“Pathaan” set the opening weekend box office record last month for Bollywood films in North America. Photo: Yash Raj Films
SOURCE: Axios Cleveland | Sam Allard
February 27, 2023
A couple weeks back, my wife and I ventured to Cinemark Valley View for a movie. We were amazed to find ourselves among throngs of South Asian families and groups.
Driving the news: Many were probably there to see “Pathaan,” which last month recorded the biggest opening weekend of all time for a Bollywood film in North America.
The big picture: In addition to its lineup of mainstream Hollywood fare, Valley View typically has several Indian films on offer every weekend.
- My personal interest in these films piqued after seeing the Netflix sensation “RRR.”
What they’re saying: “There is such a rich storytelling history in South Asian filmmaking, and we’re proud to offer these spectacular movies on our big screens for their growing fanbase,” a Cinemark representative tells Axios.
- “We have really seen the excitement for these films continue to build, particularly on social media, which amplified the interest and support for the genre. We are thrilled that as word-of-mouth has spread, the box office growth followed.”
The intrigue: Part of me wondered if the increased number of Bollywood showtimes might have been a response to lagging business during the pandemic — multiple theaters in Northeast Ohio have shuttered in the past two months — but Cinemark says it had been cultivating relationships with global film studios for more than a decade.
Pro tip: If you have a library card, check out the streaming service Kanopy, which has a rich library of foreign-language films that you can stream for free.