Tag Archives: Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge

In Theaters April 2, 2010

Chicago movie screens remain largely devoid of Bollywood films for yet another week. The only new Hindi movie opening in the area this weekend is the political satire Well Done Abba, which released internationally last week. Well Done Abba opens at the Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles on Friday, April 2. The Golf Glen 5 is also carrying over Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area include Paiyaa (Tamil), Varudu (Telugu) and Yugapurushan (Malayalam) at the Golf Glen 5. Paiyaa is also showing at Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove.

And don’t forget, the Golf Glen 5 broadcasts IPL cricket matches weekend mornings at 9:30 throughout the month of April.

In Theaters March 26, 2010

Chicago’s Bollywood drought continues. There are no new Hindi movies opening on Friday, March 26. The only Hindi films showing in the Chicago area are Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge and Right Yaaa Wrong, both at the Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles. I’m surprised that both of Boman Irani’s new films — Well Done Abba and Hum Tum Aur Ghost — were shut out of theaters.

With little to choose from in theaters, it may be time to hit the video store to rent some DVDs. Among the films on Bollywood Hungama’s list of Top Rentals, I recommend Kurbaan and Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area this weekend include Leader (Telugu) and Bodyguard (Malayalam) at Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove, and Angadi Theru (Tamil), Maro Charitra (Telugu), Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (Tamil) and Ye Maya Chesave (Telugu) at the Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5.

Don’t forget, the Golf Glen 5 is also broadcasting IPL cricket matches on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m.

In Theaters March 19, 2010

There are few choices if you’re looking for Bollywood movies in Chicago area theaters this weekend. The movie industry planned on losing most of its local audience to Indian Premier League cricket matches and curtailed its releases accordingly. There are no new films opening on Friday, March 19, and just two older releases claim the rest of the allotted screen space.

The comedy Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge sticks around for a third week at the AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington and Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles. Cop thriller Right Yaaa Wrong gets a second week at the Golf Glen 5.

There are fewer IPL matches scheduled for next weekend, so I expect a number of new releases to arrive in Chicago area theaters on March 26. In the meantime, the Golf Glen 5 is broadcasting IPL matches on weekends at 9:30 a.m.

As of last weekend, My Name Is Khan had earned $3,931,456 during its five weeks in U.S. theaters. Gripping thriller Karthik Calling Karthik earned $286,409 in three weeks.

Other Indian movies playing in Chicagoland this weekend include Body Guard (Malayalam), Suphi Paranja Katha (Malayalam), Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (Tamil) and Ye Maya Chesave (Telugu) at the Golf Glen 5. Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove is also showing Ye Maya Chesave, as well as Leader (Telugu).

Opening March 12: Right Yaaa Wrong and Na Ghar Ke Na Ghaat Ke

The Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles hosts the only new Hindi movies opening in the Chicago area on Friday, March 12: the cop thriller Right Yaaa Wrong, which stars Sunny Deol, Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma, and a little known comedy with a long title, Na Ghar Ke Na Ghaat Ke.

Expect next week to be light on new Hindi movies as well, with wider Chicago area releases of movies featuring big stars resuming March 26.

Other Hindi movies continuing to show in the Chicago area this weekend include Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge at the Golf Glen 5 and AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, Karthik Calling Karthik at the South Barrington 30 and My Name Is Khan at the South Barrington 30, AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago and AMC Cantera 30 in Warrenville.

During its four weeks in U.S. theaters, My Name Is Khan has earned $3,834,048.

Other Indian movies showing near Chicago this weekend are Inkosaari (Telugu), Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (Tamil) and Ye Maaya Chesave (Telugu), which carry over at the Golf Glen 5, and Leader (Telugu) and Chattambi Nadu (Malayalam) at Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove.

The Golf Glen 5 is also showing Indian Premier League cricket matches in the morning every weekend through mid-April. Check the theater’s website for match times.

Movie Review: Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge (2010)

2.5 Stars (out of 4)

Buy the DVD at Amazon
Buy the soundtrack at Amazon

The Hindi phrase “Atithi Devo Bhava” translates as “A guest is a god,” meaning that one should treat guests with the utmost respect. That sounds fine until one realizes that “atithi” more precisely means an unexpected guest.

For most Americans, that conjures up memories of the time your mother-in-law dropped by on a Friday and declared she was staying the weekend, then complained because the sofa bed was lumpy, and because you didn’t have any grapefruit in the house while she was on an all-grapefruit diet. But that situation is hospitality for amateurs.

I know a married couple in Chicago who hosted both of their mothers — who only speak Turkish — in their one bedroom, one bathroom apartment. At the same time. For a month. That’s the kind of extreme hospitality Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge is about.

The movie (the title of which translates as “Guest, When Will You Leave?”) stars Ajay Devgan and Konkona Sen Sharma as Puneet and Munmun, a happily married couple with a six-year-old son. Puneet works as a screenwriter and Munmun as an architect. They live in a modern one-bedroom apartment in the city.

One day, Puneet’s uncle arrives at their apartment building unexpectedly. Puneet doesn’t remember this uncle, but admits that he could’ve forgotten him in the decade since he left his small village for the city. Uncle Lambodar (Paresh Rawal) explains how he’s related to Puneet’s deceased father, and the two get Uncle settled into the family apartment.

Uncle (which is how he’s primarily referred to in the movie) proceeds to turn the couple’s life upside down. Since he doesn’t understand what Puneet and Munmun do for a living, he assumes that they can wait on him hand and foot. He rattles off a list of six or seven dishes for Munmun to prepare for him, since he only wants a “light” dinner. He spends the rest of the night fouling the apartment with his chronic flatulence.

Uncle Lambodar isn’t an unlikeable boor. He’s a decent guy who’s simply clueless about what life is like outside of his village — not that he’d have a clue about how annoying Puneet and Munmun find him anyway. They do most of their grumbling behind closed doors, grimacing with every new demand Uncle makes. They yearn for Uncle to leave but are too polite to ask how long he plans to stay.

The veneer of politeness is what makes everything in Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge work. Devgan is at his funniest when holding a blank expression on his face, conveying contained rage to the audience and nothing in particular to Uncle Lambodar.

Likewise, Sharma’s best moment consists of her repeating an elaborate list of snacks and beverages Uncle expects her to prepare for him and his friends, as though she enjoys being treated like a servant.

But Rawal is the star of the movie. By underplaying the performance, he imbues Uncle Lambodar with humanity, rather than letting him exist as an irritating plot device. Lambodar is exactly the kind of person about whom people amend any complaints with the phrase, “…but he means well.”

Because this is the type of slapstick comedy that’s trendy in Hindi cinema at the moment, it contains its share of slapping. There are also the requisite goofy sound effects, including an elephant trumpet. But strong performances by actors with serious dramatic credentials elevate Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge above other movies in the genre.

Note: If the song “Jyoti Jalaile” sounds familiar, that’s because composer Vishal Bhardwaj adapted it from the song “Beedi” from his movie Omkara, turning a lusty bar tune into a devotional number. Like Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge, Omkara also stars Ajay Devgan and Konkona Sen Sharma and is co-written by Robin Bhatt.

*Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge‘s runtime is listed as 2 hrs. 35 min. Including previews, it’s really closer to 2 hrs. 5 min. — a more appropriate length for a comedy.

Opening March 5: Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge

One new Hindi movie opens in the Chicago area on Friday, March 5, 2010. The comedy Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge stars Ajay Devgan and Konkona Sen Sharma as a married couple desperate to rid themselves of an annoying house guest, played by Paresh Rawal.

Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge will play at Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles and AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington.

Thriller Karthik Calling Karthik continues for a second week at the Golf Glen 5, South Barrington 30 and AMC Cantera 30 in Warrenville, having earned $179,643 in its first weekend in U.S. theaters.

Last weekend’s other new release, Teen Patti, leaves theaters after one week.

The only other Hindi film showing in the Chicago area this weekend is My Name Is Khan, which has earned $3,634,423 in the U.S. so far. It continues its run at the South Barrington 30, Cantera 30 and AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago.

Other Indian movies playing in Chicagoland include Aagathan (Malayalam), Leader (Telugu), Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (Tamil) and Ye Maaya Chesave (Telugu) at the Golf Glen 5 and the Telugu movie Sadhyam at Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove.