Tag Archives: Race Gurram

In Theaters: June 13, 2014

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There are no new Hindi movies opening in the Chicago area on Friday, June 13, 2014, with only one older title sticking around. Holiday carries over for a second week at the AMC Showplace Niles 12 in Niles, MovieMax Cinemas in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville.

Sad to see Filmistaan exit theaters after one week, but it’s not surprising given its lackluster box office performance.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area this weekend include Manam (Telugu) at the Cinemark at Seven Bridges in Woodridge and MovieMax, which is also carrying How Old Are You (Malayalam), Jump Jilani (Telugu), Mundasupatti (Tamil), Naan Than Bala (Tamil), and Race Gurram (Telugu).

I’m not entirely sure why I like it so much, but the Race Gurram poster is one of my favorite movie posters ever.

Race_Gurram_poster

Opening June 6: Holiday and Filmistaan

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The action flick Holiday: A Solider Is Never Off Duty is finally hitting theaters, along with one other Hindi movie I didn’t expect to open in the Chicago area. Holiday — Akshay Kumar’s latest pairing with Sonakshi Sinha — releases on June 6, 2014.

Holiday opens on Friday at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, AMC Showplace Niles 12 in Niles, MovieMax Cinemas in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville, and AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 40 min.

The other new Hindi movie in theaters this weekend is Filmistaan. It’s finally getting a wide release in India and abroad after bouncing around festivals for the last two years. AMC must have a lot of confidence in the movie, because it’s opening in three local AMC theaters.

Filmistaan opens on Friday at the River East 21, Showplace Niles 12 and South Barrington 30. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 20 min.

The Lunchbox carries over for another week at the Glen Art Theatre in Glen Ellyn.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area this weekend include Manam (Telugu) at the Muvico Rosemont 18 in Rosemont, Cinemark at Seven Bridges in Woodridge, and MovieMax, which is also carrying How Old Are You (Malayalam), Kochadaiiyaan (Tamil), 7th Day (Malayalam), and Race Gurram (Telugu).

In Theaters: May 30, 2014

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There isn’t much happening in the way of Hindi movies in the Chicago area the weekend beginning Friday, May 30, 2014. Heropanti gets a second week at the AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and The Lunchbox carries over at the Glen Art Theatre in Glen Ellyn.

However, there are a ton of other Indian movies playing locally this weekend, thanks in large part to the reopening of the Golf Glen 5 in Niles as MovieMax Cinemas.

Kochadaiiyaan (Tamil) gets a second week at the South Barrington 30, AMC Showplace Niles 12 in Niles, AMC Loews Streets of Woodfield 20 in Schaumburg, Cinemark at Seven Bridges in Woodridge, and MovieMax Cinemas in Niles, which is also carrying the Telugu version, Vikramasimha.

Manam (Telugu) also carries over for a second week at MovieMax, Cinemark at Seven Bridges, and Muvico Rosemont 18 in Rosemont.

The South Barrington 30 has the Punjabi film 47 to 84: Hun Main Kisnu Watan Kahunga.

Other Indian movies showing at MovieMax this weekend include 7th Day (Malayalam), Amrutham Chandamama Lo (Telugu), Maanikya (Kannada), Mr. Fraud (Malayalam), and Race Gurram (Telugu).

In Theaters: May 2, 2014

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Theatrical trailers are unreliable indicators of which Hindi films will actually open in the U.S. For example, the trailer for Paan Singh Tomar ran in local theaters a year after the film’s release. Still, I was sure that the coming-of-age drama Purani Jeans would open in the Chicago area. Its trailer ran here for a month, and there was little competition from other Hindi films releasing the same weekend.

Nope. Purani Jeans isn’t opening in Chicago area, and neither is any other new Hindi film. Chicago area Bollywood fans have two options in theaters the weekend beginning Friday, May 2, 2014, and, no, Kaanchi isn’t one of them.

2 States carries over for a third week in six local theaters: AMC River East 21 in Chicago, Regal Gardens Stadium 1-6 in Skokie, AMC Showplace Niles 12 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville.

The Lunchbox gets yet another week at Landmark’s Renaissance Place Cinema in Highland Park.

A few Telugu movies are playing in the Chicago area this weekend, too. Both the Muvico Rosemont 18 in Rosemont and Cinemark at Seven Bridges in Woodridge are carrying Kotha Janta and Anaamika, a remake of one of my favorite films, Kahaani. The Seven Bridges also carries over Race Gurram for another week.

Opening April 25: Kaanchi

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Director Subhash Ghai’s Kaanchi: The Unbreakable debuts in two Chicago area theaters on April 25, 2014. The drama follows a courageous young woman who takes on the powers that be.

Kaanchi opens on Friday at the AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 20 min.

I’m surprised that Kangana Ranaut’s Revolver Rani isn’t opening here. Given the phenomenal recent success of Queen — which also starred Ranaut — I was sure the makers of Revolver Rani would try to capitalize on her current “It Girl” status.

Following a stellar opening weekend, 2 States expands into two more local theaters on Friday — Regal Gardens Stadium 1-6 in Skokie and AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge — joining the four theaters it debuted in last Friday: AMC River East 21 in Chicago, AMC Showplace Niles 12 in Niles, the South Barrington 30, and the Cantera 17.

The only other Indian movie playing in the Chicago area this weekend is Race Gurram (Telugu with English subtitles) at the Muvico Rosemont 18 in Rosemont and Cinemark at Seven Bridges in Woodridge.

Opening April 18: 2 States

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One of the most hotly anticipated Bollywood films of the year opens in the Chicago area on April 18, 2014. 2 States stars Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt as a pair of young people trying to build a relationship despite the objections of their parents.

2 States opens on Friday at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, AMC Showplace Niles 12 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 15 min.

It’s worth noting that the Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles — one of two local theaters to carry Bollywood movies virtually every week — is no longer managed by Phoenix Big Cinemas, and its present closure may be permanent. If so, that makes the South Barrington 30 the most reliable place to find Hindi films in the Chicago area, followed by the Cantera 17 and River East 21.

Despite a tepid opening weekend, Bhoothnath Returns carries over for a second week at the Cantera 17 and South Barrington 30, which is also carrying over Main Tera Hero and Queen.

The Lunchbox gets another week at Landmark’s Renaissance Place Cinema in Highland Park.

The only other Indian movie playing in the Chicago area this weekend is Race Gurram (Telugu with English subtitles) at the Muvico Rosemont 18 in Rosemont and Cinemark at Seven Bridges in Woodridge.

Bollywood Box Office: April 11-13

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Bhoothnath’s return to theaters was less than triumphant. The sequel failed to make a splash in its first weekend in North American theaters, earning only about a quarter of what the original did back in 2008.

The original Bhoothnath debuted on May 9, 2008. The supernatural family flick earned $330,246 from sixty-four North American theaters in its opening weekend for an impressive average of $5,160 per screen. It finished in 20th place in the overall U.S. box office for that weekend.

In contrast, Bhoothnath Returns earned just $87,850 from fifty theaters for an average of $1,757, according to Bollywood Hungama. That total would rank it around 34th place in the overall U.S. box office for the weekend of April 11-13, 2014.

The surprise success story of the weekend was the incredible performance of the Telugu film Race Gurram. In the United States alone, it earned $844,101 from sixty-six screens. That’s an average of $12,789 per screen!

Over the weekend, The Lunchbox became the highest grossing Hindi film of 2014 thus far. The $270,977 it earned from 122 theaters brought its total haul to $1,655,071. With dozens of theaters scheduled to program the movie over the next few months, expect that total to grow significantly.

In its second weekend, Main Tera Hero earned $45,282 from forty-six theaters ($984 average). Its total earnings stand at $252,966.

Queen‘s glorious run appears to be nearing its end. It earned $36,092 from twenty screens ($1,805 average) in its sixth weekend in theaters, bringing its total earnings to $1,385,453.

Sources: Bollywood Hungama and Box Office Mojo

Opening April 11: Bhoothnath Returns

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Amitabh Bachchan plays a ghost who takes on a corrupt politician in the family friendly sequel Bhoothnath Returns, opening in the Chicago area on April 11, 2014.

Bhoothnath Returns opens on Friday at the AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 32 min.

After a mild opening weekend at the North American box office, Main Tera Hero carries over for a second weekend at the South Barrington 30 and Cantera 17.

Queen gets a sixth weekend at the South Barrington 30.

The Lunchbox carries over for another weekend at the Century 12 Evanston in Evanston and Renaissance Place Cinema in Highland Park.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area this weekend include Disco Singh (Punjabi) at the South Barrington 30; Naan Sigappu Manithan (Tamil) and Maan Karate (Tamil) at AMC Loews Streets of Woodfield 20 in Schaumburg; and Race Gurram (Telugu) at Muvico Rosemont 18 in Rosemont.