Tag Archives: Super 30

Streaming Video News: September 6, 2019

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with the addition of the excellent 2019 thriller Article 15. Based on my experience, it’s a good movie to recommend to people who don’t normally watch Hindi films. Other recent additions include the 2019 Tamil release Watchman and the 2018 Telugu movies C/o Kancharapalem and Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with almost two dozen Indian and Pakistani films added in the last week, including these 2019 releases:

In other streaming video news, Super 30 comes to Hotstar on September 10.

For everything else new on Netflix and Amazon Prime — Bollywood or not — check Instant Watcher.

Bollywood Box Office: August 23-25, 2019

Mission Mangal had a good second weekend in North America, earning $655,056 from 263 theaters ($2,491 average), according to Box Office Mojo. It closed out the weekend with $2,713,267 in total earnings, good enough for fifth place among Hindi films in North America this year. Monday earnings from the United States alone pushed it past Kalank into fourth place. It needs another $181,000 to overtake Bharat for third place.

Batla House also held up very well, with $102,989 from 62 theaters ($1,661 average), according to Bollywood Hungama. It has total earnings of $446,385 so far.

Other Hindi movies still playing in US theaters:

  • Super 30: Week 7; $413 from one theater; $2,322,834 total
  • Jabariya Jodi: Week 3; $296 from one theater; $109,809 total

Sources: Bollywood Hungama and Box Office Mojo

Bollywood Box Office: August 16-18, 2019

Mission Mangal had the second best opening weekend for a Bollywood movie in North America this year. From August 16-18, 2019, the space drama earned $1,365,006 from 263 theaters ($5,190 average), according to Box Office Mojo. Adding in the film’s Thursday earnings brings Mission Mangal‘s 4-day total to $1,522,399.

Batla House fared pretty well in its opening weekend as well, especially considering the strength of its competition. The John Abraham thriller earned $208,671 from 80 theaters ($2,608 average), according to Bollywood Hungama. Batla House‘s Thursday earnings bring its 4-day total to $223,018.

The two new films crushed every other Hindi movie playing in the United States over the weekend. Jabariya Jodi‘s business cratered in its second weekend, falling by 95%. The romantic comedy earned just $3,919 from 13 theaters ($301 average), bringing its total to $107,645.

Other Hindi movies still in US theaters:

  • Super 30: Week 6; $1,211 from three theaters; $404 average; $2,322,115 total
  • Judgementall Hai Kya: Week 4; $105 from two theaters; $53 average; $529,689 total

Sources: 143 Cinema, Bollywood Hungama, and Box Office Mojo

Bollywood Box Office: August 9-11, 2019

Jabariya Jodi got off to an okay start in North America. During the weekend of August 9-11, 2019, the romantic comedy earned $79,464 from 53 theaters ($1,499 average), according to Bollywood Hungama. By this point in the year, Hindi films have to earn closer to $200,000 in their opening weekend with a per-theater average of around $2,500 to rank in the top half.

Other Hindi movies still showing in North American theaters:

  • Judgementall Hai Kya: Week 3; $20,599 from 18 theaters; $1,144 average; $524,766 total
  • Super 30: Week 5; $14,224 from 18 theaters; $790 average; $2,315,850 total
  • Kabir Singh: Week 8; $3,600 from two theaters; $1,800 average; $2,614,611 total

Sources: 143 Cinema and Bollywood Hungama

Opening August 9: Jabariya Jodi

The romantic comedy Jabariya Jodi (“Forced Couple“) — starring Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra — hits Chicago area theaters on August 9, 2019.

Jabariya Jodi opens Friday at MovieMax Cinemas in Niles, AMC South Barrington 24 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 5 min.

Judgementall Hai Kya carries over at MovieMax and the South Barrington 24, which also holds over Super 30.

Last weekend‘s new release — Khandaani Shafakhana — is out of local theaters after one week.

Other Indian and Pakistani movies playing in the Chicago area this weekend (all films have English subtitles):

Bollywood Box Office: August 2-4, 2019

Sonakshi Sinha’s comedy Khandaani Shafakhana had a disastrous opening weekend in North America, earning just $29,631 from 50 theaters ($593 average), according to Bollywood Hungama. This is the latest in a string of disappointing performances by Sinha’s comedies here, starting last winter with Welcome to New York ($111,044 opening; $225,366 total), and followed in the summer by Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi ($66,179 opening; $135,815 total).

Judgementall Hai Kya held up well in its second weekend, earning $106,624 from 52 theaters ($2,050 average) and bringing its total to $456,252. Last weekend’s other new release — Arjun Patiala — fell hard, its business dropping by almost 95%. It earned just $4,091 from 12 theaters ($341 average). Its total stands at $106,804.

In its seventh weekend, Kabir Singh earned $13,275 from eight theaters ($1,659 average), bringing its total to $2,604,106. One interesting note about Kabir Singh‘s strong box office performance is that 40% of its North American total has come from Canada. Even big Hindi releases only open in 20-40 theaters in Canada, compared to 100-300 theaters in the United States, meaning that most Bollywood films derive about 20% of their combined North American total from Canada. 40% — over $1 million in Kabir Singh‘s case — is huge!

Other Hindi movies still in North American theaters:

  • Super 30: Week 4; $82,767 from 75 theaters; $1,104 average; $2,266,658 total
  • Article 15: Week 6; $980 from two theaters; $490 average; $1,058,891 total
  • Photograph: Week $50 from one theater ;$351,408 total

Source: Bollywood Hungama

Opening August 2: Khandaani Shafakhana

Just one new Hindi movie opens in the Chicago area on August 2, 2019. Sonakshi Sinha runs a fertility clinic in the comedy Khandaani Shafakhana.

Khandaani Shafakhana opens Friday at the AMC South Barrington 24 in South Barrington and Regal Cantera in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 16 min.

The South Barrington 24 and MovieMax Cinemas in Niles hold over last weekend’s new releases Arjun Patiala and Judgementall Hai Kya, which also gets a second week at Cantera.

All three of the above theaters give a fourth week to Super 30, as do the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, AMC Niles 12 in Niles, AMC Naperville 16 in Naperville, and AMC Woodridge 18 in Woodridge. Kabir Singh gets a seventh week at MovieMax.

Other Indian movies playing in the Chicago area this weekend (all films have English subtitles):

Bollywood Box Office: July 26-28, 2019

Two new Hindi releases met very different fates at the North American box office during the weekend of July 26-28, 2019. The Kangana Ranaut-Rajkummar Rao dark comedy Judgementall Hai Kya scored big, earning $248,781 from 59 theaters ($4,217 average), according to Bollywood Hungama. I’m surprised it didn’t open in more theaters, given the popularity of its lead actors.

The weekend’s other new release — Arjun Patiala — appears to have been a victim of theatrical overreach or bad timing (or both). The Diljit Dosanjh-Kriti Sanon romantic comedy earned just $67,407 from 73 theaters ($923 average). Two Punjabi-language releases — Chal Mera Putt and Ardaas Karan — performed really well here over the weekend, siphoning off much of Dosanjh’s core fanbase despite both Punjabi films showing on less than half as many screens as Arjun Patiala.

Super 30 held strong in its third weekend, earning enough to push it past the $2 million mark. The biographical drama earned $189,224 from 128 theaters ($1,478 average), bringing its total to $2,111,832, according to Box Office Mojo.

Other Hindi movies still showing in North America:

  • Kabir Singh: Week 6; $19,378 from 18 theaters; $1,077 average; $2,573,373 total
  • Article 15: Week 5; $7,705 from nine theaters; $856 average; $1,054,918 total
  • Photograph: Week 11; $111 from one theater; $351,358 total

Sources: 143 Cinema, Bollywood Hungama, and Box Office Mojo

Opening July 26: Arjun Patiala and Judgementall Hai Kya

Two new Hindi movies hit Chicago area theaters on July 26, 2019. First up is the romantic comedy Arjun Patiala, starring Diljit Dosanjh and Kriti Sanon.

Arjun Patiala opens Friday at MovieMax Cinemas in Niles, AMC South Barrington 24 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera in Warrenville. It has a quick runtime of 1 hr. 47 min.

Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao play antagonists in the weekend’s other new release, Judgementall Hai Kya. The psychological black comedy opens Friday at all three of the above theaters and has a runtime of 2 hrs. 2 min.

Super 30 carries over for a third week at MovieMax, South Barrington 24, Cantera, AMC River East 21 in Chicago, AMC Niles 12 in Niles, AMC Naperville 16 in Naperville, and AMC Woodridge 18 in Woodridge.

Article 15 and Kabir Singh both hold over at MovieMax and the South Barrington 24.

Other Indian movies playing in the Chicago area this weekend (all films have English subtitles):

Bollywood Box Office: July 19-21, 2019

Super 30 had a really nice second weekend after a slow opening in North America. From July 19-21, 2019, the biographical drama earned $441,945 from 189 theaters ($2,338 average), according to Box Office Mojo. It held onto 50% of its opening weekend business — the best carryover rate for the year so far among Hindi films that debuted in at least 150 theaters. Its 10-day total stands at $1,731,646.

Kabir Singh did a brisk business in its fifth weekend of release, earning $58,482 from 25 theaters ($2,339 average), according to Bollywood Hungama. That brings its total to $2,509,109.

Article 15 closed out its fourth weekend with $23,700 from 17 theaters ($1,394 average), pushing the thriller’s total to seven digits: $1,038,992.

Here’s a fun fact: of the 28 Hindi films to release in North America in 2019, half have earned more than $1 million. I looked back through the last five years of box office data, and only two years — 2016 and 2018 — had more than 14 $1 million-earners total (15 and 18 movies, respectively). It’s super unlikely that the 50% ratio will hold through the end of the year, but nevertheless, a lot of Hindi films are going to make a lot of money here in 2019.

Meanwhile in Canada, Photograph earned $134 from one theater. After ten weeks in North America, it’s earned $351,247.

Sources: Bollywood Hungama and Box Office Mojo