Disney's Jungle Book roars to Rs 100 crore in 10 days

Mowgli and his jungle friends are charting cinema history in India as Disney's The Jungle Book has entered the coveted Rs 100-crore club in only 10 days since its release. The film, which made its way to the Indian screens on April 8, a week ahead of its release in the US, has collected Rs 101.82 crore at the Indian box office.

It is only the second Hollywood import to do so, the first being last year's Furious 7, which collected Rs 106 crore in its lifetime in India.

Read more from our special coverage on "THE JUNGLE BOOK, DISNEY"

• Disneys on roll as Jungle Book premieres with $103.6 mn
• The Jungle Book gets over Rs 10 cr opening in India
• Disney goes gung-ho on Jungle Book as it sharpens focus on India

The Jungle Book was released in four languages in India - Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu, across formats like 2D, 3D and 3D IMAX. For the Hindi dub, the studio roped in Bollywood heavyweights like Priyanka Chopra (Ka), Nana Patekar (Sher Khan) and Irrfan Khan (Baloo), apart from recreating the famous title song of the famous Doordarshan show - Jungle Jungle Baat Chali Hai… The strategy paid off well, as 54 per cent of the film's total collections have come from the Indian languages.

Amrita Pandey, vice-president - studios, Disney India, says, "We are thrilled that our conviction in the movie has paid off. Right from the call to release it in India a week before (the US), to the way it has been marketed, things have worked out fine. I think this sets a precedent on treating Hollywood films in India. Of course, not every film will lend itself so seamlessly to localisation but if you pick the right film, there is a lot of scope for Hollywood films in India."

She adds that having a robust voice cast for Hindi has helped widen the audience scope, and encouraged repeat viewing of the film. "Many people who have seen the film in English want to see it a second time in Hindi. The film has a deep connect with India not only because the story is set here, but also because entire generations have grown up watching Mowgli's adventures on TV. In fact, multiplex properties that usually do not run Hindi dub prints of Hollywood movies have started multiple shows, seeing the response to the dub versions nationally," says Pandey. Read More.