Bollywood movies to get major boost in overseas market – here’s how

Saudi Arabia is opening its first cinema hall in 35 years. And while the locals there have every reason to celebrate so does the Indian film industry. Why? Simply because with more theatres in the pipeline there, the Hindi film industry may get one more overseas market to up the box office collections. We all know how the Middle East is a huge Bollywood fan and our stars there are a much-celebrated lot. The popularity of the three Khans – Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir – popularity in the Dubai belt is undeniable. Salman and SRK especially are among the biggest and the most celebrated stars in this belt. In fact, Salman has just been invited by the Kingdom to be a part of their Sharqiah season to help promote art and culture in Saudi Arabia as part of their new initiatives.

As for the Saudi market, reports claim that the change is massive given the conservative and religious nature of the state. This decision is bound to have a huge impact across the Middle East. According to reports, the theatre is opened in Riyadh, the capital city of the kingdom. The first film to be screened there is Hollywood’s mega-blockbuster Black Panther, that was shown in a private screening to the Royals. The theatre will be open to the Saudi public soon and the theatre is just one in the line of many that will be opened across the country in the upcoming months. The development is a huge shift since the theatres there have been banned for more than 35 years.

The news will be much celebrated here as well as we are sure the studios across will be interested in investing in the distribution of the films in the new market. It will however remain to be seen how the censorship will affect the films that may be eyeing the markets there. One cannot overlook the conservative nature of the society and so the films may have to undergo heavy screening before being released with the adequate certification. However, for now, the news is bound to bring a smile to the filmmakers here.