With no new Hindi films playing in North American theaters during the weekend of March 11-13, 2016, Neerja topped the box office for the fourth weekend in a row. It earned $69,001 from 45 theaters ($1,533 average), bringing its total earnings in the United States and Canada to $1,647,316.
Jai Gangaajal‘s business fell by more than 75% from its first weekend to its second, taking in $27,497 from 38 theaters ($724 average). Its North American total stands at $183,739.
Airlift hung on for an eighth weekend in one theater, adding another $578 to bring its total to $1,858,243.
The weekend’s highest earning Indian movie was the Punjabi film Love Punjab, which took in a total of $426,179. What’s interesting is where those earnings came from. Love Punjab earned $174,468 from 36 US theaters for a very good average of $4,846 per screen. Canada only carried the movie in 13 theaters but earned a total of $251,711, making for an incredible average of $19,362 per screen! If I had the money, I’d build a theater in Canada toot sweet.
Source: Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama
For the record – the largest concentration of Punjabi Sikhs – anywhere in the world outside of Punjab is Surrey, BC, Canada. 120,000 Sikhs make up 42% of the city’s population. The 4th largest is Abbotsford, BC, Canada – which is also a Vancouver suburb like Surrey. And the 5th largest is Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
The theaters in Surrey and Brampton that are showing Love Punjab are each already sold out for today, so I’d expect the numbers to improve.
Thanks for the stats, Mike! You’re not in Canada now, are you?