With not a boy wizard or an orc in sight, a Bollywood spectacular has swarmed to number three in the British film charts, the first Bollywood title to achieve such success.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was beaten last week only by Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and The 51st State.

According to the trade journal Screen International, it opened at 41 sites last week, and took £473,355. Although dwarfed by Harry Potter, still showing at 537 sites and taking £2.4m - and certain to be pushed down the charts by the release this weekend of Lord of the Rings - it has become easily the most successful Indian release in the UK.

"It has been very heavily promoted, and unusually widely distributed, but it is still absolutely phenomenal," Robert Mitchell of Screen International said.

The film, directed by Karan Johar, and produced by Yash Raj Films, is nicknamed K3G. It is said to be the most expensive Bollywood film ever made, with a budget of almost £5m, and overseas locations - including Kent's Bluewater shopping centre.

The director described his film, which translates as Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sorrow, as being "all about loving your parents". It is a sentimental saga, of a family shattered by an unapproved marriage, and eventually reunited in time for the mandatory happy ending.

The film is being promoted by a coffee table book, and an album of its 10 song soundtrack: the album of Johar's last film sold over 2m copies.

Despite recent hyping of the crossover market for Asian films, Bollywood is no guarantee of success. Mr Mitchell noted that another Bollywood release in the UK, Bollywood Calling, barely registered at the box office, taking just over £3,000 last weekend.