Akshay beats SRK, Salman!

With Garam Masala creating a laugh riot across North America and the United Kingdom, Akshay Kumar has assumed a bigger profile than Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in the two highly lucrative overseas markets. Priyadarshan's comedy follows in the steps of another huge Akshay box office hit, Waqt: The Race Against Time that also starred Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra. 

Despite Priyadarshan declaring endlessly in TV interviews in New York that Kyon Ki "is the best film I have ever shot," and dragging a reluctant Salman Khan to talk to the media, the sentimental drama bit the dust in North America and the UK.

Meanwhile, Garam Masala continues to sizzle on both sides of the Atlantic, and is easily expected to gross atleast a combined $2.5 million. Akshay, who along with Salman was shooting for Jaaneman in New York, took some time off to meet with the press and promote Garam Masala.

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The film also has a good chance to outgross Waqt, which grossed about $1.5 million in U.K. but came up with a less stellar $800.000 in North America.

The comedy is doing a far bigger business in Britain than in America, with a three-day opening gross of $550,000 on just 37 screens at No. 8 on the chart. In North America, it opened at No. 20 with about $460,000 on 45 screens. In 10 days, it has nearly grossed $1 million in the UK and about $700,000 in N.A. It will be a few days before it overtakes Shah Rukh Khan's Paheli's $1.1 million gross in the UK.

The superb success of Garam Masala has shown that audiences overseas are not always beholden to stars such as Shah Rukh and Salman.

The success of the comedy is also a big boost to John Abraham. None of his films have had a strong run here. Now, with the high profile Water getting ready for a release in Canada (it will open in America early next year), he has gained a tremendous amount of visibility.

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For Salman, who has had a number of films doing very good business in UK and NA in recent months, Kyon Ki is a big blow. The movie would be lucky to gross $500,000 in both lucrative territories. On the other hand, No Entry, in which he was seen with Anil Kapoor and Fardeen Khan, grossed about $1.4 million.   

The comedy drama Shaadi No 1 did not do as badly as Kyon Ki but, like many films that do well in India but don't draw significant audiences abroad, was just another also-ran film. It opened at No 37 on the North American chart with a lukewarm $145,000 and to a similar gross in UK. By the time the dull honeymoon gets over (that too very fast), it will have grossed about $600,000 in both territories.

If there is one message the success of Garam Masala has sent to Bollywood, it is this: Don't take the overseas market -- or Akshay Kumar -- for granted.