The growing market for Indian cinema

Jawan's box office performance shows that more Indians and non-Indians are now watching our films on more screens than ever before

Atlee’s Jawan is about a vigilante jailer out to correct political and social ills. Shah Rukh Khan (in a double role) plays jailer Azad and his dad Vikram Rathore with elan. The film, released on September 7, reminds you of Amitabh Bachchan’s anti-establishment hits like Deewar and Hum. More than its cinematic merit, Jawan is an emphatic illustration of the two things that are expanding the audience for Indian movies — the rise of the pan-Indian/global film and the revival of single screens.

Within 12 days of its release, Jawan collected Rs 860 crore at the box office globally. Just like