Tag Archives: Sultan

Streaming Video News: December 18, 2025

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I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with today’s premiere of Season 4 of the Hindi series Four More Shots Please!. Earlier this week, the Maddock Horror Universe vampire flick Thamma started streaming on Prime.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s debut of the Telugu film Premante. Here’s where we stand with all the Yash Raj Films titles added for the “Holiday Season” event that runs through December 27:

December 11: Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi (2002) & Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002)
December 12: Bewakoofiyaan (2014) & Mere Dad Ki Maruthi (2013)
December 13: Bank Chor (2017) & Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015)
December 14: Kabul Express (2006) & Tashan (2008)
December 15: Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007) & Sui Dhaaga: Made in India (2018)
December 16: Daawat-e-Ishq (2014) & Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011)
December 17: Qaidi Band (2017) & Titli (2014)
December 18: Aurangzeb (2013) & Thugs of Hindostan (2018)

The Netflix Original movie sequel Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders premieres on Friday, followed by Season 4 of The Great Indian Kapil Show on Saturday, with first guest Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

My list of Bollywood movies on Hulu got an update today with two new series: Madhuri Dixit’s Hindi show Mrs. Deshpande (also in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu) and the Malayalam series Pharma (also in Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu).

After posting a review of Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders on Friday, I’m going to take some time off for the holidays. I’ll try to update the three main streaming pages with new additions, but I’ll do so sporadically. Here’s a calendar of some of the films and shows coming to streaming over the next couple of weeks (including the few we know from the rest of the YRF Holiday Season event):

December 22: Aaha Kalyanam (Tamil) on Netflix
December 25: Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat on ZEE5
December 26: Ek Tha Tiger, Hichki, Sultan, & Tiger Zinda Hai on Netflix
January 1, 2026: LBW: Love Beyond Wicket, Season 1 (Tamil) on Hulu

If you want to know what’s coming even further out, please check out my GIANT preview of the new Indian Original movies and series coming to Netflix in 2026 (and beyond). I love putting this together for What’s on Netflix every year, and it’s full of a ton of great information.

Thanks as always for another wonderful year at Access Bollywood. Special thanks to those of you who contributed via PayPal and Venmo. Your support means so much and helps keep this site going strong. Best wishes for a healthy holiday season and a happy new year! — Kathy

[Disclaimer: my Amazon links include an affiliate tag, and I may earn a commission on purchases made via those links. Thanks for helping to support this website!]

YRF Movies Return to Netflix

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After almost a decade on Amazon Prime, the Yash Raj Films catalogue is back on Netflix — sort of. The seven movies that released from 2021-2023 are still on Prime for now, and only a handful of YRF movies are currently available on Netflix. Here’s why.

Netflix and YRF announced that are making the reintroduction of the back catalogue into a series of events, adding movies around a theme a few at a time. Besides the addition of War to augment the recently added War 2, the first theme was a celebration of Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday (November 2). The following films were added to Netflix on November 1:

There are at least seven more themed events to come through the end of 2025 and into early 2026. YRF and Netflix didn’t specify all the titles being added for every event. December’s Holiday Season event is especially busy, with two new films added each day from December 12-28.

I actually like this idea, as it draws attention to titles that folks may have forgotten about or missed when they initially released. It would be easy to overlook the individual titles if the whole 70-ish catalogue was added at once, so it’s nice to give different films the spotlight. These are ready-made marathons are kinda cool.

Here’s the schedule that’s been announced, with dates and themes. Note that the dates announced are for midnight in India, so we may actually get them in the United States on the afternoon of the day before. (Being able to watch a Dhoom marathon on Thanksgiving would kick ass.) Where possible, I’ve added links to the old Netflix catalogue entries from 2015 so you can add the movies to your “Remind Me” queue, if you wish. At the very bottom, I’ve added any of the other YRF titles I still have working links for that weren’t mentioned in the above press release.

November 13 — Classic YRF

November 28 — The Dhoom trilogy

December 5 — Ranveer Singh’s 15-year anniversary

December 12-28 — Holiday Season (two new films per day)

  • Bunty Aur Babli (2005)
  • Hum Tum (2004)
  • Mujhse Dosti Karoge (2002)
  • Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007)
  • Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (2008) — ★★½

December 27 — Salman Khan’s birthday

January 22, 2026 — Mardaani franchise

February 7, 2026  — Valentine’s Day (8 films total)

  • Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) — ★★★★
  • Ishaqzaade (2012) — ★★★½
  • Saathiya (2002)
  • Salaam Namaste (2005)

Other YRF movies with links but no release date yet:

What do you think of this release strategy? Do you like this mini-events, or would you rather have the whole catalogue available at once?

Bollywood Box Office: December 23-25, 2016

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Dangal closed out 2016 with the year’s biggest opening weekend in North America, on its way to being the year’s most successful Bollywood film. From December 23-25, 2016, Dangal earned $3,078,278 from 357 theaters* ($8,623 average). That was enough to rank it in 11th place among all movies at the North American box office for the holiday weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.

After adding its weekend take to its earnings from Wednesday night previews and Thursday showings, Dangal‘s official total is $3,907,781. Early reports have the movie earning about another $1 million on Monday, putting its six-day total at about $5 million. It will be the highest-earning Hindi film of the year in North America by the end of the week. Sultan currently holds that title with $6,191,282.

*Although Bollywood Hungama reports Dangal as showing in 331 theaters in the United States and 26 theaters in Canada, I suspect that 331 is actually the total number of theaters for all of North America combined (which would make Dangal‘s per-theater average $9,300). However, without access to Rentrak’s raw data to confirm my suspicions, I am using 357 as the total number of theaters in my calculations.

Other Hindi movies still in theaters:

  • Dear Zindagi: Week 5; $4,908 from seven theaters; $701 average; $2,446,761 total
  • Befikre: Week 3; $3,974 from fourteen theaters; $284 average; $810,760 total
  • Kahaani 2: Week 4; $974 from three theaters; $325 average; $488,278 total

Source: Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: August 19-21, 2016

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Happy Bhag Jayegi turned in a perfectly respectable opening weekend in North American theaters. From August 19-21, 2016, the romantic comedy earned $156,110 from 77 theaters, an average of $2,027 per theater.

In its second weekend in North American theaters, Rustom extended last weekend‘s narrow victory over Mohenjo Daro by a large margin. Rustom earned $359,432 from 118 theaters ($3,046 average). Those earnings are down just 53% from last weekend — one of the best retention rates of the year. Rustom‘s total earnings stand at $1,444,888.

Mohenjo Daro didn’t hold up nearly as well. It earned $166,308 from 164 theaters ($1,014 average) in its second weekend, down about 77% from last weekend (which is almost exactly the median Weekend 1-Weekend 2 drop for 2016 releases). That decline is better than Fitoor‘s 87% plunge but worse than Fan‘s 74% drop. Mohenjo Daro‘s total stands at $1,145,847, putting it in ninth place for the year — not good enough for a movie that opened in more than 200 theaters.

Sultan held on for a seventh week in two theaters, earning $1,247 ($624 average) to bring its total to $6,191,282.

Source: Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: August 12-14, 2016

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The battle between Rustom and Mohenjo Daro has been decided in North America, with Rustom emerging the victor by a greater margin than it first appears. From August 12-14, 2016, Rustom earned $757,004 from 132 theaters ($5,735 average). During the same weekend, Mohenjo Daro earned almost as much — $728,236 — but in over a hundred more theaters (237, to be exact). That gave Mohenjo Daro a much lower per-theater average of $3,073.

To put these performances in context for the year, Mohenjo Daro released into the third highest number of theaters in North America, but its opening weekend gross was only sixth best and its opening weekend average a disappointing eleventh. On the other hand, Rustom released into the eighth highest number of theaters for 2016, but its opening weekend gross and average were both fifth best.

Both movies will wind up earning $1 million here, so at least Mohenjo Daro star Hrithik Roshan can hang his hat on that. It’s now a question of how widely the two film’s fortunes will diverge going forward, and anecdotal evidence from the Chicago area hints at a brighter future for Rustom. Last weekend saw Mohenjo Daro open in nine Chicago area theaters, compared to Rustom‘s six. Rustom is carrying over for a second weekend in all six of its original theaters, while Mohenjo Daro is down to seven. More importantly, three of those seven theaters are only showing Mohenjo Daro twice per day over the weekend, and another is only showing it once daily. So, despite the higher theater count, Mohenjo Daro gets only twenty showings across the Chicago area on Friday, while Rustom gets 22.

If Mohenjo Daro‘s showings are already being cut back dramatically, the movie could be down to just one or two theaters in Chicago by next weekend. If that plays out the same way in other metropolitan areas across the United States and Canada, Mohenjo Daro could have a lot of trouble going forward. Worst case scenario is a quick burnout like Fitoor earlier this year, which made 2/3s of its total earnings in its first weekend. A 1.5 multiplier would see Mohenjo Daro post total earnings just shy of $1.1 million, which would put it in tenth place for the year. That would be bad.

Other Bollywood movies still in North American theaters:

  • Dishoom: Week 3; $5,863 from nine theaters; $651 average; $803,195 total
  • Sultan: Week 6; $1,738 from two theaters; $869 average; $6,189,464 total

Source: Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: August 5-7, 2016

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Hindi films were in a holding pattern over the weekend, biding time until the release of Mohenjo Daro and Rustom on August 12. Of the Bollywood movies still in North American theaters from August 5-7, 2016, Dishoom led the pack with $117,601 from 73 theaters ($1,611 average). That brings its total to $742,108 after its second weekend.

In its fifth weekend, Sultan took in $28,174 from twenty theaters ($1,409 average), bringing its total earnings to $6,180,930. Madaari completed its third weekend in North America with $1,592 from four theaters ($398 average) to bring its total to $163,408.

Source: Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

In Theaters: August 5, 2016

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With two big films on tap for next weekend — Mohenjo Daro and Rustom — no new Hindi movies are opening in the Chicago area on Friday, August 5, 2016. Dishoom carries over for a second week at MovieMax Cinemas in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. Sultan gets a fifth week at the Cantera 17 and MovieMax, which also holds over Madaari for a third week.

One new release of interest to fans of Indian cinema is Bazodee, a musical romance about an NRI in Trinidad and Tobago who falls for a handsome rasta singer. Bazodee stars Bollywood veteran Kabir Bedi and opens locally at the Cantera 17, Regal Round Lake Beach Stadium 18 in Round Lake Beach, and AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area:

Bollywood Box Office: July 29-31, 2016

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Dishoom performed well in its opening weekend in North American theaters. From July 29-31, 2016, the action flick earned $435,497 from 111 theaters ($3,923 average). That was enough to finish in twentieth place overall in North America.

The shocking news from the weekend was how dramatically business for the Tamil/Telugu film Kabali fell in its second weekend of release. After earning nearly $4 million in its opening weekend, Kabali earned just $239,352 from 141 theaters ($1,698 average) in its second. That’s a drop of nearly 95%. Tickets for Indian films in languages other than Hindi cost more during their first week in North American theaters, but the price drop in the second week isn’t steep enough to explain such low returns. For example, in Chicago area theaters, opening weekend adult tickets were priced at $20 and up. As of today — Kabali‘s fourteenth day in theaters — two local theaters are still pricing adult tickets at $18, two at $10, and one at $4.50 (the Century Stratford Square in Bloomingdale, for you bargain hunters out there). Kabali‘s total earnings in the United States and Canada stand at $4,436,528.

Back to Hindi films, Sultan is finally running out of steam. In its fourth weekend, it earned $83,785 from 41 theaters ($2,044 average), bringing its North American total to $6,107,827.

Other Bollywood movies still in theaters:

  • Madaari: Week 2; $18,328 from nineteen theaters; $965 average; $153,114 total
  • Dhanak:  Week 7; $40 from one theater; $12,939 total

Sources: Box Office Mojo and Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Opening July 29: Dishoom

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The Bollywood buddy cop film Dishoom — starring John Abraham, Varun Dhawan, and Jacqueline Fernandez — hits Chicago area theaters on July 29, 2016.

Dishoom opens on Friday at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, MovieMax Cinemas in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hours.

Madaari carries over for a second week at MovieMax and Cantera, but with limited showings at both theaters. Sultan gets a fourth week at MovieMax, South Barrington 30, Cantera, and AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area this weekend include:

Bollywood Box Office: July 22-24, 2016

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Madaari quietly performed to expectations in North America on a weekend overshadowed by the titan Rajinikanth. From July 22-24, 2016, Madaari earned $94,268 from 61 theaters ($1,545 average) in the United States and Canada. That’s pretty good considering the competition: Rajinikanth’s Tamil/Telugu film Kabali, which took in nearly $4 million in its first four days.

The cannibalization of screenspace by Kabali and Hollywood blockbusters greatly reduced Sultan‘s footprint, throttling the film’s performance in its third weekend in North American theaters. Sultan earned $298,753 from 114 theaters ($2,621 average), bringing its total to $5,897,836.

Sultan‘s competition further increases this Friday with the release of the Varun Dhawan-John Abraham action flick Dishoom, so it looks as though my projections for Sultan were a bit on the high side last week. A $7 million total seems much less likely now, especially with Sultan poised to lose half of its remaining theaters on Friday. It could still surpass the $6.53 million made by 3 Idiots in 2009, but even that’s not a given.

Sources: Box Office Mojo and Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama