Dilwale making history in Middle Eastern markets

If you thought the latest edition of Star Wars is still making waves in the Middle East, you are mistaken. An Indian movie has put an end to the Star Wars fever and is breaking records in Middle-Eastern markets. 

Indian rom-com action movie Dilwale (The Big Hearted) directed by noted filmmaker Rohit Shetty has surpassed Star Wars records in both Bahrain and UAE.

According to boxofficeindia.com Dilwale is all set to be the highest overseas opener of 2015 with a likely total of $8.5 million. Bajrangi Bhaijaan currently holds the record with business of $8.1m. 

The film is creating history by becoming not only the biggest opener ever in the Mideast market, but also the first to cross $3m in the Gulf States with a weekend collection of $3.2m.

Bahrain Cinema Company General Supervisor Mahmood Jagbeer told DT News that even the first week saw many movie-buffs coming back to watch it again.

Dilwale was trending on Twitter as well. 

A fan, Zahid, tweeted, “Watched Dilwale at Bahrain  City Centre. A huge round of applause at the end of the movie by mostly non-Indians.”

Another fan, Akib, tweeted, “Watched Dilwale here in Bahrain! It is pure entertainment! Pure entertainment! Rohit Shetty at his lethal best! Johnny Lever steals the  show!”

A  Bahrain expat, Nivedita Roy tweeted, “Shahrukh hugs from Bahrain too! A movie is meant to entertain and this is exactly what Dilwale did!”

Bahrain-based blogger Nisha said she was not surprised to see many Arabs in the movie theatre clapping all through the movie, as Shah Rukh Khan has a huge fanbase among non-Indians in Bahrain. 

“Overall you won’t get bored watching the action, drama, comedy and romance that this movie meticulously combines. It has been long since we had a good Bollywood movie sans a message – this might just be the one,” Nisha said in her movie review.    

Dilwale was released in the United Arab Emirates a day before its worldwide release on December 18, 2015.