India, June 29 -- Since the 90s, Shah Rukh Khan has been the flagbearer of Indian cinema overseas. His films, from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and My Name is Khan to Jawan, have all worked well in the US and Europe, with some even eclipsing local releases. Similarly, Aamir Khan has ruled the roost in China. But in 2001, an independent film with no stars and a budget of just Rs.5 crore managed to outdo the biggest hits of both these stars.

In 2000, screenwriter Sabrina Dhawan wrote a screenplay about an Indian family in Delhi during her time in the MFA film program at Columbia University. Director Mira Nair came on board to direct, and the film came to be known as Monsoon Wedding. Produced internationally between companies from India, the...