''Dhoom 3'' (), stylised as ''Dhoom: 3'', is a 2013 Indian
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
-language
heist action film
The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
written & directed by
Vijay Krishna Acharya and produced by
Aditya Chopra
Aditya Chopra (born 21 May 1971) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and studio executive who works in Hindi cinema. He is the Chairman of India's multi-national film, media, and entertainment conglomerate Yash Raj Films (YRF). , who co-wrote the story.
The film, which is the third installment of ''
Dhoom'' series, stars
Aamir Khan
Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. Referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" in the media, he is known for his work in a variety of film g ...
as the
anti-hero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...
with
Abhishek Bachchan and
Uday Chopra reprising their roles as protagonists while
Jackie Shroff
Jaikishan Kakubhai Shroff (born 1 February 1957), known by his screen name Jackie Shroff, is an Indian actor and former model from Mumbai, Maharashtra, who primarily works in the Hindi film industry. In a career spanning over four decades, he ...
and
Katrina Kaif play supporting roles. ''Dhoom 3'' marks Uday's final film appearance to date.
''Dhoom 3'' was released on 20 December 2013.
It was the first
Indian film to be released in the
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
motion picture
film format and also in
Dolby Atmos surround sound.
''Dhoom 3'' received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and grossed worldwide in just ten days, to become the
highest-grossing Indian film of all time at that time, before becoming the first Indian film to cross . Dhoom 3 has remained among
the top 50 highest-grossing Indian films for over a decade, from its release in 2013 to 2024. With a worldwide gross of ₹556.74–558.42 crore, it continues to be one of the highest-grossing films in Indian cinema. The film was screened during the 2014
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is an annual film festival currently held in Goa, on the western coast of India. The festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excel ...
in the ''Celebrating Dance in Indian Cinema'' section.
Plot
In 1990, Iqbal Haroon Khan, who owns ''The Great Indian Circus'' in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, is ordered by the Western Bank of Chicago to close down the circus as he cannot repay his loan. Dejected, Iqbal commits suicide in front of his young son Sahir Iqbal Khan and the officials, including Chairman Warren Anderson.
In 2013, Sahir robs various branches of the Western Bank of Chicago as revenge. Despite all efforts of
law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...
, the
Chicago Police are unable to capture him.
Detective
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...
Victoria calls
A.C.P Jai Dixit and
Sub Inspector Ali Akbar Fateh Khan for help. Sahir restarts ''The Great Indian Circus'' and hires Aaliya Hussain as an acrobat. Sahir poses as an informant for Jai and manages to gather information on the bank while providing Jai with a false lead to follow. Eventually, Sahir robs the bank, but Jai shoots him in the left shoulder before he disappears.
At ''The Great Indian Circus''
's grand premiere, Sahir performs a teleportation trick in which he disappears and reappears in a different place. The show becomes a success. After the show, Jai, Ali, and the police surround him. When Sahir is examined, there is no gunshot wound on his body. It is then revealed that Sahir has an
autistic
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...
twin brother, Samar Iqbal Khan, who helps him pull off the tricks and robberies and is the one who sustained the gunshot wound. Jai is fired from the case but is encouraged by Ali to prove Sahir guilty by going rogue.
Jai finds out about Samar, who is kept in seclusion by Sahir and is allowed outdoors once a week. Jai manages to befriend him during this time, intending to use him to catch Sahir. Samar falls in love with Aaliya, while Sahir finds out about Jai using his brother. Sahir tricks Jai and almost kills him, but Ali saves him. Sahir and Samar successfully pull off their final bank heist, but are cornered at a dam on their way out of town. Samar hesitates to run when Aaliya appears, begging him to stop. Sahir pretends to surrender to Jai, asking him to spare Samar; when Jai agrees, Sahir attempts to jump off the dam- but Samar grabs Sahir's hand, and he begs Samar to let him go, saying Samar can live freely with Aaliya. Samar declares that they were born together and should die together, and lets go of his hand, and the twins fall to their deaths.
In the aftermath, Western Bank of Chicago is shut down due to the heists, while Aaliya takes over The Great Indian Circus and performs in Samar's memory.
Cast
Production
Development
Prior to
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
, the film enjoyed widespread media coverage due to the tremendous box office successes
of previous instalments ''
Dhoom 2'' and ''
Dhoom'' as well as the confirmation of Aamir Khan as the film's lead antagonist, thereby creating anticipation amongst audience and media. On 2 January 2011, the producer of the previous ''
Dhoom'' films Aditya Chopra, confirmed that the third instalment of the ''Dhoom'' series would begin principal photography by the end of 2011. Initially, the producers and Khan wanted to release the film on Christmas of 2012,
but the plan was scrapped in favour of an early release date in 2013, mainly due to a forecast that a Christmas release would force a rushed post-production schedule, which was considered unfavorable given the high degree of technicality required for the film. Around was spent just on the production side of ''Dhoom 3''.
Reportedly, Chopra wanted to make the film in
3D after observing the successes of previous Bollywood films released in this format. However, actor Aamir Khan opined that the 3D technology needed expertise and was unsure of the outcome of its utilisation by the director. ,
YRF Studios had not announced the production of the film in 3D.
Casting
Apart from Aamir Khan joining the cast as the lead
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.[aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...](_b ...<br></span></div>, while Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra were confirmed to reprise their roles as Jai Dixit and Ali Akbar respectively.<ref name=Nomom></ref> Khan learned ballet, <div class=)
and the French technique of
parkour
Parkour () is an athletic Training#Physical training, training discipline or sport in which practitioners (called ''traceurs'') attempt to get from one point to another in the fastest and most efficient way possible, without assisting equipment ...
, a method of movement focused on negotiating obstacles with speed and efficiency, while Kaif took
paragliding training and singing lessons. Bachchan reportedly lost nine kilos of weight to prepare for his role in the film.
Rimi Sen, who played ACP Jai Dixit's (character played by Abhishek Bachchan) wife in the previous two instalments of the series, was not approached to play her character Sweety. However, she stated that she would not have reprised the role even if she were offered.
Unlike the first two ''Dhoom'' films directed by
Sanjay Gadhvi,
Vijay Krishna Acharya, the writer of all three instalments of ''Dhoom'', was roped in to direct ''Dhoom 3''
although Gadhvi himself said that he wanted to get involved with films outside the franchise and thus chose not to direct the third film. Olliver Keller was signed to direct the stunt scenes.
Aamir Khan
Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. Referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" in the media, he is known for his work in a variety of film g ...
stated in an interview that his role in ''Dhoom 3'' is the toughest role so far in his life. The action scenes were directed by
Conrad Palmisano and Sham Kaushal. In an interview with
IANS, Abhishek Bachchan expressed how every character of ''Dhoom 3'' is significant: "...''Dhoom'' is my film and I am the hero. Nobody can take that away from me. You can be the biggest or the smallest star but ''Dhoom'' is about Jai and Ali. It is as simple as that. If the characters of Jai and Ali are not there in ''Dhoom'', the film won't be there."
On 23 September 2013, three months before the actual release of the film,
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
and other media news publications revealed that Aamir Khan could play a double role in ''Dhoom 3'', but they did not confirm it. The dual role was only confirmed at the release of the film. This made ''Dhoom 3'' the first and currently the only film in the series in which the antagonist has a double role. However, this was not the first time the series featured a double role, since
Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu (born 7 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Primarily known for her work in Hindi films, she List of awards and nominations received by Bipasha Basu, has received a Filmfare Awards, Filmfare Award. In the 2000s and 2010s, she was ...
had a double role in ''
Dhoom 2'' as Shonali and Monali, but they did not share the same screen space, unlike Khan's characters.
Filming

Filming was scheduled to commence from November 2011, with scenes involving Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra being shot first, but the former was off on a paternity leave, so shooting was postponed to January 2012. The schedule was then pushed to June because of lead actor Aamir's prior commitments with his TV show ''
Satyamev Jayate''; in June, the filming schedule was further postponed for a month because Khan wanted to prepare himself for his role of a gymnast. Khan also wanted to concentrate on the marketing and promotion of his 2012 film ''
Talaash''. Without any further delays, filming commenced with
Jackie Shroff
Jaikishan Kakubhai Shroff (born 1 February 1957), known by his screen name Jackie Shroff, is an Indian actor and former model from Mumbai, Maharashtra, who primarily works in the Hindi film industry. In a career spanning over four decades, he ...
and
Siddharth Nigam, the child actor playing child Sahir, on 8 June 2012 at the
YRF Studios in
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
.
Aamir Khan joined the crew in July 2012, filming for five days at
Yash Raj Studios and further continued to shoot in Chicago and other parts of the United States. Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Uday Chopra flew to the US on 4 August 2012 to complete a three-month schedule. On arrival in India in December 2012, Bachchan stated that fifty percent of filming was complete and would again resume in
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
.
In the second week of March 2013, it was reported that the crew had departed to
Zurich
Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
and
Ticino
Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...
,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
to film the climax. The shooting of the film finally wrapped up on 14 September 2013 at a suburban studio in Mumbai.
The climactic scene in ''Dhoom 3'' was shot at the famous
arch dam,
Contra Dam (commonly known as the Verzasca Dam) in
Ticino
Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...
, Switzerland.
It is the same dam that became a popular bungee jumping venue after a
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
stuntman jumped off it in the opening scene of the 1995 film ''
GoldenEye
''GoldenEye'' is a 1995 spy film, the seventeenth in the List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional Secret Intelligence Service, MI6 agent James Bond (lit ...
''.
Music
It was announced that the composer of ''
Dhoom'' and ''
Dhoom 2'';
Pritam, would return once again to compose the music of the third instalment. Earlier reports suggested that
Shefali Alvares had been roped to sing the ''Dhoom'' title track, but this turned out to be a rumour. Aamir said in a statement that the title track "Dhoom Machale Dhoom" is dedicated to
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who List of India national cricket captains#Men's cricket, captained the Indian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketer ...
who was then playing his 200th and final test match at the
Wankhede Stadium.
Release
In November 2013, Aditya Chopra sent out a message to movie exhibitors all over the country to "Go digital or miss ''Dhoom 3''." In detailed statements, he claimed, "Release of movies through digital and
UFO digital cinema prevents piracy as the prints are water-marked and finger-printed and can be traced back. It is believed that usually films are copied for piracy when the reels are being transported to theatres in the country and abroad. Digital cinema curbs piracy as the 'en route' content leakage is eliminated. It also makes sense economically as a producer saves a lot of print costs. Apart from that, encrypting the content protects the copyrights of the producers and distributors. Digital prints prevent duplication of prints and help by diverting funds back to the cinemas."
IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is a Canadian production theater company which designs and manufactures IMAX cameras and Projection screen, projection systems as well as performing film development, production, post-production and distribution to IMAX-affiliat ...
and Yash Raj Films announced that ''Dhoom:3'' would be the first Indian local language production to be released in the
IMAX format. The film was digitally remastered in the IMAX format with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology and was released in IMAX theatres across India and selective global locations. ''Dhoom 3'' was released with cinema sound technology
Dolby Atmos. The film received a native Atmos mix at YRF Studios. ''Dhoom 3'' was given a 12A certificate by the
British Board of Film Certification for Moderate Violence 12 December 2013, for Moderate violence.
The film was released across 4500 screens in India (inclusive of Tamil and Telugu versions) along with 750 screens overseas.
''Dhoom 3'' had a release on 250 screens in
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
.
The maximum ticket price of the
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
version of ''Dhoom 3'' was Rs 900 (US$15) in India.
Cinépolis Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
set a unique record by hosting 54 shows of ''Dhoom 3'' on 20 December 2013. ''Dhoom 3'' was also released in non-traditional overseas markets like
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
,
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
, Germany and
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
. Dhoom 3 was slated to release in China on 25 July 2014.
["Bollywood enters China to slay trade deficit; Dhoom-3's mega release part of plan"](_blank)
. ''The Economic Times''. This was to be the widest release ever for an Indian film in China, with 2000 screens across 400 cities.
Marketing
Pre-release
The title logo of the film was released in a video that credited the main roles of the film. The score for the video constituted paced beats and electric guitars and was released on Christmas 2012 through
Yash Raj Film's official YouTube channel, confirming the film for a Christmas 2013 release. The first working as well as promotional poster was also released nearly a year prior.
In August 2013, YRF released a motion poster of the film on YouTube, revealing the first look. It featured Aamir Khan with a hidden visage standing inside a tall building, looking at helicopters in the air through a glass window. A voiceover reveals that the Chicago police force is searching for a fugitive biker who vanished before he could be caught. The satellite rights of ''Dhoom 3'' were sold at a record price of .
The first teaser of ''Dhoom 3'' was released on 5 September 2013 at 12 noon IST. The teaser achieved 6 million views on YouTube within 6 days, subsequently receiving 12 million views in 20 days. The film's teaser was also attached with the film ''
Shuddh Desi Romance''. On 25 October,
Yash Raj Films launched a game based on the film for
Windows Phone
Windows Phone (WP) is a discontinued mobile operating system developed by Microsoft Mobile for smartphones as the replacement successor to Windows Mobile and Zune. Windows Phone featured a new user interface derived from the Metro design languag ...
s. Developed by 99Games Online (a subsidiary of Robosoft mobile games), the 3D game was set against the backdrop of Chicago and opens with a heist by the character played by Aamir Khan.
Within 20 days of its launch, the game witnessed over 1 million downloads on the
Windows Phone Marketplace and
Nokia Store.
The
Android,
iOS and
Blackberry 10
BlackBerry 10 (BB10) is a proprietary mobile operating system for the BlackBerry line of smartphones, both developed by BlackBerry Limited (formerly known as Research In Motion). Released in January 2013, BlackBerry 10 is a complete rework from t ...
version of the game was launched on 19 November 2013.
''Dhoom: 3 The Game'' crossed five million downloads across all platforms in less than seven weeks of its launch on 19 November 2013.
''Dhoom:3'' mobile game surpassed 10 million downloads within three months since its release.
The theatrical trailer was released in IMAX format on 30 October 2013 as well as on YouTube.
PVR Cinemas began advance booking for selected shows of the film same day the trailer had released, witnessing sales of just under until 17 December 2013.
Aamir Khan
Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. Referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" in the media, he is known for his work in a variety of film g ...
also promoted ''Dhoom 3'' on the sets of ''
Kaun Banega Crorepati''. The publicity campaign included tie-ins with over 17 leading brands including
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth Handler, ...
(manufacture of limited edition action figures, model cars and bikes),
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the Seven Sisters (oil companies), Seven Sisters oil companies. ...
,
CEAT,
Bombay Dyeing,
Archies for stationery and the
LINE social messaging application, along with 183 other brands.
A marketing pact was also made with
BMW Motorrad
''BMW Motorrad'' is the motorcycle brand and division of German automotive manufacturer, BMW. It has produced motorcycles since 1923, and achieved record sales for the fifth year in succession in 2015. With a total of 136,963 vehicles sold in 201 ...
, which has revealed that its
S1000RR and
K1300R sport bikes would feature in the film. A special screening of ''Dhoom 3'' was held at Yash Raj Studios on 19 December 2013. A special screening of ''Dhoom 3'' that was attended by
Raj Thackeray was organised on 22 December 2013.
Post-release
After the film's performance at the box office,
Amul paid tribute to the film in one of its creative advertisement campaign posters.
The poster features the words "''Dhoom Tea''" in the same typography style as the film's logo is with a caption "''Chased everyday''".
"The Dhoom Anthem" featuring
Saba Azad was released by Yashraj Films on 26 December 2013. A Spanish version of "Dhoom Machale" song sung by
Mia Mont was released by Yashraj Films on 4 January 2014. In June 2014, ''99GamesOnline'' launched the sequel to 'Dhoom: 3 The Game' mobile game, title as "Dhoom:3 Jet Speed".
Box office
Dhoom 3 grossed over worldwide in its first three days,
including its
Tamil and
Telugu versions. The film grossed worldwide in just ten days, to become the
highest-grossing Indian film of all time.
On 6 January 2014,
Yash Raj Films issued a statement that ''Dhoom 3'' is officially the first Indian film to earn worldwide. The film's final worldwide gross was crore (US$101 million), including 372 crore (US$64 million)
in India and US$35.6 million (217.2 crore)
overseas.
Domestic
According to several trade publications, ''Dhoom 3'' opened to an overwhelming response at the domestic box office.
Box Office India
Box Office India is an Indian film website dedicated to tracking, reporting, and analyzing the financial performance of films released in the Hindi entertainment industry.
Established in 2003, Box Office India has become a prominent source of ...
stated that the film had an extraordinary opening, recording 75% occupancy in multiplexes and 90–100% occupancy in single screens.
The opening day collection stood at from the Hindi version, while the dubbed Tamil and Telugu versions together earned .
The total opening day collection of the film broke the records of highest non-holiday opening and highest single day previously held by ''
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
''Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' (), also abbreviated as ''YJHD'', is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romantic comedy film directed by Ayan Mukerji, written by Mukerji and Hussain Dalal, and produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Produc ...
'' and ''
Krrish 3'' respectively. On the second day of its release, it went on to collect , setting new records in several circuits.
''Dhoom 3'' (Hindi) nett. grossed on its third day to take Hindi version total to about in the first weekend and further in Tamil and Telugu which took the all language figure to , making it the fastest film to reach in India.
The film grossed on its first Monday, on the first Tuesday, on first Wednesday and on first Thursday, taking the first week total to nearly for its Hindi version.
The film set new first week records in all circuits and became the highest grossing film in the East Punjab circuit at the end of its first week. ''Dhoom 3'' grossed from its Tamil and Telugu versions to take its all language total to in first week.
The film collected on second Friday, on second Saturday, on second Sunday, on second Monday, on second Tuesday, on second Wednesday and on second Thursday to take its Hindi-version total to in two weeks.
''Dhoom 3'' set a new record for second week collections with ,
beating four-year-long record of of
3 Idiots.
The film collected around on its third weekend and on its third Monday to take its Hindi version total to in 18 days.
''Dhoom 3'' set new records in all territories across the globe apart from
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
, the biggest circuit. It grossed around in its third week taking the three-week Hindi version total to around .
The Hindi version had a theatrical run for 9 weeks with a final domestic nett of . ''Dhoom 3'' earned about from its Tamil and Telugu versions.
Of its collections, nett was from single screens in India. ''Dhoom 3'' broke all records of ''
3 Idiots'' in domestic market, except Mumbai territory.
Overseas
''Dhoom 3'' grossed US$10.32 million in its first weekend, setting new records for an Indian film in almost all territories.
''Dhoom 3'' grossed total in
overseas markets.
''Dhoom 3'' became the highest-grossing Indian film ever in the US/Canada, UK, Gulf, Australia and New Zealand. The film grossed over £2 million () in the United Kingdom in 11 days, and went on to gross £2,708,046 () to become highest-grossing Hindi film in the UK.
It also became the UK's highest-grossing foreign-language film of 2013, highest-grossing foreign-language Indian film of all time, and tenth highest-grossing foreign-language film of all time. The film collected $3,423,508 (204.9 million) in its first weekend in the United States and Canada. Dhoom 3 collected US$20.5 million internationally in ten days.
Dhoom 3 eventually grossed US$28 million in international markets in its lifetime overseas theatrical run and surpassed the record of
3 Idiots to become the
highest grossing Bollywood film in international markets.
''Dhoom 3'' also set a new opening record in
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, beating the previous record held by Pakistani film ''
Waar''. ''Dhoom 3'' eventually became the highest grossing Bollywood film in Pakistan with overall gross of US$1.95 million (
INR 121 million,
PKR 245 million). ''Dhoom 3'' became the first film to gross Rs 60 million at the box office in Nepal, as the local filmmakers of
Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
had to delay the release of their own films for three weeks due to the strong performance of ''Dhoom 3'' there. Dhoom 3 had the biggest opening ever for any Indian film in Turkey, when it released there in June 2014.
China
The film was released in China on 25 July 2014, 8 months after the release of the film in India and other overseas markets. ''Dhoom 3'' reportedly had the widest release in China for a Bollywood film in more than three decades. The film opened in 2,000 screens in 400 Chinese cities, upon release it entered the Chinese top 10 charts at number 9 and grossed
$1.35 million for the three-day weekend, beating the local Chinese romance ''No Zuo No Die''.
Records
Critical reception
Review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
gives the film a score of 67% based on reviews from 21 critics, with a rating average of 6.6/10.
India
Domestically, ''Dhoom 3'' received mixed reviews from critics.
Taran Adarsh of ''
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is an Indian entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000.
The website provides n ...
'' rated the film 4.5 out of 5 stars and said, "On the whole, ''DHOOM-3'' is one solid entertainer loaded with attitude and star power that will leave fans of the series salivating for more." The ''
Daily Bhaskar'' also rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars. While praising the performance of Khan, the newspaper wrote "The whole film rests on Khan's shoulders, and it won't be an overestimation to say that he is strong enough to hold the three hours all by himself." Srijana Mitra Das of the ''
Times of India
''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' gave the film 4 out of 5 stars. Especially praising the actors' performances, she wrote, "''Dhoom 3'' makes you laugh, gasp – even sniffle". Aparna Mudi of
Zee News gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and remarked "''Dhoom 3'' manages to deliver a typically Bollywood revenge saga in a modern way." Sarita A Tanwar of ''
Daily News and Analysis'' also gave it 4 stars and commented, "Welcome to the world of jaw-dropping action and stunts never seen before on Hindi screen. ''Dhoom 3'' redefines the word 'entertainment' in the grandest way possible." Saibal Chatterjee of ''
NDTV
New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. It was founded in 1984 by economist Prannoy Roy and journalist Radhika Roy.
NDTV began as a production house for news segments, ...
'', on the other hand, gave it 3 out of 5 stars and noted that "''Dhoom: 3'' is a high-voltage action flick that relies squarely on known methods of the genre". Sukanya Verma of
Rediff.com gave it 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "''Dhoom 3'' continues the tradition of extravagance in adventure and expenditure by roping in the fastidious Aamir Khan as its latest star antagonist". Rachit Gupta of ''
Filmfare'' rated it 3 out of 5 stars; though he labelled it a "slick looking film", he felt "the force driving them, the story, teeters on abysmal points".
Anupama Chopra of the ''
Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...
'' gave the film 3 stars and wrote, "The third installment...is bigger and more plot-heavy than the first two." The
Indo-Asian News Service review, syndicated by ''
Business Standard
''Business Standard'' is an Indian English-language daily edition newspaper published by Business Standard Private Limited, also available in Hindi. Founded in 1975, the newspaper covers the Indian economy, infrastructure, international busi ...
'', also gave it 3 stars, writing, "''Dhoom 3'' is an intriguing piece of work... slender supple smart and subtle...and yet helmed by a central performance that screams for attention."
''Dhoom 3'' also received negative reviews as well.
Rajeev Masand of ''
CNN-IBN'' gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and stated "''Dhoom 3'' is let down by a convenient script and its inability to deliver solid entertainment". He described the film as a "sloppily scripted sandwich of hammy acting and cheesy dialogue" that lacked the "thrills" of the previous films. Raja Sen of ''
Rediff
Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...
'' gave it 1.5 out of 5 stars. Criticizing the villain's motivations and the "yawn-worthy chase scenes" that were "both pointless and badly edited", he deemed ''Dhoom 3'' "a children's film made for children who've never seen a film". Shubhra Gupta of ''
Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language India, Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the Indian Express Limited, ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnat ...
'' gave the film 2 stars out of 5. She praised the "superb cinematography, great-looking sets, expansive foreign locations", however she also found the film to be "a victim of both a crying lack of imagination and franchise fatigue". Gupta also felt that Khan lacked the "sexy-badness" required for the villain, and noted Kaif's minimal role. Rohit Khilnani of ''
India Today'' heavily criticised ''Dhoom 3'' and gave it 2 stars out of 5, calling it "full of loopholes, over-the-top acting and an overdose of action that doesn't fit well all the time". He found that the film's only redeeming factor was that it was "a visual treat" due to its exotic locales and special effects.
Rafay Mahmood of ''The Express Tribune'' rated the film as 1.5 out of 5, noting the "overdose of one-liners", lack of "a properly connected cause-and-effect chain", and the "over-the-top action sequences" that "build-up to nothing dramatically significant". He, in particular, criticised the actors' performances. Mahmood called Kaif "eye candy" with little dialogue, and felt Khan gave "perhaps the worst performance of his career".
International
Meanwhile, the film garnered praise from foreign film critics.
David Chute of ''
Variety'' liked the camera work, action, stunts, and Aamir's performance: "Acharya's camera seems to be dancing – and swooning – along with the performers... High-flying acrobatics and a standout Aamir Khan performance dominate the third entry in Bollywood's biggest action franchise." According to Bill Stamets of ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'', "''Dhoom:3'' is crowd-pleasing populist fare" that "entertains as a spectacle of chases, bank capers, magic acts and song-and-dance numbers". A number of critics noted that ''Dhoom 3'' has several similarities with
Christopher Nolan
Sir Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmma ...
's films ''
The Prestige'' and ''
The Dark Knight''.
Awards and nominations
The film has garnered the inaugural
Telstra People's Choice Award at the 2014
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
See also
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''Dhoom'' (film series)
*
List of Bollywood films of 2013
*
Bollywood 100 Crore Club
*
List of highest-grossing Bollywood films
*
List of Bollywood highest-grossing films in overseas markets
References
External links
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