King Khan's 'Om Shanti Om' scores

When "Om Shanti Om" star Shah Rukh Khan vowed that his film would open bigger than rival "Saawariya" during the Hindu holiday of Diwali, many Bollywood fans thought he was just talking smack.
"Diwali is all mine," the Bollywood star -- nicknamed King Khan -- boasted at a Nov. 8 event in Mumbai.

" 'Saawariya' may be a wonderful film, but I have not been sitting on my hands these past 17 years," he said, reminding listeners that his films took the top spot at the B.O. during prior Diwali weekends.

And when the numbers were tallied, Khan was proved right.

His Eros Intl. release took the top berth at the overseas box office last weekend with $17 million -- beating Sony's "Saawariya," which collected $15.5 million, and even topping Tom Cruise's "Lions for Lambs," which came in third with $10.3 million.

Shalini Dore, Variety.Com