The number one film in the entire world

Riding on the waves of post-Oscar fame, Slumdog Millionaire rose over the weekend to be the number one film across the globe, grossing $27 million, nearly $12.5 million of the total gross came from the United States where it is playing in nearly 3000 movie houses. The worldwide gross for the film now stands at about $210 million.

"The whole world is falling in love with the film," said Ashok Amritraj, the producer of 100 films in Hollywood. Amritraj who is also a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) that gives out the Oscars.

"People are able to relate to this film across the world. India is not the only country with slums and street children. The fact that this is a very hopeful film, which has fabulous artists from India ranging from Anil Kapoor to Irrfan Khan, and the lovely newcomers Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, is also helping it. And let us not forget the fabulous music by A R Rahman."

The film, which is yet to open in Germany, Sweden, Brazil, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan and many other countries, could end its record setting dream run with $300 million.