Tag Archives: Thugs of Hindostan

Streaming Video News: December 18, 2025

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!]

Streaming Video News: December 11, 2025

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s streaming debut of the Tamil film Kaantha. Today also marked the start of Yash Raj Films’ “Holiday Season” event, where two movies from the studio’s back catalog will be added to Netflix every day until December 27. Here’s what was added today, plus links to what we know is coming:

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 15: 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)
December 22: Aaha Kalyanam (2014/Tamil)
December 26: Hichki (2018)

The new Netflix Original Hindi comedy series Single Papa debuts on Friday.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with the addition of the Telugu film 12A Railway ColonyAmazon also added the Telugu version of Jatadhara, but not the Hindi version.

ZEE5 premiered a new Hindi film starring Radhika Apte today: Saali Mohabbat.

Months after Aamir Khan took his movies off of streaming services and made them available for rent on YouTube, another movie rental platform has debuted as a viewing option. The social cataloging service Letterboxd (follow me on Letterboxd here) has launched a virtual video store in specializing in hard-to-find films. One of the first movies they are offering is Anurag Kashyap’s thriller Kennedy, which played at the Cannes Film Festival and 2023 and then disappeared. It never released in theaters or on any streaming service. It’s now available for rent in select countries (not India, unfortunately) until January 9, 2026. In the US, a 48-hour rental costs $19.99 — not cheap, but fair considering it’s been impossible to find until now. You can rent Kennedy here, or check out the other movies available for rent.

[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!]

Streaming Video News: December 4, 2025

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s streaming debut of the Telugu film The Girlfriend and with five Yash Raj Films titles added to celebrate Ranveer Singh’s 15th anniversary as an actor:

Fun fact: I watched Befikre in 2016 intending to review it, but I immediately forgot both my intention to review it and everything that happened in the movie. That never happens, so do with that info what you will.

I’m still obsessively checking Netflix to determine the schedule for the YRF “Holiday Season” event that runs from December 11-27/12-28 (depending on your country). I’m excited that Titli and Qaidi Band are part of the lineup, as they haven’t been included in the YRF streaming catalog in the past. If we get Roadside Romeo as part of this, I’m going to freak out. Here’s what we know so far:

December 12 – Bewakoofiyaan & Mere Dad Ki Maruthi
December 13 – Bank Chor & Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!
December 15 – Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
December 16 – Daawat-e-Ishq & Mere Brother Ki Dulhan
December 17 – Qaidi Band & Titli
December 18 – Aurangzeb & Thugs of Hindostan
December 23 – Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (per CinemaRare)
December 24 – Bunty Aur Babli (per CinemaRare)

The new Netflix Original Tamil movie Stephen releases on Friday.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with the additions of the Malayalam movie Diés Iraé and the Bengali series Milon Hobe Kotodine.

Streaming Video News: January 4, 2019

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with the addition of 2018’s biggest flop, Thugs of Hindostan. To be fair, it’s not a terrible movie, despite its dismal box office performance. It’s the perfect thing to keep your kids occupied for a few hours since they’ve been out of school for nearly two weeks, and I know you parents are stressing because you’ve run out of ideas for how to entertain them. The movie’s available in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu and in standard and 4K Ultra High Definition. Here are links to the various versions:

In addition, Amazon added a couple of Sridevi movies — Suhaagan (Hindi) and Vetagadu (Telugu) and ten other Indian films. The Prime Video India Twitter account tweeted that Sui Dhaaga: Made in India debuts on Amazon on January 11. Hopefully that’s a global premiere date and not just India only.

Bollywood Box Office: December 7-9, 2018

Kedarnath had quite a good opening weekend in North America — fifteenth best in a field of 53 Hindi and multilingual films released here this year, in fact. From December 7-9, 2018, the romantic drama earned $374,964 from 117 theaters ($3,205 average), according to Bollywood Hungama.

It’s showing was all the more impressive given that 2.0 had another great weekend as well, taking in $788,976 from 288 theaters ($2,740 average). The multilingual sci-fi sequel is on the brink of crossing the $5 million mark here, with $4,870,335 in total earnings across all languages so far.

Ayushmann Khurrana’s two films are still going strong, with Badhaai Ho earning $16,181 from 13 theaters ($1,245 average) in its eighth weekend of release. Its total stands at $3,312,100. In its tenth weekend of release, Andhadhun took in $6,398 from five theaters ($1,280 average), bringing its total to $1,368,448.

And then there’s Thugs of Hindostan. In its fifth weekend, it earned $770 from two theaters — one in the United States and one in Canada. The US’s contribution to that total? $10. Imagine a weekend of screenings at that US theater, all empty except for one person sitting alone in one of those showings (okay, maybe two people if it was a matinée). Thugs of Hindostan is stuck just shy of $2 million, with $1,982,112 in total North American earnings.

Source: Bollywood Hungama

Bollywood Box Office: November 30-December 2, 2018

Rajinikanth’s 2.0 did blockbuster numbers in its opening weekend in North America, as expected. From November 30-December 2, 2018, the multilingual sci-fi sequel took in $2,770,738 from 315 theaters ($8,796 average), according to 143 Cinema. Adding in returns from Wednesday night preview shows and a full day of screenings on Thursday brought its total to $3,753,667 by the end of Sunday. By this point, 2.0 has already cleared $4 million here.

Other Hindi movies still showing in North American theaters:

  • Badhaai Ho: Week 7; $25,002 from 17 theaters; $1,471 average; $3,284,458 total
  • Andhadhun: Week 9; $9,437 from seven theaters; $1,348 average; $1,356,669 total
  • Thugs of Hindostan: Week 4; $2,865 from six theaters; $478 average; $1,978,868 total

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

In Theaters: November 22, 2018

Pickin’s are slim for Chicago area Bollywood fans this long Thanksgiving weekend. For the holiday period beginning Thursday, November 22, 2018, there are just two options: Thugs of Hindostan and Badhaai Ho, both showing at MovieMax Cinemas in Niles and AMC South Barrington 24 in South Barrington. That’s it.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area this weekend:

Bollywood Box Office: November 16-18, 2018

If you thought Thugs of Hindostan had a bad first weekend in North American theaters, then buckle up. Its second weekend was a lot worse. From November 16-18, 2018, Thugs of Hindostan earned $150,387 from 178 theaters ($845 average) in the United States and Canada, according to Bollywood Hungama. So far, it hasn’t even earned $2 million here, with a total stuck at $1,876,932. The figures were so bad that Yash Raj Films didn’t even bother to report its data to Box Office Mojo. In India, exhibitors are demanding compensation for their loses.

That second-weekend total represents an 87% drop from its first weekend, which almost never happens for Hindi movies that get wide releases in North America. A notable exception is 2018’s other major flop, Race 3, which ranks just ahead of Thugs on the 1st-to-2nd-weekend holdover list with a drop of 85%. The median 1st-to-2nd-weekend business drop for the year is 75%, but the movies that fall below that mark overwhelmingly release in fewer than 100 theaters. The only other exception this year is Aiyaary, which debuted in 152 theaters, but even it only saw its business fall by about 77% — a healthy number by comparison.

Cinemas fared much better with a pair of older Hindi titles. Five-week-old Badhaai Ho took in $81,850 from 33 theaters ($2,480 average), bringing its total to an amazing $3,122,493. Seven-week-old Andhadhun earned $19,686 from ten theaters ($1,969 average), for total earnings of $1,303,946.

Other Bollywood movies still showing in US theaters:

  • Baazaar: Week 4; $398 from two theaters; $199 average; $326,384 total
  • Namaste England: Week 5; $10 from one theater; $109,698

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

In Theaters: November 16, 2018

Despite a lackluster $1 million opening weekend, Thugs of Hindostan is still the main game in town for Chicago area Bollywood fans the weekend beginning Friday, November 16, 2018. Thugs carries over (in standard format only) at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, MovieMax Cinemas in Niles, AMC Showplace Niles 12 in Niles, Regal Round Lake Beach Stadium 18 in Round Lake Beach, AMC Rosemont 18 in Rosemont, AMC South Barrington 24 in South Barrington, Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville, AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge, and AMC Loews Crestwood 18 in Crestwood.

Badhaai Ho gets a fifth week at MovieMax and Cantera 17, and South Barrington 24, which also holds over Andhadhun for an amazing seventh week.

Other Indian and Bangladeshi movies showing in Chicago area theaters:

Bollywood Box Office: November 9-11, 2018

Thugs of Hindostan‘s opening weekend was not great considering it released in the most theaters of any Hindi movie in North America this year. From November 9-11, 2018, it earned $1,185,386 from 377 theaters ($3,144 average), according to Box Office Mojo. Adding $264,462 from opening day collections on Thursday brings the swashbuckler’s 4-day total to $1,449,848. Its Friday-Sunday total is only fourth best for the year, even though 35 of those theaters charged higher ticket prices to show Thugs on their IMAX screens.

Thugs‘ per-screen average reveals the extent of audience disinterest in this title. $3,144 is just the 16th best opening weekend per-screen average for a Hindi film in North America this year. Adding in the returns from Thursday only brings the average up to $3,846. While one might dismiss this as a case of over-saturation, none of the other Hindi movies to release in more than 300 theaters this year fared as poorly. Padmaavat had an opening weekend PSA of $11,860. Sanju averaged $7,650 per screen. Even Race 3 averaged $5,385 per screen in its first weekend.

Will this poor performance affect the release calendar for the rest of the month? Other studios had all but ceded the territory between now and 2.0‘s release on November 29, assuming that Thugs of Hindostan would be a hot ticket for at least the next two weeks. The Sunny Deol-Preity Zinta comedy Bhaiaji Superhit looks even more likely to release here now on November 23, which would make it the only new release to take advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. Last-minute release date changes aren’t unusual in Bollywood, so maybe some scrappy distributor can pull things together in a jiff to take advantage of this unexpected lull.

Other Hindi movies still showing in North American theaters (per Bollywood Hungama):

  • Badhaai Ho: Week 4; $153,098 from 59 theaters; $2,595 average; $2,961,841 total
  • Andhadhun: Week 6; $28,791 from 14 theaters; $2,057 average; $1,244,833 total
  • Baazaar: Week 3; $3,312 from eight theaters; $414 average; $324,616 total
  • Namaste England: Week 4; $24 from one theater; $107,951 total

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