“Veer-Zaara” made a strong debut last weekend, opening on more North American screens than any previous Bollywood release and finishing 15th among all films at the domestic box office.

Starring the ever-popular Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta, “Veer-Zaara” took in an estimated $903,010 during the four-day period beginning on Nov. 11. Its per-screen average of $10,261 was among the highest of the weekend, bested by only two other films in the top 25.

Shiraz Jivani of Naz8 Cinemas told the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News that he expects the three-hour film to break box office records for Bollywood releases in the U.S.

“We have it, and we’re going to be playing it around the clock, 24 hours a day,” Jivani told the newspaper. His chain of Calif.-based theaters expects to collect $1.2 million over the film’s six-week run. The final tally will receive a bump from ticket prices that were increased just for the film.

No word yet on how pirated copies of “Veer-Zaara” fared at unscrupulous video rental shops, as such businesses are only required to report their earnings to hell’s despotic overlords.

Box Office Mojo: Gross Tracking for “Veer-Zaara”
San Jose Mercury News: High Hopes for Bollywood Musical (Registration Required)
The Chief Report: Review of “Veer-Zaara”
Naz8 Cinemas: Official Site
“Veer-Zaara”: Official Site