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| Black | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Sanjay Leela Bhansali |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Adapted Story: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Original Story: Helen Keller |
| Based on | The Story of My Life byHelen Keller |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Rani Mukerji |
| Cinematography | Ravi K. Chandran |
| Edited by | Bela Segal |
| Music by | Monty Sharma |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 124 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Languages |
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| Budget | ₹20–22 crore[a] |
| Box office | ₹66.6 crore |
Black is a 2005 IndianHindi-languagedrama film co-written, directed, and co-produced bySanjay Leela Bhansali. It starsAmitabh Bachchan andRani Mukerji in lead roles, withAyesha Kapur,Shernaz Patel, andDhritiman Chatterjee in supporting parts. Inspired by the life and writings of American author and activistHelen Keller, the film chronicles the journey of Michelle, adeafblind woman, and her relationship with Debraj, an aging teacher who later developsAlzheimer's disease.
The project was officially announced in 2003, though its conception began in the 1990s when Bhansali encountered several disabled children during the making ofKhamoshi: The Musical (1996). The screenplay was influenced by Keller’s 1903 autobiography,The Story of My Life.Principal photography was conducted over 100 days between January and April 2004 inShimla andMumbai’sFilm City, with cinematography byRavi K. Chandran. The film's production design was handled byOmung Kumar, action choreography by Sham Kaushal, and editing by Bela Sehgal. The music and background score were composed byMonty Sharma.
Black was released theatrically on 4 February 2005. It received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its direction, cinematography, production design, and performances—most notably those of Bachchan and Mukerji. The film proved commercially successful, grossing ₹666 million (US$15.1 million), and ranked as theeighth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.
At the53rd National Film Awards,Black won three awards, includingBest Feature Film in Hindi andBest Actor in a Leading Role (Bachchan). At the51st Filmfare Awards, it won all eleven of its nominations, includingBest Film,Best Film (Critics),Best Director (Bhansali),Best Actor andBest Actor (Critics) (both for Bachchan), andBest Actress andBest Actress (Critics) (both for Mukerji), becoming the most-awarded film in the history of the ceremony at that time. It was also the fifth film to win the four majorFilmfare categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. ATurkish remake,Benim Dünyam, was released in 2013.
Michelle McNally, a 42-year-olddeafblindAnglo-Indian woman fromShimla, lives in a world of silence and darkness. One day, Michelle, her mother Catherine, and her sister Sara find Debraj Sahai—Michelle’s former teacher—wandering near their home. He is diagnosed with late-stageAlzheimer's disease and admitted to amental institution. Refusing to accept his decline, Michelle vows to help Debraj recover, just as he once helped her overcome her own limitations.
The story flashes back to Michelle’s early years. After an illness at the age of two, she lost her ability to see, hear, and speak, leading to violent outbursts and isolation. Her parents, Paul and Catherine, struggle to care for her, particularly after the birth of Sara. When Michelle turns eight, Debraj—a spirited and unconventional teacher fromDehradun—enters their lives. He believes in reaching Michelle through discipline and perseverance, even refusing a salary in exchange for time and trust. His unorthodox methods initially alarm Paul, but Catherine allows him to continue while Paul is away on business. Over 20 days, Debraj begins to teach Michelle basic communication and manners, though she struggles to grasp the meaning of words. In a breakthrough moment, he throws her into a fountain to help her associate the sensation of water with its name. This sparks her comprehension, and her parents decide to retain Debraj as her teacher.
As an adult, Michelle becomes articulate and expressive, able to sign and dance. With Debraj’s help, she gains admission to a university as its first deafblind student. Despite repeated failures over several years, she persists in her studies. Abraille version of the syllabus and improved typing skills eventually aid her progress. Meanwhile, Debraj’s mental health deteriorates, and he begins to forget even Michelle.
Michelle also reconciles with Sara, who had long resented the attention given to her. After Sara’s wedding, Michelle reflects on love and, seeking to understand physical affection, asks Debraj to kiss her. Disturbed, he leaves without warning. Twelve years after enrolling, Michelle finally earns herBachelor of Arts degree and delivers a speech at the graduation ceremony. She saves her graduation robe to wear for Debraj, whom she visits at the hospital. There, he briefly regains lucidity and recognizes her accomplishment.
In the final scene, Michelle writes a letter to Mrs. Nair, describing Debraj’s tentative steps toward relearning speech. As they vocalize the syllable “wa”—evoking their early lessons—Michelle declares it his first day of school. The film ends with her joining a candlelight procession, suggesting Debraj’s passing and the full circle of their journey.
The cast is listed below:[6][7]
The production ofBlack started whenSanjay Leela Bhansali came up with the idea for the film while the shooting of his directorial debut, the musicalKhamoshi: The Musical, between 1993 and 1994 when he interacted with physically disabled children.[2] After the successes of the romanceHum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and the historical epicDevdas (2002)—one of the most expensive Hindi films ever made at the time—he had made a plan to make another film in the romantic genre.[8][9] Still, the actressJaya Bachchan criticized his work fromDevdas and encouraged him to "attempt something different"; in later years, he would say that it motivated him to makeBlack.[10] Bhansali chose to address a subject that no other directors had done before: "I didn't want to stop making a film straight from my heart because of the fear of losing my audiences."[11] He described it as "a step towards a more complex kind of film than what we get in mainstream cinema", adding, "It is an uplifting tale on the triumph of the human spirit."[11][12] He announced the film in July 2003, along with his other project,Bajirao Mastani, which would be released in 2015.[12] The media declared it as his "most personal film".[13]
Bhansali revealed that he was inspired by American activistHelen Keller's life story. However, he stated that he only used it as a reference and the film was "a completely original piece of work".[14] Additionally, Bhansali also read Keller's autobiographyThe Story of My Life and other related books, includingGeraldine Lawhorn'sOn the Crossroads (about adeafblind musician). In an interview withThe Hindu, he said, "I was fascinated by the ways in which teachers and parents struggled to reach out to the [deaf] children. How do you start the communication? How do you keep it going? What takes other children a year to learn takes 10 years for them to absorb."[11] In addition, some sources claimed that it served as a remake forArthur Penn'sThe Miracle Worker (1962), but Bhansali denied the reports.[15] Others claimed that the film was based on Prakash Kapadia's Gujarati playAatam Vinjhe Paankh, which was inspired byThe Miracle Worker.[16]
Bhansali chose the wordblack for the film's title; according to him, black is his favorite color and he felt it has a "universal resonance".[12] He explained how the color's monotones and shades were "very attractive if used intelligently", and it was "the best element ... that ... doesn't overshadow the characters or narrative".[17] He added that it was "a powerful striking colour which describes the film's sensitivities", and defined his mood and temperament.[12][18] "I wear black clothes most of the time. The colour calms me. When I decided to make a film about the world of the [blind],Black was the title that came to mind immediately", he said when interviewed bySify.[19] The same title had been registered by the actorKumar Gaurav before, and Bhansali asked him to relinquish and gave the title for his next project. According to an article published byScreen in November 2005, Gaurav saw that the film was "bold and path-breaking"; consequently, he finally gave up the title. As gratitude, Bhansali credited Gaurav's name in the opening credits ofBlack.[16]
Bhansali toldThe Telegraph that Keller's life was an "exemplary to all of us", believing that he had "personally learned so much from her"; he stated that he learned "the value of a teacher in any student's life".[15] Journalists asserted that his involvement in bothBlack andBajirao Mastani (a period film about thePeshwaBaji Rao I and his second wifeMastani) proved his ability in two opposite film genres; he expressed: "It is a conscious process of rejuvenation as a filmmaker. I have to reinvent myself as a creative person."[12] He then described the former film as "an uplifting tale on the triumph of the human spirit",[20] and it was "about feeling, not speaking".[15] Furthermore, he added, "Black is about the love between a girl and her teacher. They teach each other the dignity of living. To callBlack a love story is a true compliment.Black is a pure love story."[15]
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On the same day of the film's announcement, Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji were officially cast in the lead roles.[12] Bachchan featured as Debraj Sahai, a role which he described as a "brilliant teacher but an alcoholic", and he took it as an attempt to avoidtypecasting.[21] Bhansali, who is a "diehard fan" of him, said that he actually wanted to cast him (and his wifeJaya) inKhamoshi: The Musical. However, that was the time when Bachchan took a hiatus from his acting career. Bhansali eventually cast Bachchan inBlack, after the actor watch his previous work,Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999).[20] Bachchan had big expectations withBlack, as he said in an interview to theDeccan Herald, "I feel the Indian audience should like this film."[21] He praised the "fascinating" and "unusual" screenplay of the film, stating, "To be very frank, I would have said 'Yes' even without listening to the script."[21][22]
To prepare for his part, Bachchan underwent special training before the shooting. He visited schools for physically disabled children and learnedhaptic communication, which he found to be "very weird because we can not see, hear or talk", from them for six to seven months; he read some books related on it.[21][23] Also, he did extensive research about Alzheimer's disease and what happens after a person being affected by it.[21] He thought that it "was the most-challenging role... It is a first-time experience because there is not even a single scene in this film that I felt I have done before."[24]
Meanwhile, Mukerji got the role of Michelle McNally and confirmed her involvement in the film in July 2003.[25][26] She spoke positively of her rapport with Bachchan, and stated that she felt "humbled" with the actor, describing him as "a very modest person, very sweet, a father figure".[27] Same as Bachchan, she accepted it to avoid the typecasting in romantic roles.[28] Mukerji revealed that she was initially reluctant to play the part, when Bhansali read the storyBlack to her in June that year, because of the "challenging" subject and she had no reference to do it.[25][29][30] She confessed, "I was scared when I heard the script. I wondered how I will play this character."[25] In preparation, she also met children with physical disabilities, this time, at the Helen Keller Institute inMumbai and practiced asign language there for six months.[30] According to Mukerji, her interaction with them helped her to "gain sensitivity towards their reactions, aspirations and hopes".[28] Moreover, she had to learnbraille and found the experience was "like speaking with my hands and my fingers."[31] In spite of that, she said that the film "has made me realize that those who are physically or mentally [disabled] are actually much stronger than [abled] human beings."[30]
The child artist Ayesha Kapur made her debut withBlack, playing the version of Michelle. She learned a sign language for prepared her brief role as well as Mukerji. Media reports stated that it was "the most difficult character ever written for a child", but Kapur refused that by saying, "I don't know how I played Michelle. I just did it. It wasn't that difficult, really."[32] Shernaz Patel, who had only one film experience inMahesh Bhatt's dramaJanam (1985), portrayed Michelle's mother Catherine "Kathy"; she was cast by casting director Amita Sehgal on the basis of her work as a theatre actress. Nandana Sen played Michelle's younger sister Sarah, a role she described as "an emotional experience".[33] She observed of her part, "... she's a typical 16 year old ... You see her evolving in the film, from this oversensitive, moody teenager who is constantly hungry for more affection to a nurturing, loving, caregiver who deals with her sister's circumstances with a lot of love and understanding."[34] She foundBlack to be "a pathbreaking film, both in terms of content and style", and called her role "abreakthrough" in her acting career. For it, she learned how to communicate with a sign language, four months before the shooting.[34]
"Here the look was so intense and understated that I couldn't bring anything that I usually do. It was never the play of colours and that special juxtaposition and rhythm that colours bring. It was particularly fascinating for me because the look was so monochromatic, so minimalist. It was pure ... and I seriously feel that I evolved to a new plane while doing that look."
Bhansali—with his production companySLB Films—produced, financed, and distributed the film alongside Anshuman Swami of Applause Entertainment;[36][37] another company,Yash Raj Films, also served as a distributor.[38] Bhansali wrote the screenplay in three months, and the story withBhavani Iyer and Kapadia;[3][6] the latter two also wrote the dialogues inEnglish andHindi, respectively.[39] When asked byRediff.com's Subhash K. Jha, Bhansali found the English dialogues to be "too lucid to be left behind in translation".[12]Omung Kumar was the art director forBlack. In a party sequence featuring all of the lead cast from the film, he used 200 lamps on the ceiling. According toIndia Today, Bhansali was not sure about it, but he allowed Kumar to do that as an "experiment".[40] He used black as the main color to be in tune with the film's themes.[41]
Clothes for all actors fromBlack were done by the costume designerSabyasachi Mukherjee for eight months.[42] He spoke of excitement involved in the project: "Black was a brilliant experience, literally a once in a lifetime experience."[35] He added that "the film is about you and me and, therefore, it called for serious clothes."[42] In preparation, Mukherjee saw manyblack-and-white photographs. He used a lot ofmonochromatic colors—includingbeige, black, brown, gray,khaki, andindigo—for the film, as it is set between the 1950s and 1960s.[42][43] For her role, Mukerji (who has brown eyes) was required to use dark-tintedcontact lenses.[16][44] After the release ofBlack, Sabyasachi Mukherjee talked about his experiment with the film's two leads; he found working with Bachchan to be "amazing", as the latter "is so down-to-earth", and similarly to Mukerji, saying that she was the "girl-next-door".[42]
Ranbir Kapoor andSonam Ahuja were chosen as assistant directors for Bhansali; the newcomers confessed that their motives were to get Bhansali to offer them acting jobs.[45][46] They later made their debut as actors in Bhansali's next directorial venture,Saawariya (2007), an adaptation ofFyodor Dostoevsky's 1848 short story "White Nights",[47] which was commercially and critically failed.[48][49] Kapoor would go on to become one of the highest-paid actors in Bollywood while establishing himself as a leading actor of Indian cinema.[50] Ahuja has a good career in Bollywood as well.[51][52]
Black was filmed in 100 days byRavi K. Chandran.[12][41] In an interview with Rediff.com, Chandran called it one of the most "important" films in his career and considered it as his favorite project; this also marked the first time he shot a film without songs. He revealed that he had previously rejected Bhansali's offers to shootsDevdas as he had busy schedules at that time. However, Chandran promised to collaborate with Bhansali in his next venture, which would beBlack. When Bhansali narrated the film's story to him, Chandran decided to use the cinematography style same with that ofGuru Dutt's 1959 dramaKaagaz Ke Phool.[41] Sham Kaushal was the action director.[6] Kapoor served as abody-double for Bachchan in several scenes.[53]
In mid-January 2004, the entire cast and crew ofBlack went toShimla to begin the first schedule.[16] The first sequence filmed was the film's opening scene, featuring Mukerji stretching out her hand when snow begins to fall.[54] Shimla was very cold at the time, but it did not show any signs that snow would fall. Therefore, the crew bought kilos of salt andsnow-making machines fromMumbai's local markets. The media reported that the shooting would end at 04:00.[16]
Filming moved to the film studio complexFilm City the next month andIndia Today said that seventy percent ofBlack was shot there.[55] The studio, which has a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) area, was rented by Bhansali in January 2004 for 45 days, but on 18 February, a fire burned most of the set, resulting in a shooting delay.[55] Bhansali recalled, "It was a torturous exercise and I couldn't sleep, but we needed continuity. I would not shoot if the cottage looked different."[3] In June 2005, the Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation fined Bhansali₹60 million (US$1.36 million), with₹20 million (US$453,514.74) for its reconstruction and₹40 million (US$907,029.48) for its rental cost.[55] A month later, the art dealer Farida Hoosenwally also accused him for not return 390 artifacts she lent, and she sent a complaint letter to theDeputy Chief Minister of MaharashtraR. R. Patil.[56] According to the media reports, the incidents made the initial budget of the film—estimated₹135 million (US$3.06 million)—increased to more than₹200 million (US$4.54 million).[4] The schedule was continued on 28 February 2004.[57] The filming was done two months later,[12] and Bhansali's sister Bela Sehgal edited it.[6][58] Canadian composerMychael Danna completed its background score.[13]
In October 2003,The Hindu reported thatA. R. Rahman was initially signed to compose the music forBlack.[59] However, he was later replaced byMonty Sharma, who had previously collaborated with Bhansali onDevdas (2002). The reasons for the change were not publicly disclosed.[60]
Unlike Bhansali’s earlier films,Black features only one song with lyrics, titled "Haan Maine Chukar Dekha Hai", written byPrasoon Joshi and performed byGayatri Iyer.[61][62] The remainder of the soundtrack comprises instrumental tracks composed as background score.
The complete soundtrack, consisting of thirty-three tracks, was released digitally viaiTunes on 10 February 2005 by YRF Music, a subsidiary ofYash Raj Films.[63][64] The album received positive reviews from critics, who praised Sharma’s compositions and their contribution to the film’s emotional tone.[65][61]
Sharma received several accolades for his work, including theFilmfare Award for Best Background Score.[66] He also won theIIFA Award,[67]Screen Award,[68] andZee Cine Award in the same category.[69]
Black garnered attention before its release.[3] InThe Hindu Internet poll of "The Most Awaited Movie of 2005", the film peaked the first position with 66 percent.[70] The trade analystAmod Mehra felt that the film had goodword-of-mouth publicity, though he believed that it would attract a restricted audience: "It might be difficult for such a subject to click in the B and C centres. One thing which could go against the film is that 60 percent of the film is in English."[71] A similar sentiment was shared by the exhibitor Manoj Desai, saying that the film's subject was "very sensitive" and its first show would "decide the final outcome".[71] The critic and journalistTaran Adarsh, however, stated: "It will be a great film. I am eagerly awaiting the premiere. Considering the technical brilliance of Bhansali, I pray thatBlack breaks the 2005 jinx. No film has succeeded this year so far."[71]
"It was an experience I'll never forget... not only because it was my first retrospective at any festival, but also because of the interaction that I had to undergo with the audience after my film was screened. A lot of them were cinema students and their curiosity about our films and culture and their insightful questions made me very proud to represent our country and cinema."
On 24 January 2005, Bhansali organized a special screening ofBlack to Bachchan's and Mukerji's family, his mother and himself, and his close friends. Bachchan's wife Jaya was amazed with the film. She stated that it was "something we've never experience before.Black just ends all discussion", describing it as "the kind of movie experience that raises the scale of our cinema so high that you cannot classify its merits".[73] The film's theatrical release was originally scheduled on 10 December 2004, but Bhansali decided to postpone it, as the date coincided with thenew moon week, which he considered to be "inauspicious".[13] It was opened in 170 different towns in India on 4 February 2005, the same day as the release ofLeena Yadav'sShabd and Irfan Khan'sBullet: Ek Dhamaka.[16][74] The film was released in South Korea on 28 August 2009 on 180 screens, a big number for a non-Korean film, with its distribution handled by Yash Raj Films.[75][76] It clashed with two other Korean films, includingTake Off andTidal Wave.[76]
Black has been screened at a number of events. On 21 January 2005, the film and a retrospective of Mukerji's films—Saathiya (2002),Chalte Chalte (2003),Hum Tum (2004) andVeer-Zaara (2004)—were screened withArabic subtitles at the Casablanca Film Festival.[72] It was showcased at theIndian Film Festival of Los Angeles on 20 April.[77] The next month, the film was screened in the section ofMarché du Film at the2005 Cannes Film Festival.[78][79] It was selected for the Indian Panorama section of the36th International Film Festival of India in November.[80] In 2012, the film was screened at theLondon Asian Film Festival.[81][82] The latest was at the Seoul International Film Festival in 2017.[83]
The world television premiere of the film took place on 25 September 2005 onStar Gold.[16] Distributed by Dancing Dolphin, it was released onDVD on 20 November 2007 in all regions in a single-disc pack.[84] AVCD version was released at the same time.[85] The film was available for streaming onAmazon Prime Video in May 2017.[86][87]
Black received positive reviews, with most critics praising its story, Bhansali's direction, and the performances—mostly that from Bachchan and Mukerji.[16][88] It received a rating of 87 percent on the review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes based on six reviews, with an average rating of 8.5 out of 10.[86]
The entertainment portalBollywood Hungama gave the film two stars, finding it to be "relies heavily on performances".[89] The critic observed of Mukerji, "With no dialogues in her lap, the actress conveys through expressions solely and what a terrific impact she makes! Here's a performance that should act as a reference guide for all aspiring actors. And yes, she's bound to walk away with all major awards next year as well!"[89]Baradwaj Rangan ofThe New Sunday Express felt that the actress was "outstanding" in the part,[90] which Rediff.com'sSita Menon described as "a pure, performance-driven role".[91]Ziya Us Salam hailed her for "[pleasing] the [audience] eyes" despite her "minimal make-up".[92]Khalid Mohammed ofMid-Day added, "Rani Mukherjee is a revelation, belting out a multi-nuanced performance which compels you to reach out for that hyperbolic adjective, awesome. Lock up all the awards already, they're hers."[93] Devesh Sharma fromScreen said that Bachchan and Mukerji have given "the performance of a lifetime", noting that with the film, "Bhansali has proved that we don't lack raw materials or the talent—all it takes is guts and a determined belief in oneself to make a world class film."[94]
Jaspreet Pandohar ofBBC opined that "Bhansali proves that neither he, nor the never better Bachchan, need a Hollywood film to produce anOscar-worthy film [withBlack]."[95] She also took note of its production aspects; she lauded that the screenplay and cinematography were "carefully crafted" and "beautiful", respectively.[95] InThe Hindu, Gautaman Bhaskaran claimed that the film was the best among Bhansali's other directorial ventures.[96]Namrata Joshi ofOutlook wrote of how it "provides a redefining moment in commercialHindi cinema, pushing its frontiers of narration and style".[97] Sunny Dua ofThe Telegraph said, "Black is beautiful, for it is real. What is unreal is the way multicoloured, multilateral mainstream Hindi cinema has been suddenly rendered colourless. It will be hard to rate staple Bollywood fare from now, for the bar has been set way too bright by a stark, dark colour."[98]Hindustan Times's reviewer Vinayak Chakravorty ratedBlack three out of five stars, appreciating Kapur's portrayal of young Michelle and described her as "the anchor of the film's first half".[99] Similar thoughts was given byNikhat Kazmi, who felt that Kapur was "absolutely brilliant".[100]
India Today called the film "a world-class Hindi film" and "a landmark", and found both Bachchan and Mukerji to be "brutally unattractive but always heart wrenching"; Shruti Gupta ofNDTV added that they "score yet again with their performance".[101][102] Writing for anotherTelegraph review, Anil Grover complimented the "fantastic" chemistry between the two actors.[103] Shubhra Gupta ofThe Indian Express, also positively reviewed the chemistry, hailing it was "mesmeric". Gupta, however, believed that Mukerji "who really lights up" the film, concluding, "The tilt of the head, the face, alternating between animation and vacuousness, the slightly open mouth, the bewildered lost look, the jerky gait—any or all of it could have turned Michelle into a caricature. But Rani overcomes the handicap of being 'normal', and nails all of it down with an unsparing, unsentimental starkness."[104]The Times of India's critic Jhoomur Bose Malik praised Mukerji's costume, elaborating that "she did cut a diminutive yet striking picture with the cap, the structured black outfits and of course the no make-up look."[105] Reviewing Bachchan's role, Subhash K. Jha saw that it resembled "Shakespearean tragic-hero" character.[106]
Sushma Mohan of theDeccan Herald compared the film's story withKhamoshi: The Musical, and argued that it was "more complex and sensitive" but "better and finer" than the latter.[107] The director and criticRaja Sen from Rediff.com also did a comparative review ofBlack withPaheli (2005), also starring Bachchan (in a guest appearance) and Mukerji (in a lead role oppositeShah Rukh Khan). He termed the former "a half-baked, often derivative and crucially flawed film", while called the latter "leads to a languorously unhurried fairytale, a unique love story told without fuss". InBlack, Sen felt that its script "keeps [Mukerji's performance] from being an immortal [one]". Conversely, inPaheli, he believed that she had delivered "a powerful, sensuous, emotive performance".[108]Derek Elley ofVariety called Mukerji "seems to be hitting her stride as a serious actress".[109] A reviewer ofEmpire said that Bhansali "expertly draws engaging, convincing [p]erformances" from the leads ofBlack despite his "unsentimental" direction.[110] Pakistani magazineNewsline concluded, "[It] is an inspirational film and a must-see, even if only for its beautiful direction and acting."[111]
Black was successful at the box office in India and overseas; trade analysts believed that it was influenced by its positive critical reviews.[112] In India, the film had a theatrical run of nine weeks.[113][114] It earned₹10.3 million (US$233,560.09) on its opening day.[112] It collected₹34.3 million (US$410,000) on its first weekend and₹64.7 million (US$1.47 million) at the end of its first week.[112] The film earned₹330 million (US$7.48 million) in India, making it the year's ninth highest-grossing film in the country.[115] In North America,Black grossed $560,000 in four weeks.[116] In the United Kingdom, it grossed $600,000 in four weeks.[116] The film-trade websiteBox Office India estimated theHindi language version's total collections to be₹409.4 million (US$9.28 million), concluding its commercial performance to be "average".[112]
In South Korea, theKorean language version was a major success upon release there in 2009. The newspaperKyunghyang Shinmun reported that it sold 560,000 tickets and collected ₩3.8 billion ($2.98 million) within two weeks of its release.[117] It went on to sell 877,408 tickets and gross ₩6,241,612,000,[118] equivalent toUS$5.88 million (₹256.6 million).[119] It became thehighest-grossing 2005 Indian film in overseas markets with$7.7 million[120] (₹335.8 million), and the second highest-grossing 2005 Indian film worldwide with₹666 million (US$15.1 million).[121]
Black was the fifth film to win all 4 major awards (Best Film,Best Director,Best Actor, andBest Actress) at theFilmfare Awards, afterGuide (1965),Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995),Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) andDevdas.[66][122] The film won a total of 11 awards at the ceremony, setting a record at the time for the most trophies for a single film.[123] However, when the65th Filmfare Awards was held in 2019,Gully Boy broke the record with 13 awards.[124]Black won 3 awards at the53rd National Film Awards, including those forBest Feature Film in Hindi andBest Actor (Bachchan).[125] It also received 2Anandalok Puraskar,[126] 5Bollywood Movie Awards,[127] 9International Indian Film Academy Awards,[67][128] 11Producers Guild Film Awards,[129] 10Screen Awards,[68] 6Stardust Awards,[130] and 10Zee Cine Awards.[69]
Black has featured in several listings. In 2005,Richard Corliss ofTime included it in "Best Movies of 2005", peaking at #5. He wrote, "In so many Indian films the deepest searches are for romantic ecstasy and for reconciliation with the father figure. By addressing both these needs,Black is more than a noble weepie; it is the ultimate Bollywood love story."[131] The same year, it ranked #1 in Rachna Kanwar'sThe Times of India's "25 Must See Bollywood Movies", who stated that it was "made with astounding sensitivity and enthralling quest for perfection".[132] In 2017, cultural professorRachel Dwyer featured it in "70 Iconic Movies of Independent India", and in 2018, Lata Jha ofMint featured it in "10 Unusual Indian Film Takes on Disability".[133][134]Time Out placed the film at 80th position in its "The 100 best Bollywood movies" list.[135]
Mukerji's performance has been noted as one of her notable works, and it was referenced in several films.[136][137] InGolmaal: Fun Unlimited, a 2006 comedy byRohit Shetty, actorArshad Warsi dressed up as Mukerji's character.[138] In 2010,Filmfare included her work in their listing of Indian cinema's "80 Iconic Performances", and wrote, "... Mukerji sure filled the silences with her stupendous presence and how. Mukerji has left an indelible mark with this role that usually comes once in a lifetime for most."[139] In its March 2016 issue,New Woman magazine asserted: "It is hard to forget Mukerji ... essaying the role of a speech-impaired, deaf and blind girl with little or no make-up ... This was once when her action spoke louder than words."[140]
Black was remade inTurkish asBenim Dünyam (2013), which generated controversy in the media. On 5 September, when TMC Films released its trailer, Bhansali sent e-mails to the production company as no remake rights had been purchased, but they did not provide any response.[141] The remake opened on 25 October 2013 to positive reviews from critics.[142][143]
In February 2024,Black was made available for streaming onNetflix, to mark its 19th anniversary.[144]
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