Mumbai, Jan 3 (IANS): In just 18 days since its theatrical release, 'Spider-Man: No Way Home', with Tom Holland and Zendaya playing the lead roles, has become the third highest grosser among Hollywood films in India, after 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019) and 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018).

Till date, the film, which has globally surpassed the $1-billion-mark, has grossed Rs 259.67 crore in India, netting Rs 202.34 crore after tax. That makes it No. 3 among all films released in India in 2021, after Allu Arjun's 'Pushpa: The Rise' and the Akshay Kumar-led 'Sooryavanshi'.

Among Hollywood films in India, 'Spider-Man' is within leaping distance from the pickings of 'Avengers: Infinity War' (Rs 227.43 crore), but is still quite far from 'Avengers: Endgame' (Rs 373.22 crore).

Analysts expect the global earnings of 'Spider-Man' to see a sharp spike after its release in China, the world's largest cinema-going market.

The film's unexpected success would have been a cause for celebration, but for the shadow of the Omicron surge, which has made the Delhi government shut down cinema theatres and several state governments reverting to the 50 per cent occupancy rule.

Two upcoming big-ticket releases -- the Shahid Kapoor-led cricket drama 'Jersey' and Telugu director S.S. Rajamouli's multi-lingual 'RRR' -- have been put in the backburner because their makers wish to wait and watch how the Covid-19 surge pans out.

Talking about the success of 'Spider-Man', independent film trade analyst Sumit Kadel said: "It was bound to do well because it is a Marvel Studios film. Films coming out of the Marvel universe are hugely popular in India. The coming together of all the actors who had previously essayed the title role, namely, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, also did the trick."

Media and internet research analyst Karan Taurani added: "The film offers a large-scale cinema experience. That is why people have gone out to watch the film in large numbers as this experience cannot be replicated on a smart screen or on TV."

Turning his focus on the audience profile, Taurani said: "If you look at the demographics, what is missing right now from the theatres is the 45-60 age bracket. These are the people who haven't started coming to the cinemas in the way they used to before the pandemic. The footfalls of the younger audience, though, have gone up to the pre-pandemic numbers."

'Spider-Man', Taurani concluded, has really benefited from the 'youth footfall'.