Continuing its winning streak abroad, Sooraj R Barjatya's Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon has grossed $1 million in North America in 10 days, and $480,000 in England, where it is apparently less loved.
The much-adored Bend It Like Beckham reached $25 million in North America on Wednesday. The movie, which is playing in about 240 theatres in its 17th week, will be around for several more weeks even as it awaits a bigger fortune through DVD and video sales.
Following the predictable track of desi films, MPKDH came down to earth both in America and England and dipped by about 50 per cent in both markets. Yet, it will end its run with over $2 million that will help ease the disappointment over its grosses in India.
In America, it dropped from 16th position to 21st at the weekend box office chart. In England, it slid one slot to the ninth position. In America, the movie played at 60 theatres, the same as it did in the first week; in England, it retained 34 theatres. The theatre count is expected to come down this weekend.
For Gurinder Chadha, the $25 million gross for Bend It Like Beckham, which cost less than $5 million, is a milestone. Her previous film, the affable and life-affirming What's Cooking? had grossed just about $1 million in America in 2000 despite very good reviews. The movie, which is available on videocassettes, explored the ties in African-American, Latin, Jewish and Vietnamese families.
She will now start shooting for her next film Bride And Prejudice, based on Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice, starring Aishwarya Rai and Martin Anderson.
Bend It Like Beckham also received plenty of lines this week in magazine and newspaper features on Keira Knightley, who played Parminder Nagra's friend in the Chadha hit. Knightley plays one of the leads in the much anticipated adventure drama, Pirates Of The Caribbean, which is now showing in more than 3,000 theatres.
