After launching the theatrical trailer of India’s most anticipated film, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the makers immediately kick-started the bookings for paid previews, which are set to commence from 5 PM on March 18. The bombastic trailer made patrons book their seats instantly, causing an initial rush. The perfect planning by the team ensured monstrous advances for the previews.
The ticket prices for these early shows are fixed at super-high levels, yet the tickets are selling like hotcakes. Especially, the South markets are going bonkers, with the likes of Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai registering mind-blowing occupancies.
While cinephiles don’t bother buying tickets at premium prices, there is a considerable percentage of audiences who have been waiting for the regular shows from day one. However, the full-fledged bookings haven’t opened yet, and this has indeed surprised many, with just six days left for the release.
Why Full-Fledged Bookings Haven’t Opened Yet:
The full-scale advances were expected to open from Wednesday, but that hasn’t happened. Also, there is no clarity about when the tickets will be put on sale for the opening weekend. According to Bollywood media reports, including Pinkvilla and Bollywood Hungama, there are two big reasons for the delay.
Firstly, Jio Studios is said to have demanded showcasing exclusivity for Dhurandhar 2 for four weeks, meaning theatres should only play the Ranveer Singh starrer for the first four weeks without sharing shows with other films.
There is open ground for Dhurandhar 2 for the first three weeks, but in its fourth week, Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan’s Bhooth Bangla is hitting the big screens. There is a fair amount of hype for the horror-comedy entertainer, whose teaser was unveiled yesterday and received a good response. Hence, exhibitors would like to allot one or two shows per day for Bhooth Bangla, while still offering a lion’s share of shows to Aditya Dhar’s directorial.
This showcasing exclusivity isn’t a new issue, and it has happened earlier for multiple films as well. However, reportedly, there is another big issue that is stopping the distributor from opening the advances on full throttle.
Dhurandhar Part 1 is a phenomenon, but it wasn’t front-loaded and started creating euphoria in its second and third weeks, posting unprecedented box office numbers and defying week-on-week trends.
Since none saw it coming, the distributor is said to have lost a significant amount of share compared to the level of business the movie did. Hence, the distributor has asked for a higher percentage share this time, and this is why the bookings are being held back. The discussions are currently ongoing, and there is no expected time of clearance at the moment.
What It Means for the Movie:
There are both positive and negative effects to deferring the full-fledged advances. Had the regular advances commenced by now, the sales for the previews would have slowed down, as the majority would prefer to watch the film on the weekend at affordable prices. However, since the weekend bookings are yet to go live, the paid previews are displaying a solid pace.
Since audiences have been waiting with bated breath for regular shows, the tickets may sell faster due to pent-up demand, and this will surely lead to the film achieving hourly records on BookMyShow.
However, there is also a potential risk in extending the wait for bookings. Though the hype is earth-shattering for Dhurandhar: The Revenge, leaving things till the very end could end up reducing the pre-sales substantially.
When the demand is off the charts, and there is an unheard-of level of excitement among moviegoers to watch the film, the team should look to cash in on the opportunity and generate as much revenue as possible in the pre-sales.
Trade analysts will always keep a close eye on the advances of event films like Dhurandhar: The Revenge, and when that figure is astronomical, it will have a psychological effect on audiences, prompting them to watch the film at the earliest.
