Summary
The Bollywood blockbuster Jawan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, recently achieved the highest-grossing worldwide opening weekend for any Bollywood movie.
The film is poised to exceed the domestic box office earnings of last year's popular film RRR, having already earned over $13 million. Should Jawan continue its successful run, it has the potential to surpass Pathaan, the highest-grossing Indian movie at the domestic box office, which earned $17 million.
The new Indian blockbuster Jawan is poised to break the record set by last year's smash-hit action epic RRR. Starring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan (also known as SRK) in a dual role, Jawan opened on September 7 and has achieved the highest-grossing worldwide opening weekend for any Bollywood movie. It has already surpassed the $100 million mark at the global box office, making SRK the only Indian star to lead two $100 million movies (his film Pathaan achieved this milestone earlier this year).
According to Collider, Jawan is also making significant progress in the domestic market. It has already earned over $13 million at the domestic box office and is on the verge of surpassing RRR's total of $14 million. While Pathaan currently holds the top spot as the highest-grossing Indian film at the domestic box office with $17 million, Jawan has the potential to surpass that total as well, provided all goes well.
Could Jawan Be An Awards Contender?
The box office success of Jawan and its predecessor, Pathaan, demonstrates the growing recognition of Shah Rukh Khan's work among American audiences. While Indian films generally do not receive significant attention during the American awards season, last year's Telugu action film RRR made history by winning both a Golden Globe and an Oscar. This success may have initially caught the attention of award organizations due to its commercial triumph. If this is indeed the case, there is potential for Jawan to be considered for major awards in the upcoming season. However, being a straightforward action thriller may work against its chances, as historically, action movies do not receive much attention at the Oscars unless they possess unique historical or anti-colonial themes like RRR.
Nominating Jawan could present an opportunity for U.S. awards bodies to acknowledge Shah Rukh Khan, a longstanding figure in international cinema for over 30 years. Khan has already achieved significant recognition at the Filmfare Awards, winning 14 out of 30 nominations. With his involvement in RRR, it is possible that Hollywood may be tempted to finally honor this superstar, potentially catapulting the movie to the forefront of nomination lists in the upcoming year.
