An epic Indian action film has achieved a rare feat, debuting in second place at the Australian box office.
RRR tells a fictionalised account of two real-life Indian revolutionaries who fought against the British Raj.
According to data from Screen Australia, RRR made $2.43 million for the week ending March 30, putting it behind only DC superhero film The Batman, which made $3.52 million.
The film has been released at 133 locations across Australia in multiple languages, including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada, and has made a total of $3.02 million after its second week showing in Australia.
It is a big debut at the Aussie box office for an Indian film and a non-English language film, but RRR director S.S. Rajamouli said he was not surprised.
"Australia has always appreciated good films and content," Rajamouli said.
"They've accepted Indian films as their own.
"The box office numbers in Australia reflect their love for Indian cinema."
'Friendship knows no borders'
The period film clocks in at just over three hours and features big-name Indian stars N.T. Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan, as well as Northern Irish actor Ray Stevenson, who is known for his role as Volstagg in the Thor movies.
"RRR's core emotion is the bonding between two accidental friends," Rajamouli said.
"Friendship knows no languages or borders.
"I always believed that this subject would appeal to a wider audience and it's good to know that we succeeded in that."
RRR's haul of $3 million to date is a strong start for a foreign language film in Australia, with the top five at the box office typically dominated by English-language films.
By comparison, 2001's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had a lifetime gross of $11.2 million in Australia.
Other top foreign film box office performers include 2019 Korean drama Parasite and 2001's French comedy Amelie, which made lifetime grosses of $5.9 million and $7.2 million respectively nationally, according to data from Screen Australia.
A global blockbuster
Making RRR was a massive undertaking, shooting over 300 days across locations including Hyderabad, Bulgaria and Ukraine, with more than 1,200 people working on the project on a daily basis.
RRR has the second-biggest budget ever for an Indian film, costing more than US$72.4 million ($97.05 million) to make, and it's the most expensive film ever made in Telugu language.
"As a filmmaker, I wish for my films to reach and connect with audiences across the world," Rajamouli said.
"If the film succeeds, it will reach more people and will therefore reflect in box office collections as well."
RRR has already made more than US$125 million ($168 million) worldwide since its premiere in January, buoyed by a wide US release and a significant IMAX release.
