Pathaan director Siddharth Anand is thrilled to become the first Hindi film director to enter the Rs 500-crore (nett) club with the Hindi version of the Shah Rukh Khan starrer action thriller.

Expressing his gratitude to the audience for showering love on the Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer, Siddharth recently said, “I’m just so happy and grateful that Pathaan has been entertaining people globally. To hit Rs 1,000-plus crore gross worldwide and Rs 500 crore nett for the Hindi version is simply historic. As a director, I couldn’t be prouder to have made a film that is bringing joy to so many people globally.”

The filmmaker admitted that he wanted to deliver the all-time biggest blockbuster in the history of Hindi cinema with Pathaan. “When we set out to make Pathaan, I knew that we were chasing the all-time biggest number. But never in my dreams did I ever imagine that the movie would become the first hindi film to touch Rs 400 crore nett in India and now 500 crore nett! It is an unbelievable feat that is inspiring me and all of us at YRF,” he added.

Yash Raj Films’s Pathaan, which also features John Abraham, is already the highest-grossing Hindi film worldwide in the history of Hindi cinema with collections of over Rs 1000 crore gross.

“I know we have pushed the envelope to deliver a film that has connected with audiences worldwide. So, now I have to go the distance in every film that I make.. This moment is for the entire team of Pathaan to savour, for the entire Hindi film industry to savour because it is a rare, rare accomplishment,” said Siddharth.