DHOOM 3 has finished its run now and has set new lifetime records in every major circuit across the world apart from the biggest of them all Mumbai.

The nett collections of DHOOM 3 in Mumbai are less than 3 IDIOTS by around 2.50 crore though the distributor share for DHOOM 3 is more. This has a lot to do with stagnation in the growth of Mumbai circuit and traditionally action films fare better in North whereas comedy/drams do better in Mumbai.

Prior to HUM AAPKE HAI KOUN in 1994, Mumbai was around 25% bigger than Delhi/UP on general but then tickets got higher and Mumbai circuit had the most big cities where these higher ticket rates were possible. The multiplex revolution started and again Mumbai circuit was the one to have the most multiplex development making it double of Delhi/UP towards the end of the last decade.

The digital revolution was also fastest in Mumbai over the 2006-2010 period. Over the last few years there has been stagnation as when a new multiplex comes up in Mumbai, Thane, Ahmedabd or Pune it does not really add to business but takes away business from another multiplex nearby. And its a different story in Delhi/UP, East Punjab or Rajasthan as these circuits have shown growth over the last few years especially East Punjab and Rajasthan.

In the weeks before the release of "Dhoom 3", actor Aamir Khan got a message from his dentist, who was concerned that his patient's new film wasn't being promoted enough.

That was exactly what Khan, who plans the marketing of his films as meticulously as he prepares for roles, wanted to hear.

"When people are concerned enough about your film that they ask you why they aren't promoting it more, you know you've achieved what you wanted," the 48-year-old Bollywood star told Reuters in an interview.

As each big-ticket Indian film tries to outdo previous box-office records, shouting about the latest premiere has become routine.

Before "Chennai Express" opened in cinemas last year, actor Shah Rukh Khan appeared on popular reality TV shows, toured several cities and ensured newspaper coverage for the film. "Chennai Express" became the highest-grossing Bollywood movie, raking in 2.27 billion rupees ($36.6 million) in domestic ticket sales.

Six months later, "Dhoom 3" - the third instalment of Bollywood's only action franchise - has surpassed that record, netting at least 2.7 billion rupees ($43.5 million) by employing the opposite strategy. In the run-up to the film's release, the lead stars didn't do any road shows, and hardly any interviews or appearances on TV shows.

Instead, Aamir Khan was spotted in public wearing a fedora - which his character sports in "Dhoom 3" - for nearly a year before the film's release. Production house Yash Raj Films didn't release the official soundtrack, distributing 30-second video snippets instead.


"What was really innovative was that they held back on the music. Most movies rely on music videos for free play on radio and music channels, which ensures traction, but they took that risk," said Shailesh Kapoor of Ormax Media, a media research firm.

Kapoor's firm estimates that 420 seconds of "Dhoom 3" footage were distributed in the form of trailers and song promos before the film's release, compared with 700 seconds on average for big-ticket Bollywood movies. "Chennai Express" handed out 820 seconds of footage.

"We want you to enjoy this film in the theatre. If I have seen the song on TV 20 times and on YouTube 20 times, when it comes in the film, I have lost interest in those five minutes. But when you are seeing it for the first time, your curiosity is piqued," Khan said.

The other reason to skimp on music previews, Khan said, was to draw repeat audiences to cinemas with the spectacle of elaborate song sequences.

"These are the two things you do - you release the songs, you get them popular and you get a big first day. You go on big-ticket shows, you create awareness of a film, and you get a big opening. We got a big opening without that - that means our tests were correct. And 36 crores (360 million rupees or $6 million) is a huge opening. You cannot go higher than that," he said.

Figures released by Yash Raj Films this week show that "Dhoom 3" grossed more than 5 billion rupees ($80 million) worldwide, a first for an Indian film.

Aamir Khan often teams up with film producers to brainstorm on marketing strategies. In 2008, the actor ensured that ushers and food vendors at cinemas playing arch rival Shah Rukh Khan's "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" sported haircuts like his character in the film "Ghajini", which released the same year.

In 2009, Aamir Khan announced a nationwide treasure hunt for fans to find clues to the character he was playing in "3 Idiots". He was also one of the first Bollywood actors to promote films through reality TV shows, a formula he rejected for "Dhoom 3".

"The marketing team at YRF (Yash Raj Films) was terrified. They were convinced we were doing something disastrous. They wanted to go all out, and I am not blaming them," said Khan.

Kapoor of Ormax Media said heavily promoting a film like "Dhoom 3" could have increased expectations or given away a plot twist, affecting ticket sales after the first weekend.

"But since there was so much mystery surrounding the plot and the film, it carried on. It is only now, in the third week, that the content is catching up, and collections are falling," he said.

Bollywood might need to take a leaf out of the actor's book. For an industry that relies heavily on the first weekend for most of its revenues, marketing is a crucial tool, and not too many films innovate in that department.

"We need to realize that marketing a film is as important as making it," said Khan. "People think...our story, concept is unique, but when it comes to marketing, we will do the same thing that 25 other people are doing. It doesn't work like that."

INDIA TODAY

MR JOE BHI CARVALHO is a disaster with first week collections of around 3.25 crore nett. The collections came down rapidly in the weekdays after a dull weekend.

SHOLAY 3D grossed 8.75 crore nett in week one as it held steady in the weekdays. The collections are actually very good for a re-run and a decent return for a 500 approx screen release but the makers spent a quite a bit on the conversion and release of the film therefore misjudged the potential of a re-run film.

Due to high ticket rates, only 15-20 new films find an audience every year. So the potential for re-runs is hardly there. Although there is no precedent, it can be safely said that the 12 crore nett lifetime that SHOLAY 3D will do is easily the limit for a re-run film.

DHOOM 3 grossed around 19.50 crore nett in its third week taking its three week business to around 258 crore nett. The film is probably looking at a 270 crore nett finish with a phenomenal distributor share of around 145-150 crore.

The film is the most expensive Hindi film ever made but it will be the first film in history to have a recovery of over 300 crore from all revenue sources. The film has hit new benchmarks in most circuits with upto 40% more business than the previous record holder in some circuits.

The only circuit that may struggle to hit a new record is Mumbai and it could be the only circuit worldwide where DHOOM 3 does not put up a new record. It will be an unusual scenario that the film smashes all records left right and centre by huge gaps but falls a little short in the biggest circuit of them all.

Lastly, R...RAJKUMAR is still collecting decent figures in single screens in Maharastra. It was has been revived at some single screens of CP Berar over the last two weeks.

SHOLAY 3D held steady on Monday with collections close to the 1 crore nett mark. The film showed a very limited drop from Friday and the collections in four days are around 6-6.25 crore nett. The film should gross around 8.5-9 crore nett for the week.

The other release MR JOE B CARVALHO went down on Monday with collections around 30-35 lakhs nett. The film is likely to continue to fall and will finish the week at around 3.25 crore nett or at best 3.50 crore nett.

DHOOM 3, meanwhile, collected around 2 crore nett on its third Monday taking its third week total to around 14 crore nett. The week will finish in the 19 crore nett range so it will be either the second or third highest third week ever as YEH JAWAANI HAI DEEWANI also grossed around 19 crore nett. 3 IDIOTS leads at around 33 crore nett.

The film has had a fantastic run over the first two weeks and so it is inevitable that the collections will slow at some point and that is what has happened in week three. Still the film has emerged the biggest grosser of all time by a distance and will be the first Hindi film to do a recovery of 300 crore with nearly around 50% of this coming from domestic theatrical with a final share for the Hindi version in the 145-150 crore range. CHENNAI EXPRESS held the record before with a share of 115 crore approx.

R...RAJKUMAR, lastly, is still doing well in the CP Berar area. The film lost a lot of the single screens showing the when DHOOM 3 released but has been revived on many single screens in CP Berar over the last ten days or so.

DHOOM 3 (Hindi) crossed the 250 crore nett mark in seventeen days as it grossed around 12 crore nett in its third weekend taking its total to around 252 crore nett.

The film is the number one grosser in every circuit across India apart from Mumbai. In Delhi/UP and East Punjab the film is nearing important benchmarks of 50 and 25 crore respectively which will be achieved over the weekdays.

The three week business of the film will be near 260 crore nett and the film can add another 10-15 crore nett taking its final business to the 270-275 crore nett range. The dubbed Tamil and Telugu version should collect around 12.50 crore nett in its lifetime run.

MR JOE B CARVALHO, meanwhile, remained dull over the weekend with Friday being low and Saturday and Sunday not showing any growth. The film grossed around 2.25 crore nett over the weekend and will be out of cinemas after a weeks' run..

SHOLAY 3D managed fair business it grossed around 5-5.25 crore nett over the weekend showing a good trend on Saturday and Sunday. The business in not in proportion to the cost of converting, marketing and releasing the re-run. But its a fair number considering regularly it has done the rounds on television and there is not much of an audience at today's high ticket rates for films which have been seen before. The film will manage a decent 2-3 week run at the theatres.

DHOOM 3 grossed 65 crore nett approx in week two taking its two week total to 239 crore nett. The second week collections were a record and is one of the more significant records of DHOOM 3 as the second week record of 3 Idiots (56 crore) was a long standing record.

The initial records are always there for the taking for an event film and they change every 6-12 months but the second week record had stood for four years and finally DHOOM 3 has beaten it and that too by a decent margin of 9 crore nett approx. The film has chances of a 275 crore nett final nett gross.

The film will also dominate the market this week as there is no strong competition.
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DHOOM 3 collected around 3 crore nett on its third Friday. The third week will not see any records as 3 IDIOTS collected a huge 33 crore nett in its third week but still the collections will be excellent for DHOOM 3.

The second highest total for the third week is a little over 19 crore nett by YEH JAWAANI HAI DEEWANI and DHOOM 3 should be able to beat that figure. The film has had an extraordinary run over the first two weeks so it is inevitable that the film will slow a bit.

The film will beat the previous all time high grosser CHENNAI EXPRESS by more than 30%. Surprisingly the out performance has come in East Punjab where it will set a new high by around 50% and this is despite the cold weather.

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

DHOOM 3 beat the previous opening week record by around 25%. CHENNAI EXPRESS had beaten the record by 9% while EK THA TIGER had beaten by 27%. Below are the approx totals of the top ten opening week collections. All figures are for first seven full days.

1. Dhoom 3 - 174 crore approx
2. Chennai Express - 139 crore
3. Ek Tha Tiger - 128 crore
4. Krrish 3 - 122 crore
5. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani - 105 crore
6. Bodyguard - 100.50 crore
7. Dabangg 2 - 99 crore
8. Ra. One - 91 crore
9. Agneepath - 81 crore
10. Dabangg - 80.50 crore

The daily collections of DHOOM 3 are as follows:
Friday 30.90 crore
Saturday 29.50 crore
Sunday 35 crore
Monday 19.50 crore
Tuesday 21 crore
Wednesday 24 crore
Thursday 14 crore

DHOOM 3 has now grossed 235 crore nett in thirteen days as it showed a good jump on New Years Day due to the holiday. The collections on Wednesday were around 10.50 crore nett while on Tuesday (December 31), it netted 7.5 crore.

The film is now the top grosser in all circuits except Mumbai. In Mumbai it has grossed around 70-71 crore nett with the 3 IDIOTS record being 79 crore nett. In Delhi/UP it will be the first film to go over 50 crore nett while in East Punjab it has already become the first film to cross 20 crore nett and will also breach the 25 crore nett mark in the long run. The previous best was 17 crore nett of EK THA TIGER.

The two week business of the Hindi version of the film will close at around 239 crore nett approx.

BOX OFFICE INDIA

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

DHOOM 3 grossed around 6 crore nett on Monday taking its total gross to around 217 crore nett in Hindi. The film will set a new second week record with a nett gross in the 60-65 crore nett region. 3 IDIOTS's second week collections were 56 crore nett.

The film will have steady collections on Tuesday (New Year's Eve) and good jump on Wednesday for New Years' day. The collections will slow down after New Years' Day as that is the trend post the New Year.

Its difficult to put a number on the lifetime business of the film so early as the film still has some steam left but the range is looking 265-275 crore nett for lifetime business.

DHOOM 3 has become the biggest grosser of all time in just ten days. The final collections of Sunday are around 15.50 crore and hence, it is certain that it has crossed the 208 crore nett lifetime figure of CHENNAI EXPRESS

The top nett grossers of all time at the moment are as follows. All figures approx and for Hindi versions only. 1. Dhoom 3 - 211 cr (still running)
2. Chennai Express - 208 crore
3. 3 Idiots - 202 crore
4. Ek Tha Tiger - 186 crore
5. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani - 179 crore

BOX OFFICE INDIA

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

DHOOM 3 grossed around 11.50 crore nett on Saturday taking its second weekend business to 21.50 crore nett. The growth on Saturday of 15% was lower than what blockbuster films show on the second Saturday but this is probably due to the fact the collections at the start of the second week of DHOOM 3 are 30-40% higher than any other other blockbusters of the last few years.

The film should still beat the 33 crore nett weekend record of 3 IDIOTS though will not get to 40 crore nett for the second weeeknd. This second weekend record has stood for four years and nothing has even come close to beating as no film has even managed a 25 crore nett second weeeknd since 3 IDIOTS.

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

DHOOM 3 continues its dream run as it collected around 10 crore nett as per early estimates on day eight. The collections are little lower than the eighth day of 3 IDIOTS but that is because it was a national holiday for 3 IDIOTS on day eight. It is the second highest day eight collections of all time.

The weekend should go on to do record business as there will be a jump in weekend business for DHOOM 3 which was not there for 3 IDIOTS. The second weekend record is 33 crore approx for 3 IDIOTS and DHOOM 3 has chances to get near the 40 crore nett mark or even more depending on Saturday and Sunday growth.

DHOOM 3 has grossed 184 crore nett approx in eight days in its hindi version which is close to the lifetime business of the third highest grosser ever EK THA TIGER. The top two are CHENNAI EXPRESS and 3 IDIOTS.

R...RAJKUMAR hardly collected in the third week due to limited screens and the film will finish its business around 63 crore nett.

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

DHOOM 3 will become the highest grossing Hindi film ever in just ten days. The highest grossing Hindi film till date is CHENNAI EXPRESS at 208 crore nett and the way DHOOM 3 is going this figure will be breached at the end of business on Sunday.

The film has already grossed around 160 crore nett in six days and next four days should see business of at least 50 crore nett even in worst case scenario.

CHENNAI EXPRESS took 21 days to become the highest grosser ever while the earlier highest all time grossers 3 IDIOTS and GHAJINI managed the feat in a similar time to DHOOM 3. Both films took around 10-11 days. The distributor share of the film will be second or third highest ever in just seven days.

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

DHOOM 3 had another huge day as it collected in the 20-21 crore nett range as per early estimates taking its total to around 136 crore nett. The collections on Tuesday edged up a little in the metros and other multiplex dominated cities while others stayed the same or dropped a little. The multiplex areas benefited in the evening due to next day being a holiday.

The film is likely to add another 40-45 crore nett over the next two days to have a first week total in the range of 175-180 crore nett which is 25% more than anything else before.

DHOOM 3 is also on course to break the long standing second week records of 3 Idiots. It is these records which have remain unchallenged over the past 4 years although first week records have been broken many times.

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

There is no letting up in the collections of DHOOM 3 as it has collected around 19.50 crore as per early estimates taking the four day total to nearly 115 crore for its Hindi version.

The film was rock steady all over with CI showing the lowest fall on Monday but that circuit had under performed the rest of India over the weekend. The collections on Tuesday should be higher than Monday as it will get benefit in evening as next day is a holiday.

Its hard to put a exact number on how much the week can gross as Tuesday should be up and Wednesday can even go towards the 30 crore nett mark though with such huge business the growth on the national holiday may not be the regular 50%. The range for the week should be 170-180 crore nett which is phenomenal.

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

DHOOM 3 has shattered all previous box office records to record a 95 crore nett approx weekend. The previous record holder CHENNAI EXPRESS had grossed 87 crore nett over three days and 93.50 crore nett if paid previews are included.

DHOOM 3 has grossed a further 7 crore nett approx in Tamil and Telugu which takes the all language figure to 102 crore. Every circuit in India with exception of Nizam/Andhra and Tamil Nadu/Kerala has seen records fall. These two circuits are short of CHENNAI EXPRESS with the Hindi versions but had regional versions also playing.

Mumbai and Mysore had collections in the same range as CHENNAI EXPRESS. It is mainly South India where the weekend records have not come but the first week records should come in South. East Punjab has emerged the out performer beating the previous weekend record by 35-40% and this is despite the fog. Bihar has seen previous weekend record beaten by 30%.

The first day and Sunday of DHOOM 3 (Hindi) are now the highest single days in history while collections on Saturday were the sixth highest of all time.

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

DHOOM 3 is set emerge a huge blockbuster as it showed a phenomenal trend on Saturday. The second day today has become the key as business is now just about the first 20-25 days even for the films which sustain. The film is now sure to have extraordinary collections over the weekdays.

Dhoom 3 has hardly dropped on Saturday with early estimates in the 29.50 crore nett range. The trend is phenomenal as multiplexes had collections matching Friday, with some places having even better collections. After such a bumper start, a 15-20% drop would have been a good trend but the drop here is much less.

North India has seen phenomenal collections despite the weather which is leaving morning and night shows lower at places but still the film is putting up never seen before numbers.

The film is easily the biggest hit of the year and its all about where does it end now.

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

DHOOM 3 (Hindi) had an outstanding day one collecting around 30.90 crore nett on day one as per early estimates. The film set opening day records in some circuits while in others it was below either EK THA TIGER or CHENNAI EXPRESS. It has to be noted these films released on Eid and Independence Day respectively while DHOOM 3 released on a normal working day. The film smashed the non holiday opening record by a distance.

The film set new highs in Delhi/UP and East Punjab despite the cold weather. The collections for the Hindi version were lower than CHENNAI EXPRESS in the southern markets due to the latter having more local appeal for that region. The film also had a release in Tamil and Telugu and that version would have added around 3.25-3.50 crore nett with the Telugu version especially doing well.

The film should record the highest opening weekend collection ever by beating the 87 crore nett three day figure of CHENNAI EXPRESS.

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

DHOOM 3 is set for a mega opening as the film has the best advance at multiplexes since EK THA TIGER. In terms of advance revenue before release it is number one at most multiplexes. The film could have around 20-25% tickets sold for day one at multiplexes by the end of business on Thursday. Obviously being a non holiday the business on the first day may not be as good as a national holiday as certain periods of the day get lower occupancies.

Last year DABANGG 2 released at the same time and collected 19 crore nett but DHOOM 3 has 10% more screens (Hindi version only) and a much higher average ticket price as the rates last year for DABANGG 2 were not increased. Also there is an increase from CHENNAI EXPRESS which had the highest rates till date.

A 25 crore nett opening day is there on the cards for DHOOM 3 with a good chance of a higher total if the film is up to the mark. The record opening day which stands at around 30.50 crore (CHENNAI EXPRESS) could have been a possibility but the cold wave in Northern India may won't let that happen.

The real question is not about the opening or the film becoming a blockbuster (which it will on the strength of the initial and holiday period) but about whether the film can become a real big grosser. DHOOM 3 is that true commercial Hindi film but with that grand look which is a must today if you want the multiplexes business to really hit its potential so a finish of 200 crore plus or minus 10% like a few films in the recent past is good for all concerned but not really going forward in terms of higher business. The film has all plusses from the main leads, brand name, holiday release, hit music and a good open run. Even the only weaknesses here which is the supporting cast does not really matter as the brand overruns that and the audience is fully aware what the film is about.