‘Laapataa Ladies’ outshines ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Salaar’ at Japan box office

Kiran Rao’s “Laapataa Ladies” is making waves far beyond Indian borders. The film, which is India’s official entry to the Oscars 2025, has made a remarkable impact at the Japan box office.

According to the latest trade reports, “Laapataa Ladies” has surpassed the lifetime earnings of Shah Rukh Khan’s “Pathaan” and Prabhas’s “Salaar: Part I – Ceasefire in Japan”.

While SS Rajamouli’s “RRR” continues to hold the title of highest-grossing Indian film in Japan, the total box office collection of “Laapataa Ladies” is also remarkable.

Directed by Kiran Rao, the rural comedy-drama has raked in 50 million yen (approximately Rs 2.75 crore) in 45 days at the Japanese box office. By comparison, “Pathaan” grossed around 50 million yen, and “Salaar” brought in 46 million yen during their respective runs in Japan, as per trade data from Sacnilk.

Globally, “Laapataa Ladies” has grossed around Rs 31 crore, with Rs 25 crore coming from the Indian market. Its strong performance in Japan suggests the film’s appeal is resonating with international audiences as well.

Looking ahead, “Laapataa Ladies” has the potential to outpace other big Indian hits in Japan, such as “Baahubali: The Beginning” and “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”. These films grossed 75 million yen and 80 million yen, respectively. However, the biggest box-office success remains “RRR”, which earned a staggering 2.40 billion yen (around Rs 130 crore) in Japan.

“Laapataa Ladies” tells the story of two brides who are accidentally swapped at a railway station, leading to a series of comical misadventures and life lessons along the way.

The film features Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, and Sparsh Shrivastava in key roles. It has been produced by actor and director Aamir Khan and is now India’s official entry to the 97th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.

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