2013, Distribution Beyond the Gulf: The Dhoom 3 Attempt

Against the backdrop of declining theatrical distribution for Hindi films in Egypt and Lebanon during the 1990s, this chapter delves into Bollywood’s endeavor to attract audiences to theaters and compete with Hollywood productions. Focusing on Yash Raj Films’ strategy in 2013, it explores their efforts to penetrate markets beyond the Gulf region. Despite relying on the South Asian diaspora in the Gulf as the primary audience, the Middle East film market posed a unique challenge due to its limited Indian community. However, leveraging its Dubai-based presence since 2004, Yash Raj Films established a distribution strategy in the region. The international release of Dhoom 3 in December 2013 marked Yash Raj Films’ foray into new Middle East and North Africa territories, beyond its traditional Gulf stronghold. However, venturing into the Middle East presented its own set of challenges, where competition from Hollywood, Arab cinema, and television was fierce. Yash Raj Films’ initiative aimed to tap into untapped markets outside the Gulf's saturated arena.