MUMBAI: 3 Idiots has stormed the box office, surpassing Aamir Khan‘s own previous mega hit Ghajini that had grossed Rs 2.6 billion.
The film has grossed Rs 3.15 billion worldwide in just 19 days, according to Reliance Big Pictures, the film‘s distributor.
In India, most multiplexes have added 14 to 21 new shows due to a huge rush for 3 Idiots.
Says Cinemax vice president marketing Devang Sampat, "3 Idiots has been doing wonderfully well. Till date there has not been a single show that hasn‘t sported a ‘house full‘ board much before the scheduled show. The film is set to break all records by being the highest grosser in at least 10 years."
The second week occupancy of 3 idiots fell by a meagre 28 per cent, indicating its sustainable power in the fickle world of movies.
Says trade analyst Taran Adarsh, "3 Idiots is unstoppable. That‘s the truth. No distributor, no trade expert can predict the business of this film."
More than 60 million people have watched the film in theatres since its release on 25 December.
Says a media analyst, "After a long time, an Indian film has had such a large repeat audience."
Produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, 3 Idiots has also set a new benchmark for the Indian film industry in the global box office. It is the highest-grossing Indian film ever to release in the US, Middle East, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Kenya and Fiji.
Says Reliance Big Entertainment chairman Amit Khanna said, "3 Idiots has opened new vistas for the Indian film industry. The huge response across continents reinforces our belief that a well-made, well-exploited film can still create magic in the darkened auditorium. We are proud to be associated with Vinod, Aamir, Raju and the talented team of 3 Idiots."
