Jodhaa Akbar has been getting banned in large parts of India and its depictions being called historically distortive and downright Islamist by many, but the same it appears is being used for advantage with the Pakistanis and with the muslim heavy overseas crowd. And atleast overseas, the film has grossed $2.5 million (10 crores) from screenings in US/Canada theaters.

The opening weekend figure of Jodha Akbar, $1.6 million, was notably higher than Hrithik Roshan's pan-national blockbusters like Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish. So for a Jodha Akbar, the overseas opening to be in the high range well above the norm may be quite telling. Typically only Khan actors' starrers such as Shahrukh Khan films, often boosted heavily on the strength of the non-Indian Pakistanis/muslims also, show these numbers.

This is specially notable in contrast to the film's opening in India which was, and has been below expectations and wavering in large parts. The film failed to come anywhere close to Bombay record despite releasing in record prints there. The underperformance was more pronounced in smaller centers of the country. This is in contrast to the similarly themed 2001 fare Gadar, which too was set on a historic backdrop on communal integration, but was not supported by the overseas composition crowd proportionately. Gadar however followed the reverse pattern across India and broke the records.

But the primary lesson coming out of Jodha Akbar's elevated overseas figures in view of below-expectation national figures may be; while Pakistanis are not able to vote in Indian elections, through box office of India's films overseas, they may be literally playing kingmakers and already affecting kinds of cinema being made in India's Mumbai.