The film starts in the year 1990 when Iqbal Haroon Khan (Jackie Shroff) runs a circus – The Great Indian Circus – in Chicago, which has fallen on bad times. Anderson’s (Andrew Bicknell) bank - Western Bank of Chicago - which has lent money to Iqbal Khan, decides to close down the circus when he is unable to repay the loan. Young Sahir (Siddharth Nigam), the little son of Iqbal Khan, pleads with Anderson not to shut down his father’s circus as he and his father would soon be able to turn the corner. But Iqbal Khan’s presentation before the bankers and Sahir’s pleas don’t help. Iqbal Khan commits suicide in front of the heartless Anderson, leaving Sahir devastated.
Years later, Sahir (Aamir Khan) has still not forgotten the high-handedness of the bank and swears revenge. He robs various branches of Western Bank of Chicago, leaving behind a message in Hindi and a clown mask. He uses his acrobatic circus skills to escape. As Chicago Police Officer Victoria (Tabrett Bethell) failed to catch him, she calls ACP Jai Dixit (Abhishek Bachchan) and his partner, Ali (Uday Chopra), for help in solving the case. Jai baits Sahir into robbing again by making it known he's on the case and he believes the thief is an amateur. Gathering information from a news channel regarding the plan, Sahir poses as an informant for Jai, and manages to gather information on the bank while giving Jai a lead to follow. Eventually, Sahir robs the bank and escapes, but Jai & Ali follow him. During the pursuit, Jai manages to shoot Sahir in the shoulder before he disappears again. Sahir has the big premiere of The Great Indian Circus with his female lead acrobat, Aaliya (Katrina Kaif), involving a trick with him disappearing in one place and showing up in another. The show is a success, but afterwards, Jai, Ali, and the police surround him, knowing he's the thief. Jai says the proof is the gunshot wound Jai inflicted in Sahir, but when Sahir is examined, there is no evidence of a gunshot wound anywhere in his body. Jai & Ali leave while Sahir retires to his dressing room. It's then revealed that Sahir has a twin brother, Samar, who helps him pull off his trick and rob the banks, and it was Samar who sustained the gunshot wound.
Jai is fired from the case, but is encouraged by Ali to prove Sahir's guilt by going rogue. Jai eventually finds out about Samar, and sets about finding a way to corner Sahir. Samar, kept in hiding and mentally handicapped someway, is kept in seclusion by Sahir. However, Samar sneaks outdoor once a week, and Jai manages to befriend him during this time also manages to perform his plan. Samar has fallen in love with Aaliya after performing with her in the circus, but cannot express it. This leads to a rift between the brothers. Jai tries to take advantage of this, but Sahir finds out and thwarts Jai's plan to stop them. He decides the only way to catch the brothers is in the act. Sahir & Samar pull off their final bank heist, and escaped. However, the following day, Jai manages to corner them as they're making their way out of town. Samar is hesitant to run when Aaliya shows up, begging him to stop. Sahir surrenders to Jai, asking him to spare Samar and let him take the blame. Jai agrees, but right after, Sahir jumps off the bridge. Samar jumps, too, holding Sahir's hand refusing to let him go. Eventually, the two of them jump off the bridge together, apparently falling to their death. Finally Western Bank of Chicago is shut down as a result of the heists, while Aaliya is shown still performing for the Great Indian Circus. The film ends with the title song.
Prior to principal photography, the film enjoyed widespread media coverage[21][22] due to the tremendous box office successes[23][24][25] of previous installments Dhoom 2 and Dhoom, thereby creating anticipation amongst audience and media.[26] On 2 January 2011, the producer of the previous Dhoom films Aditya Chopra, confirmed that the third installment of the Dhoom series would begin principal photography by the end of 2011. Initially, the producers and the lead actor Aamir wanted to release the film on Christmas of 2012,[27] but the plan was scrapped in favor 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.[28]
Reportedly, Chopra wanted to make the film in 3D after observing the successes of previous Bollywood films released in the same format. However, actor Aamir Khan opined that the 3D technology needed expertise and was unsure of the outcome of its utilization by the director.[29] As of September 2012, YRF studios had not announced the production of the film in 3D.[30]
Casting
Aamir Khan was signed on to essay the lead role and the antagonist, while Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra were confirmed to reprise their roles as police officers.[31] Katrina Kaif was signed as the lead heroine, starring opposite Khan. He learnt ballet,[32]aerobatics[33] and the French technique of parkour,[34] a method of movement focused on negotiating obstacles with speed and efficiency, while Kaif took paragliding training and singing lessons.[35] Bachchan reportedly lost nine kilos of weight to prepare for his role in the film.[36]Rimi Sen, who played the role of ACP Jai Dixit's (character played by Abhishek Bachchan) wife in the previous two installments of the series, was not approached to play her character Sweety. However, in an interview she stated that she would not have reprised the role even if she were offered.[37] Unlike the first two Dhoom films directed by Sanjay Gadhvi, Vijay Krishna Acharya the writer of all three installments of Dhoom was roped in to direct Dhoom 3.[31] Stunt Director Olliver Keller was signed to direct the stunt scenes.[38]Aamir Khan stated in an interview that his role in Dhoom 3 is the toughest role so far in his life.[39] The action scenes were directed by Conrad Palmisano and Sham Kaushal.[40] 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."[41]
Filming
The Arch Dam, where the climax of the film is shot.
Filming was scheduled to commence from November 2011, with scenes involving Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra being shot first,[42] but the former was off on a paternity leave and thus, shooting was postponed to January 2012. In January 2012, the schedule was pushed to June 2012 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. Additionally, Khan wanted to concentrate on marketing and promotions of his 2012 film Talaash.[43] Without any further delays, filming commenced with Jackie Shroff and Siddharth Nigam, the child actor playing the role of childhood Aamir Khan on 8 June 2012 at Yash Raj Studios, Mumbai.[44] 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. Later, Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra flew to the U.S. on 4 August 2012 to complete a three month schedule. On arrival to India in December 2012, Bachchan stated that fifty percent of filming was complete and would again resume in Mumbai.[45] In the second week of March 2013, it was reported that the crew departed to Zurich and Ticino, Switzerland to film the climax.[46][47] The shooting of the film finally wrapped up on 14 September 2013 at a suburban studio in Mumbai.[48] The climax scene is Dhoom 3 is shot at the famous Arch Dam, Contra Dam (commonly known as the Verzasca Dam) in Ticino, Switzerland.[49]
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 cost. Apart from that, encrypting the content protects the copyrights of the producers and distributors. Digital prints prevent duplication of prints and helps by diverting funds back to the cinemas."[50][51][52][53]
IMAX Corporation 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 theaters across India and selective global locations.[54][55]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 on 12 December 2013.[3] The film was released across 4500 screens in India (inclusive of Tamil and Telugu versions) along with 750 screens overseas.[56]Dhoom 3 had a release on 250 screens in West Bengal.[4][57][58][59][60] The maximum ticket price of the IMAX version of Dhoom 3 was Rs 900 (US$15) in India.[61][62][63][64]CinépolisPune set a unique record by hosting 54 shows of Dhoom 3 on 20 December 2013.[65]
Marketing
Pre-release
"We believe that less is more for this film and even curiosity will be there"[57]
—Aamir Khan, on the promotional policy adopted by the makers.
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.[9] 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.[66][67] The satellite rights of Dhoom 3 were sold at a record price of ₹750 million (US$9.0 million).[5][68][69]
The first teaser of Dhoom 3 was released on 5 September 2013 at 12 noon IST.[70][71][72][73] The teaser achieved 6 million views on YouTube within 6 days, subsequently receiving 12 million views in 20 days.[74][75][76][77][78][79] The film's teaser was also attached with the film Shuddh Desi Romance.[80][81] On 25 October Yash Raj Films launched a game based on the film for Windows Phones. 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.[82][82][83] Within 20 days of its launch, the game witnessed over 1 million downloads on the Windows Phone Marketplace and Nokia Store.[84] The Android, iOS and Blackberry 10 version of the game was launched on 19 November 2013.[84] 'Dhoom: 3 The Game' crossed five million downloads across all platforms in less than seven weeks of its launch on November 19,2013.[85]
The theatrical trailer was released in IMAX format on 30 October 2013 as well as on YouTube.[86]PVR Cinemas began advance booking for selected shows of the film same day the trailer had released, witnessing sales of just under ₹20 million (US$240,000) until 17 December 2013.[4]
Aamir Khan also promoted Dhoom 3 on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati.[87][88][89] The publicity campaign included tie-ins with over 17 leading brands including Mattel (manufacture of limited edit action figures, model cars and bikes), Gulf Oil, CEAT, Bombay Dyeing, Archies for stationery and the LINE social messaging application, along with 183 other brands.[2][4][90] A marketing pact was also made with BMW Motorrad, which has revealed that its S1000RR and K1300Rsport bikes would feature in the film.[91] A special screening of Dhoom 3 was held at Yash Raj Studios on 19 December 2013.[92][93][94] A special screening of Dhoom 3 that was attended by Raj Thackeray was organised on 22 December 2013.[95]
Post-release
After the film's performance at the box office, Amul paid a tribute to the film in one of its creative advertisement campaign posters.[96] The poster features the words "Dhoom Tea" in the same typography style as the film's logo is with a caption "Chased everyday".[96][97][98] "The Dhoom Anthem" featuring Saba Azad was released by Yashraj Films on 26 December 2013.[99][100]
Soundtrack
Untitled
It was announced that the composer of Dhoom and Dhoom 2, Pritam, would return once again to compose the music of the third installment.[101][102][103] Earlier reports suggested that Shefali Alvares had been roped to sing the Dhoom title track, but this turned out to be a rumor.[104] Aamir said in a statement that the title track "Dhoom Machale Dhoom" is dedicated to Sachin Tendulkar who was then playing his 200th and final test match at the Wankhede Stadium.[105][106] The title song's video featuring Katrina Kaif and sung by Aditi Singh Sharma was unveiled on 14 November 2013.[107][108] The first look of the song "Malang" was revealed on 25 November 2013.[109] A teaser for "Dhoom Tap" featured Aamir Khan tap dancing to beats, along with background dancers. It was unveiled on 3 December 2013. A teaser for the song "Kamli", featuring Katrina Kaif and sung by Sunidhi Chauhan was revealed on 6 December 2013. The title song "Dhoom Machale" was also recorded in an Arabic version sung by Lebanese singer Naya.[110]
The music of Dhoom 3 received mixed critical reception.
Joginder Tuteja of Rediff.com noted, "Meanwhile, there are songs like Tu Hi Junoon, Malang and Kamli that round off Dhoom 3 beautifully." Koimoi reported, "Overall it might not be the best album Pritam has come up with, but two really interesting compositions makes the album scrupulous me! A noteworthy effort for sure!" This turned out to be true as the album topped the iTunes charts after the release of the film. The song "Kamli" and "Dhoom Machale" topped the iTunes singles chart.[citation needed]
Critical reception
Dhoom 3 received mixed reviews from critics upon release. The film was praised for its direction, cinematography, action sequences, exotic locales, Katrina's dance performances and Khan's intense portrayal of a villain. While the script was noted by some critics for its surprising twist, it was also criticized by others for being unimaginative and dull.[111] Many critics also noted similarities between between Dhoom 3 and Christopher Nolan's films The Prestige and The Dark Knight.[112][113][114][115][116]
India
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama 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."[117] 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."[118] Mohar Basu of Koimoi gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and stated that it is "spectacular and majestic".[119] Srijana Mitra Das of the Times of India gave the film 4 out of 5 stars: "Dhoom 3 makes you laugh, gasp - even sniffle".[120] 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."[121] 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."[122] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave it 3 out of 5 stars and noted that "Dhoom: 3 is a high-voltage action flick".[123] 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".[124] Rachit Gupta of Filmfare rated it 3 out of 5 stars and labelled it a "slick looking film".[125]Anupama Chopra of the Hindustan Times gave the film 3 stars and wrote, "The third installment, written and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, is bigger and more plot-heavy than the first two."[126] The Indo-Asian News Service review, syndicated by Business Standard also gave it 3 stars: "Dhoom 3 is an intriguing piece of work... slender supple smart and subtle...and yet helmed by a central performance that screams for attention."[127]
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".[128] Raja Sen of Rediff gave it 1.5 out of 5 stars and judged, "Dhoom 3 is a children's film made for children who've never seen a film".[129] Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express gave the film 2 stars out of 5 but praised its technical aspects and filming location and said "the third instalment of Dhoom has the kind of tech specs the slickest Hollywood flicks do: superb cinematography, great-looking sets, expansive foreign locations".[130] Rohit Khilnani of India Today also gave the film 2 stars out of 5, but similarly called it "a visual treat".[131]
International
Meanwhile, the film garnered immense 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."[132] According to Bill Stamets of Chicago Sun-Times, "Dhoom:3 is crowd-pleasing populist fare."[133]
Dhoom 3 became the highest grossing Bollywood film in India and around the world by collecting over ₹4 billion (US$48 million) worldwide in just ten days.[16][134] The film beat the ₹3.95 billion (US$47 million) record set by Chennai Express according to Box Office India.[135][136]
Domestic
According to several trade publications, Dhoom 3 opened to an overwhelming response at the domestic box office. Box Office India stated that[137] the film had an extraordinary opening, recording 75% occupancy in multiplexes and 90-100% occupancy in single screens.[138]
The opening day collection stood at ₹30.9 crore (US$3.7 million) from the Hindi version, while the dubbed Telugu and Tamil versions together earned ₹2.8 crore (US$340,000).[139][140] 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 and Krrish 3 respectively.[141][142] On the second day of its release, it went on to collect ₹29.50 crore (US$3.5 million), setting new records in several circuits.[143]Dhoom 3 (Hindi) nett. grossed ₹35 crore (US$4.2 million) on its third day to take Hindi version total to ₹95.76 crore (US$11 million) nett approx in the first weekend and further ₹7 crore (US$840,000) nett approx in Tamil and Telugu which took the all language figure to ₹102 crore (US$12 million), making it the fastest film to reach ₹100 crore (US$12 million) in India.[144][145] The film netted ₹20 crore (US$2.4 million) on its first Monday, ₹21 crore (US$2.5 million) on the first Tuesday, ₹24 crore (US$2.9 million) on first Wednesday and ₹14 crore (US$1.7 million) on first Thursday, taking the first week total to nearly ₹174 crore (US$21 million) for its Hindi version.[146][147][148][149][150][151][152] 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.[153] Dhoom 3 nett. grossed ₹10 crore (US$1.2 million) from its Tamil and Telugu versions to take its all language total to ₹183.46 crore (US$22 million) in first week.[154][155]
Dhoom 3 collected ₹10 crore (US$1.2 million) on second Friday, ₹11.50 crore (US$1.4 million) on second Saturday, ₹17 crore (US$2.0 million) on second Sunday ,₹6 crore (US$720,000) on second Monday, ₹7 crore (US$840,000) on second Tuesday ,₹10.50 crore (US$1.3 million) on second Wednesday and ₹4 crore (US$480,000) on second Thursday to take its Hindi-version total to ₹239 crore (US$29 million) in two weeks.[156][157][158][159][160][161][162][163] Dhoom 3 set a new record for second week collections,beating four-year long record of ₹56.24 crore (US$6.7 million) of 3 Idiots.[164]
Dhoom 3 collected around ₹3 crore (US$360,000) nett on its third Friday to take its Hindi-version total to ₹242 crore (US$29 million) in 15 days.[165]
International
Dhoom 3 grossed US$ 10 million in its first weekend in overseas, setting new records in almost all territories.[17][166] Dhoom 3 is the highest grosser ever in US/Canada, Gulf and Australia. The film grossed over £2 million in U.K in 11 days.[167] The film collected $3,305,000 (₹20.49 crore) in its first weekend in the United States-Canada region.[168] Dhoom 3 collected US$ 20.5 million overseas in ten days.[169]Dhoom 3 also set a new opening record in Pakistan, beating the previous record held by Pakistani film Waar.[170][171][172][173] The local filmmakers of Nepal had to delay the release of their own films for three weeks due to the strong performance of Dhoom 3 there.[174][175]
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