'Barbie' Is Smashing Records in US, but Why Is It Behind 'Oppenheimer' in India?

'Christopher Nolan is a huge brand in India', say experts, adding that the dubbing of Oppenheimer has also helped.

Oppenheimer and Barbie have created wonders at the box office. 

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Greta Gerwig's Barbie, starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie, has soared above Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer at the global box office. However, the opposite seems to be true in India – Nolan's film appears to be performing better than Gerwig's.

Weighing in on why Nolan's cinematic masterpiece has created wonders at the Indian box office, trade analyst Taran Adarsh said:

"Nolan has a huge fan base in India, especially in the metro cities. People were ready to pay an astronomical price for the tickets, which also reflects in its box-office earnings. There was so much demand, perhaps, that’s why Oppenheimer has an edge over Barbie, in India at least. Worldwide Barbie has taken a huge lead – and India is one of the few markets where Nolan’s film is right on top."

Another trade expert, Komal Nahta, spoke to The Quint about the benefits of dubbing when a Hollywood film is released in India. He weighed in on how Oppenheimer fared better as it was dubbed in Hindi, making it accessible to the masses.

"Christopher Nolan in India is a huge brand. Oppenheimer collections are for dubbed versions as well, Barbie has not been dubbed in Hindi – it’s only availabe in English. Oppenheimer has a wider and bigger reach because it is dubbed. There are so many centres where English films don’t work at all."

He, however, added that Barbie has performed better than expected, especially for an English-only film that has been released on limited screens.

"The collections for Barbie, for an English film, is phenomenal. It is already doing so well. We feel that it’s not doing as well as Oppenheimer, but the latter is running in more cinemas than Barbie, so there is no comparison between them. In smaller centres, when a film is in Hindi, 80% will come out and watch the film, but when it’s only in English, some 5% will watch the film."

Adarsh told The Quint that as of 24 July, Oppenheimer had collected a whopping Rs 49 crore in India – and Barbie was at Rs 18.5 crore. However, how long will this run continue?

"The net box-office collection in India for Barbie is approximately Rs 18.5 crore and Oppenheimer is approximately at Rs 49 crore (as of 24 July). While I feel these films will continue to stay steady, we have Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani releasing on 28 July. That will take away the screens and the audience," he added.