Jolie sprinkles Rs.78 mn worth 'Salt' on Indian box office

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) Angelina Jolie starrer espionage thriller 'Salt' has earned approximately Rs.7.8 crore ($1.673 million) in its opening weekend in India.

The Sony Pictures' project has cemented Jolie's character's position as a super spy comparable to James Bond and Jason Bourne. Raking in a $36 million at the US box office, it opened simultaneously in India Friday with 464 prints in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

'The film has done great business, thanks to Angelina Jolie's appeal with both men and women and the spy genre which has always appealed to the Indian audiences. In fact, this looks like it could be the highest grossing female led Hollywood film in India,' Kercy Daruwala, managing director of Sony Pictures, said in a statement.

Originally written around a male sleeper spy with Tom Cruise in the lead, 'Salt' also stars Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejioforthe.

The story of the movie revolves around Evelyn A. Salt (Jolie), a CIA operative, who is identified as a Russian sleeper agent and is accused of plotting the assassination of the visiting Russian President.

Her CIA superiors are quickly convinced that she is involved in an international conspiracy and make her the target of an intense hunt. Salt risks her life and that of her husband to prove that she is not the traitor.