Bollywood reaped an American windfall in 2006 with its films making up half of 14 foreign language films that grossed more than $2 million in US — more than any other language.

That's still a pittance compared to the billion-dollar bonanza a single Hollywood movie can haul in, but the seven Hindi hits of 2006 in the US offered "another sign that India’s film industry is capturing broad, even global, appeal," Forbes magazine says in its latest issue.

"Bollywood is hot," the magazine observed.

It cited industry analysts estimating the Hindi film industry grossing more than $78 million over the last six months of 2006, the highest in recent years, boosted by blockbusters including Rang De Basanti and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (KANK).

Early blockbusters in 2006, like Fanaa and Krrish, still continued to earn money till later into the year.

Forbes estimates Dhoom 2 to be the biggest grosser taking in $18.4 million, followed by Fanaa ($17.7 million), KANK ($17.5 million), Krrish ($15.2 million), Omkara ($14.7 million) and Lage Raho Munnabhai ($14.1 million).

But to put that in perspective, a single Hollywood 2006 blockbuster, Pirates of the Caribbean took in $1.06 billion worldwide, more than the what the entire Bollywood output grossed. Da Vinci Code raked in $756 million, more than the profit of India’s top IT firms.