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'Dhoom 3,' Filmed in the Loop, Hits One Chicago Theater Friday

Dhoom: 3 Trailer
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THE LOOP — Whether they woke up early to audition as an extra or had an unwitting walk-on as they went about the day, many Chicagoans who live and work in the Loop will hit the silver screen Friday.

Well, one of them at least.

The third installment of the popular Bollywood musical series "Dhoom" hits theaters Friday, though only AMC River East 21 at 322 E. Illinois St. will show the nearly 3-hour, subtitled Hindi-language film in the city.

Shot in Chicago in fall 2012, "Dhoom: 3" follows a group of bank robbers on a large-scale heist and the ensuing chase, and has been compared to "The Fast and the Furious," and other American films featuring high-speed chases.

Shooting was concentrated in the Loop in the fall, and locals were actively recruited as extras.

"Dhoom" was shot entirely in India, and "Dhoom: 2" in India and Rio de Janeiro. "Dhoom: 3" was shot in Chicago and in Switzerland exclusively, according to IMDb.

Unlike "The Dark Knight," which shot here but was staged to look like the fictional city of Gotham, Chicago is the intended backdrop of "Dhoom: 3," and landmarks including Tribune Tower, State Street and Lower Wacker are featured intact.

Chicago's also the backdrop of a promotional smart-phone game based on the movie that was released in October.

"Dhoom: 2" is the fifth-highest overseas grossing Bollywood movie of all time, according to Box Office India.

Although the movie doesn't have the budget of other big-ticket sequels filmed in Chicago, the film’s line producer, Ilana Rossein, emphasized in an interview with WTTW that "Dhoom: 3" is a huge production by Bollywood standards.

"Compared to 'Batman [Begins]' or 'Superman [Returns]' or those films that have been here, we're the little, tiny counterpart," Rossein said. "However, compared to any other films coming out of India, it's arguably one of the largest films ever made."

Yash Raj Films calls "Dhoom: 3" its "most anticipated" release ever.