Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan becomes first Indian film to surpass GBP 4 million at the UK box office MGG

Pathaan has been making waves at the box office since it was released three weeks ago, surpassing several benchmarks and setting new records. One such benchmark was crossed yesterday when the Shah Rukh Khan starrer crossed GBP 4 million in the United Kingdom, becoming the first ever Indian film to do so.

Once upon a time…

The United Kingdom was once the biggest overseas market for the Hindi film industry, ahead of North America. A ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ raked in a massive $3.10 million in the United Kingdom, exceeding its earnings of $2.20 million in North America. Similarly, ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ earned $3.65 million in the United Kingdom, despite unfavourable exchange rates, whereas it collected $3.10 million in North America. This trend of the United Kingdom leading North America persisted until the late 2000s.

The Fall of the United Kingdom

The 2010s witnessed a significant surge in Indian migration to North America, surpassing the migration rate to the United Kingdom. The Indian diaspora in North America experienced a substantial increase from 2.50 million in 2001 to approximately 8 million in 2021. In contrast, the Indian diaspora in the United Kingdom only rose by 80%, from 1.05 million to 1.86 million. Furthermore, North America boasted a larger younger population, whereas the United Kingdom had a higher percentage of second and third-generation people of Indian origin. This generational gap made North America the more likely audience for films. 

Additionally, the declining value of GBP against USD further contributed to the United Kingdom’s dwindling revenue. The United Kingdom, once the biggest overseas market, became a fraction of North America recently. The big grossers were clearing $10 million in North America, while the United Kingdom remained stuck at $3-4 million. In fact, even the bigger films were struggling to cross the $1 million mark, rendering $3 million an elusive dream.

When examining the highest-grossing Bollywood films in the United Kingdom, it becomes apparent that the majority of the top twenty-five grossers were released in 2013 or earlier, despite ticket prices doubling in the last twenty years. Even though released back in the 1990s, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ and ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge‘ still hold a place on this list.

Under these circumstances, not only Pathaan has become the highest grosser ever, but topped the previous film by nearly 50 per cent, becoming the first to cross GBP 3 million and GBP 4 million mark. The film is still running strong and can probably add another GBP 300-500 thousand, which could very well be more than the two new releases in the next two weeks, Shehzada and Selfiee.

The top twenty highest-grossing films in the United Kingdom are as follows:

1. Pathaan – GBP 4,003,000 (22 days)
2. Dhoom 3 – GBP 2,710,000
3. Bajrangi Bhaijaan – GBP 2,662,000
4. My Name Is Khan – GBP 2,630,000
5. Dangal – GBP 2,563,000
6. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham – GBP 2,499,000
7. PK – GBP 2,387,000
8. Dilwale – GBP 2,351,000
9. Padmaavat – GBP 2,187,000
10. Chennai Express – GBP 2,181,000
11. Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna – GBP 2,061,000
12. Veer Zaara – GBP 2,012,000
13. 3 Idiots – GBP 1,860,000
14. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai – GBP 1,820,000
15. Sultan – GBP 1,788,000
16. Tiger Zinda Hai – GBP 1,781,000
17. Devdas – GBP 1,689,000
18. Kal Ho Naa Ho – GBP 1,675,000
19. Jab Tak Hai Jaan – GBP 1,621,000
20. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo – GBP 1,601,000
21. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge    – GBP 1,580,000
22. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi – GBP 1,502,000
23. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – GBP 1,473,000
24. Don 2 – GBP 1,444,000
25. Ra.One – GBP 1,431,000