

Japan

Rank Title Gross (¥) Language(s) Release year Ref.
India Japan
1 RRR ¥2,420,000,000 Telugu 2022 2022
2 KGF: Chapter 2 ¥1,139,076,000 Kannada 2022 2023
3 Muthu ¥400,000,000 Tamil 1995 1998
4 Baahubali 2 ¥300,000,000 Telugu 2017 2018
5 Darbar ¥230,000,000 Tamil 2020 2021
6 3 Idiots ¥170,000,000 Hindi 2009 2013
7 Magadheera ¥160,000,000 Telugu 2009 2018
8 PK ¥150,000,000 Hindi 2012 2014
9 The Lunchbox ¥150,000,000 2013 2014
10 Saaho ¥131,000,000 Telugu 2019 2020

Malaysia

Rank Title Gross (RM) Language(s) Year Ref
1 The Greatest of All Time 16,710,000 Tamil 2024
2 2.0 16,500,000 2018 [citation needed]
3 Dilwale 14,640,535 Hindi 2015
4 Kabali 12,580,000 Tamil 2016 [citation needed]
5 Jailer 12,430,000 2023
6 Mersal 11,820,000 2017 [citation needed]
7 Jawan 10,780,000 Hindi 2023
8 Bigil 11,490,000 Tamil 2019 [citation needed]
9 Vikram 10,970,000 2022
10 KGF: Chapter 2 10,150,000 Kannada 2022

Highest-grossing films by year

Year Title Worldwide Gross Ref
1987 Mr. India Unknown
1988 Salaam Bombay! 1,399,073 tickets
1989 Maine Pyar Kiya Unknown
1992 Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman Unknown
1993 Darr $500,000
1994 Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! $6,168,000
1995 Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge $6,242,965
1996 Khamoshi: The Musical $750,000
1997 Dil To Pagal Hai $3,360,000
1998 Kuch Kuch Hota Hai $8,000,000
1999 Taal $8,000,000
2000 Mohabbatein $4,250,000
2001 Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham $8,150,000
2002 Devdas $6,982,000
2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho $6,100,000
2004 Veer-Zaara $8,220,000
2005 Salaam Namaste 4,480,000
2006 Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna $10,770,000
2007 Om Shanti Om $10,077,815
2008 Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi $8,500,000
2009 3 Idiots $30,500,000
2010 My Name Is Khan $23,500,000
2011 Don 2 $11,200,000
2012 Jab Tak Hai Jaan $13,230,000
2013 Dhoom 3 $35,600,000
2014 PK $53,400,000
2015 Bajrangi Bhaijaan $84,000,000
2016 Dangal $260,000,000
2017 Secret Superstar $140,000,000
2018 Padmaavat $29,140,000
2019 War $13,780,000
2020 Darbar $11,550,000
2021 83 $8,500,000
2022 RRR $53,978,643
2023 Pathaan $49,200,000
2024 Pushpa 2: The Rule $89,000,000
2025 Coolie $20,270,000

Highest-grossing international co-productions

The following films are international co-productions between Indian and non-Indian film studios. Films shot primarily in Indian languages are included on the lists above, as well as listed below. Films shot primarily in non-Indian languages are excluded from most of the lists above, but included on the list below.

Rank Title Overseas gross Language(s) Year Ref.
1 Lincoln $275 million English 2013
2 Kung Fu Yoga $257.8 million Mandarin 2017
3 The Help $216.6 million English 2011
4 Gandhi $91.72 million English 1982
5 Bride and Prejudice $24.71 million English 2005
6 My Name Is Khan $23.5 million Hindi
English
2010
7 Monsoon Wedding $22.45 million Hindi 2001
8 Adventures of Ali-Baba and the Forty Thieves $20.5 million Hindustani
Russian
1980
9 The Namesake $18.5 million English
Bengali
2006
10 The Goat Life $16.4 million Malayalam 2024
11 Water $10.42 million Hindi
English
2005
12 Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love $8.6 million English 1997
13 Salaam Mumbai $3.9 million Persian
Hindi
English
2016

See also

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