Dangal reaches new heights worldwide, crosses $300 million mark

What’s the story?

Dangal, the movie based on the rise of Indian wrestling stars Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari and the work behind the scenes of their father Mahavir Singh Phogat has earned over $300 million across the globe and is still going strong. Much of its international success is owed to China where it has earned an incredible $185 million alone.

Speaking about his film’s remarkable success there, Aamir Khan said: “The reason [Dangal] has become so huge in China is that people connected on an emotional level with the story, the characters and the moments. It made them realise what their parents went through. Many of them called up their parents and cried. It's a very emotional reaction. That is what has made the film really work.”

The context

Dangal is a biographical sports drama inspired by a true story. When Dangal released in India in December last year, it became a box-office success and one of the biggest hits in Indian cinema, with a domestic gross of $77 million. It did really well in North America as well, becoming the second most successful Indian movie with a $12.4 million income.

The heart of the matter

When Walt Disney Pictures came forward to finance and distribute a Hindi family biopic set in the world of wrestling in a little-known corner of India, not many could have anticipated that it would be such a roaring success across the world. That is exactly what happened as Dangal became one of the biggest hits of the studio and its fourth highest grossing movie of 2017.

What really worked for Dangal is that even though much of the focus is on wrestling, the film is much more than that. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and co-produced by UTV Motion Pictures, Dangal chronicles the story of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former amateur wrestler who felt he was denied the chance of fulfilling his potential on the international stage. In order to realise his dream, he trains his daughters to become international wrestling champions themselves.

What’s next?

Dangal will keep expanding to other countries in the world. And even after seven weeks of its release, it is still running in theatres across China.

Author’s take

It comes as no surprise seeing Dangal perform really well given it is one of the finest movies ever made in the sporting genre in India. Even so, the commercial success of the film has exceeded everyone’s expectations.