Indiana is all set to join the Hollywood big league in India, releasing with 280-plus prints at multiplexes and smaller centres across the country. “The film has been dubbed in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Apart from multiplexes, we are also expecting good business from smaller centres where the dubbed versions will release,” says Jacinto Fernandes, marketing manager, Paramount Films of India, distributor of the movie in India. “This is the best season to release Hollywood movies. With the summer holidays still on, there are chances of a huge footfall.”

This deluge of mainstream English films in India confirms our market’s increasing openness to foreign fare. However, the Spielberg film that opened worldwide last weekend will have stiff competition from Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar Raj that will open in the first week of June. “People have been waiting for this movie as well,” adds Fernandes.

With hardly any worthwhile Hindi releases in the past few weeks (Emraan Hashmi-starrer Jannat that was launched two months back was the only significant film) and much-awaited films like Tashan ending up as box-office dampers, English films made hay.

According to official figures, Narnia, that opened with 331 prints in the second week of May and was dubbed in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, has raked up nearly Rs 8.25 crore in India. “Generally, the collections from Hindi and English films are in 80:20 ratio. But in the last few weeks, it’s only English films like Iron Man and Narnia that have contributed to the box office,” says Bhumika Tiwari, general manager, Fun Cinemas.

“Over the last couple of weeks, films like Narnia and Forbidden have offered stiff competition to Hindi releases like Tashan, Bhoothnath and even Jannat,” says Sharon Thomas from Sony Pictures, distributor of Narnia, Forbidden and Hancock in India. “The influx of Hollywood films is significant. Not only studios but independent distributors and theatre chains are also bringing them.”

Manoj Night Shyamalan’s The Happening will open in India on June 13, thanks to UTV which has co-produced the movie along with 20th Century Fox. “We are looking at The Happening as a medium-size release. It will open at A and B centres with about 100 prints,” says Siddharth Roy Kapoor, vice chairman, marketing and distribution, UTV Motion Pictures. “Currently, English films contribute about 5 per cent of the total box office earnings in India. The figure may shoot up to 7 or 8 per cent in the next few years.”