Tag Archives: The Lunchbox

Bollywood Box Office: September 12-14

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Director Homi Adajania’s English-language comedy Finding Fanny performed very well in its opening weekend in the United States and Canada. From September 12-14, Finding Fanny earned $515,393 from 121 theaters for an average of $4,259 per screen. Every Bollywood film that has earned more than $500,000 in its opening weekend in North America this year has gone on to earn at least $850,000, so total earnings in excess of $1 million are not out of the question for Finding Fanny.

Indian films with predominantly English dialogue are rare, but they tend to do well at the North American box office. The 2011 comedy Delhi Belly earned $581,943 in its opening weekend, going on to post total earnings of $1,532,594. In 2006, Adajania’s first English film — Being Cyrus — opened in just two theaters in North America but earned $40,744. That’s an astounding per-screen average of $20,372!

In its second weekend in theaters, Mary Kom added another $119,460 to its tally, bringing its North American total to $590,165.

Other Hindi movies showing in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend:

  • Mardaani: Week 4; $6,560 from 12 theaters; $547 average; $391,931 total
  • The Lunchbox: Week 29; $3,302 from three theaters; $$1,101 average; $4,043,411 total
  • Singham Returns: Week 5; $1,612 from six theaters; $269 average; $1,231,550 total

Sources: Box Office Mojo and Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: September 5-7

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Mary Kom turned in a solid opening weekend at the North American box office from September 5-7, 2014. It earned $370,277 from 139 theaters, for a per-screen average of $2,664.

While this opening weekend gross ranks tenth among Bollywood films in North America so far this year, distributors were surely hoping for more. It opened on the sixth highest number of screens, yet — of the eleven films to open in 100 or more theaters — Mary Kom‘s per-screen average was only higher than that of the disastrous Humshakals.

Mary Kom‘s performance is also underwhelming relative to another sports biopic of note: last summer’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. The Farhan Akhtar racing flick opened in 140 theaters in the United States and Canada, earning $647,112 ($4,622 average) in its first weekend. Given that Priyanka Chopra has a higher international profile than Akhtar and considering Mary Kom’s more current relevance — she competed in the Olympics just two years ago, whereas Milkha Singh last competed in the 1960s — one would’ve hoped for a more comparable performance from Mary Kom.

Mardaani held up well through its third weekend in theaters. It earned $28,232 from 26 theaters ($1,086 average), bringing its North American total to $377,327.

Raja Natwarlal‘s business fell nearly 90% in its second week. From 30 theaters, it earned just $10,846 ($362 average). Its total stands at $131,105.

Singham Returns closed its fourth weekend with $9,677, bringing its total to $1,226,581. (The theater count of 127 supplied to Box Office Mojo seems incredibly high. Bollywood Hungama reports the movie as showing in 17 theaters, which is more realistic.)

In its 28th week in theaters, The Lunchbox added another $1,319 to its total earnings of $4,039,660.

Sources: Box Office Mojo and Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: August 29-31

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The heist film Raja Natwarlal didn’t set the North American box office on fire during its opening weekend, but its performance was typical for an Emraan Hashmi film in the United States and Canada. From August 29-31, 2014, Raja Natwarlal earned $83,669 from 73 theaters, an average of $1,146 per screen. Including its earnings from Monday’s Labor Day holiday in the U.S., Raja Natwarlal‘s total North American earnings stand at $102,314.

That total is decent for a Hashmi film. However, the per screen average is low thanks to it comparatively wide release. Take a look at the opening weekend earnings and screen counts for some recent Hashmi releases, along with the films’ total North American earnings:

  • Ghanchakkar: $143,616 from 89 screens ($1,614 avg); $203,044 total
  • Ek Thi Dayaan: $65,857 from 48 screens ($1,372 avg); $112,135 total
  • Raaz 3: $95,301 from 28 screens ($3,404 avg); $150,716 total
  • Shanghai: $107,565 from 37 screens ($2,907 avg); $183,748 total
  • Jannat 2: $45,000 from 19 screens ($2,368 avg); $54,148 total
  • The Dirty Picture: $267,722 from 52 screens ($5,149 avg); $462,000 total

Given that Hashmi’s films typically gross less than $200,000 in North America, I’m not sure there’s much need to open them in more than 50 theaters. Even his highest profile film — The Dirty Picture — opened in just 52 theaters here. Expanding the screen count for his films seems to dilute their per-theater returns without significantly increasing overall gross.

Mardaani held up well in its second weekend, earning $77,252 from 48 theaters ($1,609 average). The total gross for the Rani Mukerji thriller stands at $308,601.

Singham Returns likewise continued its strong run, adding $51,485 over the course of its third weekend. Its total earnings through Labor Day are $1,209,663.

Other Hindi movies still in theaters:

  • The Lunchbox: Week 27; $1,302 from two theaters ($651 average); $4,037,755 total
  • Kick: Week 6; $14 from one theater; $2,403,553 total

Sources: Box Office Mojo and Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: August 22-24

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For a second weekend, Singham Returns held on to the top spot among Bollywood movies showing in North America. From August 22-24, 2014, the Ajay Devgn action sequel earned $218,164 from 127 theaters ($1,718 average), bringing its total earnings to $1,085,328. That total ranks sixth among Hindi films in North America in 2014, about $170,000 shy of Jai Ho.

The strong performance by Singham Returns forced new release Mardaani into second place for the weekend. (To be fair, Mardaani played on a third fewer screens than Singham Returns.) According to Bollywood Hungama, Mardaani earned $168,997 from 86 theaters, an average of $1,965.

I’m optimistic about Mardaani‘s second weekend for a few reasons. The movie has a high user rating of 8.1 stars at IMDb. Monday is a national holiday in the United States (Labor Day). And this Friday’s new release, Raja Natwarlal, will likely open on fewer than a hundred screens. All those factors could help Mardaani retain a good chunk of its first weekend earnings.

Complete North American box office figures for Akshay Kumar’s Entertainment remain impossible to come by. Based on the $143,699 the movie has earned in Canada so far, Entertainment‘s three-week North American total is likely around $500,000.

Other Hindi movies showing in North America include:

  • Siddharth: Week 6; $2,491 from one theater; $59,808 total
  • Kick: Week 5; $2,041 from four theaters ($510 average); $2,402,677 total
  • The Lunchbox: Week 26; $725 from two theaters ($363 average) ;$4,035,675 total

Sources: Box Office Mojo and Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: August 15-17

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Singham Returns got off to a terrific start, turning in the fourth best opening weekend for a Hindi film in North America in 2014. Over the weekend of August 15-17, Singham Returns earned $654,054 from 127 theaters in the United States and Canada ($5,150 average), according to Box Office Mojo.

Singham Return‘s performance is significantly better than that of its predecessor, 2011’s Singham. In its opening weekend in North America, Singham earned $161,063 from 50 theaters ($3,221 average). During nine weeks of release, Singham earned a total of $350,864: a figure that Singham Returns nearly doubled in its first three days in theaters.

For a second week, the distributors of Entertainment failed to disclose their U.S. box office returns. We do know from Bollywood Hungama that the comedy earned $27,281 from 17 Canadian theaters, bringing its total in that country to $123,195.

Given that Akshay Kumar’s earlier 2014 release, Holiday, earned about 26% of its total North American gross from Canada, let’s assume that the $123,195 Entertainment earned in Canada represents 26% of its total haul as well. That would put Entertainment‘s total North American earnings at approximately $473,827. Fingers crossed that we’ll get the official figure someday.

Two other Hindi movies ran in the U.S. and Canada over the weekend:

  • Kick: Week 4; $19,102 from 14 theaters ($1,364 average); $2,398,097 total
  • The Lunchbox: Week 25; $1,652 from four theaters ($413 average); $4,033,909 total

Sources: Box Office Mojo and Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: August 8-10

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The distributors of Entertainment didn’t report their complete North American box office figures to either Rentrak or Box Office Mojo, perhaps with good reason. The figures that do exist paint a bleak picture.

According to the Rentrak information posted by Bollywood Hungama, Entertainment‘s opening weekend gross earnings in North America (sans theater count) amounted to $236,257. Among the twenty-five Akshay Kumar releases of the last seven years for which I have opening weekend figures, Entertainment ranks in the bottom quartile, between Thank You ($244,183) and Khiladi 786 ($228,967).

This is a disappointment given the relatively good performance of Kumar’s Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty in June. However, it fits with the overall downward trend in Kumar’s popularity in the United States and Canada.

In its third weekend in theaters, Kick continued to pad its impressive North American tally. From 67 theaters, it earned $89,405 ($1,334 average), bringing its total to $2,331,837.

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania closed out its fifth weekend of release by earning $1,231 from theaters ($410 average). Its total earnings of $882,343 rank eighth among Hindi movies released in North America in 2014.

The Lunchbox added another $650 to its 24-week total of $4,031,729.

Source: Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: August 1-3

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Salman Khan’s Kick held up well in North America, relieving fears that its business could meet the same fate as Jai Ho and drop dramatically in its second weekend in theaters. According to Bollywood Hungama, Kick earned $417,985 from 146 theaters in the United States and Canada during the weekend of August 1-3, 2014. That total is about forty percent of what Kick earned in its opening weekend. By comparison, in its second weekend, Jai Ho only earned about twenty percent of its first weekend total.

[Update: Box Office Mojo reports slightly higher figures for Kick‘s second weekend: $439,304 from 162 theaters for an average of $2,712 per screen. It lists the movie’s total North American earnings as $2,100,041.]

As with Kick‘s opening weekend, there’s an interesting difference between Kick‘s second weekend performance in the U.S. versus Canada. American theaters outnumbered Canadian theaters nearly seven-to-one, but Canada accounted for more than a quarter of the weekend’s total earnings. Note the difference in average earnings per screen (the combined average for both countries is $2,863):

  • Canada: $114,439 from 21 theaters; $5,449 average
  • USA: $303,546 from 125 theaters; $2,428 average

Though Canadian Bollywood fans generally have a greater appetite for action films than American fans, the effect is most pronounced when it comes to Salman Khan’s movies. During Jai Ho‘s first weekend in theaters, the per-screen average in Canadian theaters was nearly double that of American theaters: $7,940 versus $3,994. As with Kick, the disparity became even greater in Jai Ho‘s second weekend: $2,082 versus $887.

Kick‘s total North American earnings stand at $2,038,946. During the week, it will pass 2 States to become the continent’s second highest earning Hindi film of 2014, behind The Lunchbox.

Here’s how other Hindi movies fared in North America over the weekend:

  • Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania: Week 4; $15,671 from 13 theaters; $1,205 average; $876,988 total
  • The Lunchbox: Week 23; $1,201 from two theaters; $600 average; $4,028,062 total
  • Ek Villain: Week 6; $500 from two theaters; $250 average; $771,683 total

Source: Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: July 25-27

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Salman Khan’s latest — Kick — scored big at the North American box office, and it did so in impressive style. Kick blew past the first weekend earnings of Khan’s other 2014 release — Jai Ho — and posted the second best opening weekend for a Hindi movie in North America so far this year.

Over the weekend of July 25-27, Kick earned $1,023,427 from 163 theaters ($6,279 average) in North America. Check out the difference in per-screen averages when those figures are broken down by country:

  • Canada: $194,016 from 22 theaters; $8,819 average
  • USA: $829,411 from 141 theaters; $5,882 average

Kick‘s combined opening weekend gross ranks second for the year to date, less than $3,000 behind the opening weekend total of 2 States ($1,026,353). Kick‘s opening weekend per-screen average is third, trailing only The Lunchbox and 2 States.

[Update: Box Office Mojo reports significantly higher returns for Kick than the above figures from Rentrak, supplied by Bollywood Hungama. Mojo reports that Kick earned $1,071,373 from 177 theaters ($6,053 average), putting it comfortably ahead of 2 States for the best opening weekend of the year.]

Jai Ho‘s January opening weekend grossed $817,744 from 183 theaters ($4,469 average). In its second weekend — despite having no new Hindi movies in theaters to compete with — Jai Ho‘s business dropped by nearly 80%.

I suspect Kick will hold up better in its second weekend (which will also lack competition from any new Hindi films), thanks to its favorable summer release date and a slightly higher audience rating at IMDb (6.6 for Kick versus 6.0 for Jai Ho). When combined with its estimated mid-week earnings for the remainder of this week, even a disappointing second weekend would likely push Kick ahead of Queen on the list of highest earning Hindi films in North America in 2014. We’ll have to wait and see if it can best 2 States‘ total of $2,191,066 and move into second place behind The Lunchbox.

Three other Hindi movies remained in theaters in the shadow of Kick.

  • Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania: Week 3; $38,575 from 30 theaters; $1,286 average; $839,175 total
  • The Lunchbox: Week 22; $6,159 from seven theaters; $880 average; $4,025,021 total
  • Ek Villain: Week 5; $262 from two theaters; $131 average; $770,615 total

Source: Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: July 18-20

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Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania continued to captivate North American audiences over the weekend of July 18-20, 2014. In its second weekend of release, HSKD earned $201,601 from 89 theaters: a per-screen average of $2,265. Its total earnings in the U.S. and Canada stand at $727,229.

What makes this performance so impressive is that, in its second weekend, HSKD earned 53% of what it earned in its first weekend in theaters ($376,962). Hindi movies in North America virtually always lose more than 50% of their business from Week 1 to Week 2. HSKD‘s retention rate is third highest for the year, after The Lunchbox and Queen: two movies that actually increased their grosses and theater counts from Week 1 to Week 2. The fourth highest retention rate in 2014 is Hasee Toh Phasee, which held onto 45% of its first-weekend earnings in Week 2.

It will be interesting to see how HSKD fares in its third weekend when up against Salman Khan’s Kick. Based on this retention rate, I’m optimistic.

Now in its fourth week, Ek Villain earned $4,986 from nine theaters, bringing its total earnings to $766,632.

The Lunchbox added another $3,724 from five theaters to bring its total to $4,016,849.

Here’s a mystery worthy of Bobby herself. Bobby Jasoos earned $1,260 from five theaters to bring its total earnings to $212,615. Bollywood Hungama lists U.S. and Canadian earnings separately, and the share of the weekend’s profits that came from Canada was $8 from one theater.

That means that over the course of the whole weekend of July 18-20, 2014, just one Canadian went to see Bobby Jasoos in the theater. Who is this lone Canuck? I’m dying to know!

Source: Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: July 11-13

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Alia Bhatt appears to be box office gold in North America. Over the weekend of July 11-13, 2014, her new film — Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania — posted the seventh highest opening weekend returns of the year so far in the U.S. and Canada.

From 100 theaters, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania earned $376,962 ($3,770 average). In February, Bhatt’s Highway earned $325,522 from 93 theaters ($3,500 average) in its first weekend. Her next film — April’s 2 States — still has the best opening weekend for any Hindi film in North America this year: $1,026,353 from 131 theaters ($7,835 average).

Whether it’s Bhatt’s appeal specifically or her knack for choosing the right projects, filmmakers should pay attention to her. There aren’t many actors who can guarantee first-weekend earnings in excess of $300,000 in the U.S. and Canada, but Bhatt has done it three times this year.

Bobby Jasoos fared poorly in its second week in theaters, with business dropping off almost 85% from last weekend. The Vidya Balan detective flick earned $22,827 from 41 theaters ($557 average), bringing its total earnings to $202,746.

Ek Villain, on the other hand, held up well in its third week. From 29 theaters, it earned $22,730 ($784 average), bringing its total to $747,751.

The Lunchbox soldiered on into its twentieth week, adding $3,015 from seven theaters. Its total stands at $4,010,655.

 Source: Rentrak, via Bollywood Hungama