New Delhi, July 30 -- Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey made over Rs.16 crore on its first day in India, the highest opening figure for the director in the country. Experts said it is clear that select Hollywood filmmakers, actors and brands can command a big draw on day one at the box office and not just grow slowly by word of mouth or social media recommendations.

This is usually the challenge for films in languages other than Hindi and Telugu. Earlier this year, titles including Michael and Project Hail Mary, besides F1: The Movie last year, built on the trend started by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Experts said several of these names have built credibility and trust over the years and are known well enough for larger-than-life, cine...