Highlights:
- Dil Se.. became the first major breakthrough for Indian cinema in the UK and Ireland top 10 in 1998.
- RRR, Pathaan and Jawan helped Indian films reach the No. 2 position.
- Dhurandhar: The Revenge became the territory's highest-grossing Indian film, earning more than £4.4 million.
- Ramayana: Rise of a Legend opened at No. 1 with £2.1 million, including previews.
- Indian cinema's next challenge is matching Hollywood's longer theatrical runs and overall box office totals.
Indian cinema has taken nearly three decades to reach the top of the UK and Ireland box office charts. What began with Shah Rukh Khan's Dil Se.. breaking into the territory's top 10 in 1998 has now culminated in Ramayana: Rise of a Legend debuting at No. 1 in 2026, marking a major milestone for Indian films overseas.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi, Ramayana collected £2.1 million, including previews, during its opening weekend. Its debut marked the first time an Indian film had claimed the top position in the UK and Ireland's official box office chart.
The achievement is significant because Indian films have traditionally faced challenges in competing with major Hollywood and British releases in the territory. Their audiences were initially concentrated in areas with large South Asian communities, and distribution was often limited to independent cinemas and community halls.
How it began: Dil Se.. opened the doors in 1998
When Mani Ratnam's Dil Se.., starring Shah Rukh Khan, released in August 1998, it entered the official UK and Ireland top 10 at No. 8. The film's performance, supported by Khan's growing international popularity and A.R. Rahman's music, demonstrated that Indian releases could attract audiences beyond traditional diaspora cinema audiences.
Before this breakthrough, films such as Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge had already generated significant revenue, eventually crossing £1 million over extended theatrical runs. However, they operated largely outside mainstream box office reporting.
Two months after Dil Se.., Karan Johar's directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai also entered the top 10, eventually collecting £1.7 million.
The next major milestone came with Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... in 2001. The film opened at No. 3, earning £473,255 in its first week from just 41 screens, and finished its run with nearly £2.5 million.
Over the following years, films such as Devdas, Veer-Zaara and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna helped establish Hindi cinema as a regular presence in the territory's box office charts.
Bollywood raised the bar, but the top spot remained out of reach
The commercial reach of Indian cinema expanded further with films such as My Name Is Khan, Dhoom 3, PK, Dangal and Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
My Name Is Khan, released in 2010, opened at No. 6 with £936,000 and eventually collected £2.6 million. Dhoom 3 became the first Indian film to cross £2.7 million in the territory. Dangal and Bajrangi Bhaijaan also delivered strong theatrical performances.
However, despite these successes, Indian films struggled to move beyond the top three positions in the official charts. Hollywood blockbusters continued to dominate, while South Indian films faced another challenge: their different language versions were often reported separately, splitting their box office totals.
The rise of South Indian cinema changed the picture
S.S. Rajamouli's Baahubali 2: The Conclusion in 2017 demonstrated the potential of South Indian films in the UK and Ireland. It crossed £1 million in the territory within 10 days, but its different language versions appeared separately in box office reporting, affecting its chart position.
The situation changed significantly with RRR in 2022. The Telugu-language epic opened at No. 2 with £650,204 from 160 locations, including previews. It was held off the top position by The Batman.
Other regional productions followed. Tamil historical drama Ponniyin Selvan: I collected £745,000 during its opening weekend in 2022, while Malayalam survival drama The Goat Life opened at No. 5 with £556,514 in 2024.
Prabhas-starrer Kalki 2898 AD also made an impact, opening at No. 3 with £886,366 before crossing £1.5 million.
Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan and Jawan both opened at No. 2 in 2023. Pathaan eventually became a major overseas success, collecting £4.38 million in the territory.
Dhurandhar and Jailer 2 set new benchmarks
In March 2026, Dhurandhar: The Revenge became the fourth Indian film to open at No. 2 in the UK and Ireland. It recorded £1.6 million over its Friday-to-Sunday opening weekend, rising to £2.1 million including previews.
The film eventually overtook Pathaan to become the highest-grossing Indian release in the territory, with more than £4.4 million.
South Indian cinema also achieved a new milestone in October 2026. Rajinikanth's Tamil-language action sequel Jailer 2 opened at No. 3 with £1.1 million from 228 sites. Within 10 days, it became the highest-grossing Tamil film in the territory, collecting £1.6 million.
How Ramayana finally broke the glass ceiling
Until Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, no Indian film had managed to reach the top position in the UK and Ireland's official weekend box office chart.
The film's opening weekend changed that. Its £2.1 million debut, including previews, placed it ahead of Disney's Wild Horse Nine, which collected £1.48 million, and Godzilla Minus Zero, which opened with £1.3 million.
The film also benefited from a wide release across 364 sites, with premium 3D and large-format screenings helping it reach a broader audience.
The achievement represents a significant shift in the distribution and commercial reach of Indian cinema. From the limited releases of the late 1990s to large-scale theatrical launches today, Indian films have gradually moved into the mainstream UK and Ireland box office conversation.
However, reaching No. 1 for an opening weekend is only part of the challenge. The highest-grossing Indian film in the territory, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, has earned just over £4.4 million. By comparison, Hollywood releases such as Project Hail Mary crossed £15 million in two weekends, while Avatar: The Way of Water had exceeded £70 million by its seventh week.
Ramayana has broken the opening-weekend barrier. Whether it can sustain its theatrical run and challenge the longer-term records set by Hollywood films will be the next test for Indian cinema in the UK and Ireland.
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