What's the story?
Sports biopic Dangal broke yet another box office record earlier this week as it became the highest grossing Bollywood film of all-time in Hong Kong. According to industry expert Ramesh Bala, the movie has overtaken another Aamir Khan-starrer 3 Idiots to reach the top, with an earning of $3.05 million so far.
"@aamir_khan 's #Dangal is now the highest grossing Indian movie in #Hongkong.. US$3.05 M.. Beats #3Idiots ' US$3.02 M to take the crown..(sic)," tweeted Bala.
In case you didn't know
Dangal is a biopic that captures the real-life journey of Mahavir Singh Phogat, whose character is portrayed by Aamir Khan in the film. The plot revolves around how he raises and trains his daughters -- Geeta and Babita in wrestling and helps them become international-level grapples and in the process, he defies stereotypes placed on women in society.
The heart of the matter
Aamir Khan and his films have been hugely popular in the rest of Asia but Dangal broke all the records. In July this year, it crossed the $300 million dollar mark across the globe and only five days later, it breached the Rs 2000 crore barrier, thanks to its incredible popularity in China.
In very little time, the movie has become one of the biggest hits in the history of the Indian film industry. It is produced by the Walt Disney Picture Group, UTV Motion Pictures and Aamir Khan's own production house. The total budget of the movie stood at Rs 70 crore, which now seems a tiny figure in front of the movie's global earnings.
Aamir Khan had earlier spoken about the movie's huge popularity in China and stated that it has happened because people were able to connect with the story, character and moments at an emotional level. He also stated that the audience realized what their parents went through, which gave out a very emotional reaction and made the film work.
What's next?
It's another astonishing record for the movie and the producers will be hoping it continues to top the charts across the world.
Author's take
It is heartwarming to see a film based on India is receiving acclaim across the world. Here's hoping it will inspire more and more people.