The waiter at a Russian restaurant in New York's Coney Island, home to about half million Russians and immigrants from the Caucuses, gazes at a customer for a minute. "May be you are from India," says the very elderly man. "Tell me about the new Indian film my cousins are seeing again and again in Russia. They say it is like Vagabond, story of poor people and a very young man. And it has a very nice song at the end."
He is referring to Raj Kapoor's Awara, a phenomenon across the communist world in the 1950s and has remained a perennial favorite for over four decades. And he is also talking about a new phenomenon. The Indian customer tells the Russians the new film is called Slumdog Millionaire and it is running in New York in many theatres.
Just as Slumdog has become a huge hit across America, in Russia too the film is doing impressive business. Released two weeks ago, it has grossed over $1.2 million, according to trade publications. And now with the eight Oscars it has garnered, the film could become a bigger success not only across Russia but also worldwide.
Last weekend, it was the number three film worldwide (outside North America); the number one film, the star-driven The Curious Case of Benjamin Button grossed $21 million in 61 countries, followed by Bolt's $11 million in 37 countries and Slumdog's $8.5 million in 26.
Soon after the Oscars and reams of new worldwide publicity, the movie began to climb up the box office charts. In North America, it soared from number eight spot on the chart to number two. Worldwide gross by February 26 weekend was approaching $180 million. And there were predictions that the film, which cost just about $15 million (with some $50 million for print and publicity) would end its worldwide run with at least $260 million. Some observers believe it could even top $300 million.
Director Danny Boyle has repeatedly said he had never thought the film would resonate with the audiences outside the United Kingdom apart from playing in a handful of small, art theatres in key cities.
Even in India, where many people were upset that the film was showing the underbelly and not the India that is shining, its box office is approaching $5 million. It would have been much higher but for the huge DVD black market of the film.
In most countries the film opened among the top five; there were no startlingly big openings. For example, in France it opened to a decent $1.2 million weekend. But thanks to a terrific word-of-mouth and slew of stories in major magazines of the country, it remained growing steadily.
No film that Danny Boyle directed in the last two decades, not even The Beach starring a post-Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio, has come anywhere near the worldwide success of Slumdog Millionaire.
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