Soha Ali Khan and Shiney Ahuja in Khoya Khoya Chand

Despite being panned critically, Sony Pictures’s first Indian co-production Saawariya raked in Rs 50 crore ($12.5 million) across 754 screens in India over the Diwali weekend (November 9-11).

Saawariya, the first Bollywood production from any Hollywood studio, lit up screens in 12 other markets (across 230 screens) — UK, US, UAE, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Singapore — picking up another $1.5 million. So the worldwide tally for the weekend is $14 million.

Commenting on this performance and the fact that Saawariya released on the same day as Om Shanti Om, Uday Singh, managing director of SPE Films India, said: “We are thrilled with the opening and the fact that audiences everywhere have connected with the film, especially the youth, who have loved the heartwarming performances by the two newcomers Ranbir and Sonam.... Sony Pictures congratulates Shah Rukh Khan and the entire Om Shanti Om team for setting the all-time record for a film during the Diwali box-office weekend. It is truly an amazing accomplishment. But what is even more significant is that two major films competed against each other and both did enormously well.”

The soulful and melodious music, which continues the rich Sanjay Leela Bhansali tradition of memorable music, made its own mark by selling one million units and the title song Saawariya saawariya remains the most rotated song across all radio stations in the country.

So, SLB can breathe a bit easy after all!