Singham Again vs Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: Rs 400 crore riding on Diwali releases but clash creates chaos

Clash chaos

A Rs 30-40 crore business will easily be lost because of the clash, said Akshaye Rathi, film exhibitor/director, Saroj Screens.

"The two films will now have to fight for a 3.5 crore moviegoing audience. What is the point of  this clash at a time when theatres are struggling?" asked Chauhan, saying that the whole exhibition industry is bleeding.

"People from Nestle, ITC, HUL are saying that the common man does not have money in his hand, inflation has eroded the purchasing power of the common man. And then we have two big movies releasing on Diwali when movie ticket prices will be higher and the film industry expects the common man to watch both the films. A family of four living in Mumbai will have to choose one film. A middle class family will not be able to watch the two films. So, you have reduced your 3.5 crore moviegoing audience in half by having this clash," he said.

He added that the producers are losing and so are the exhibitors. "Cinema owners in small towns could have played the two films for three weeks each but are now losing out on that opportunity. In certain cases, exhibitors are being asked to choose one film so the exhibitor is losing. I have no clue how to screen the upcoming films because people are still at loggerheads on the screen distribution. In some places advances are open but in others it is yet to open," he said.

It is a huge concern for single screens because they can only do limited showcasing, just one screen at a time, Rathi noted.

With 2024 so far turning out to be one of the worst years for theatres and the Hindi film industry post the pandemic, exhibitors are puzzled with this clash on Diwali especially when they have had months of dry spell in terms of releases as well as successful ventures.

Ashutosh Agarwal, Director at Starworld Cinemas noted that September and October was a dull period with Jr NTR-starrer Devara and Alia Bhatt-starrer Jigra performing below expectations at the box office. Devara has earned 289.25 crore from all languages (Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada) with a budget of Rs 300 crore, while Jigra has made around Rs 31 crore with a budget of Rs 90 crore.

"There is a long way to go to cover up our losses that we suffered in the multiple quarters. While Stree 2, Kalki did good business, we need bigger movies big time for our survival," Rathi said.

The simultaneous release of two high-profile films can present scheduling challenges for exhibitors, especially in regions where screen availability is limited, noted Devang Sampat, Managing Director, Cinépolis India.

"Both films target a wide audience, and due to overlapping demographics, exhibitors will likely strategize to ensure that both films get substantial screening time. While Singham Again leads in North India, BB3 (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3) is expected to do equally well across other regions due to its family-friendly appeal. South Indian screens will also accommodate regional releases like Amaran and Bagheera, creating added pressure on scheduling," he added.

Both Singham Again and BB3 are expected to release at over 3,000 screens each, with a nationwide reach that spans across multiplexes and single screens, Sampat said. "While the clash will slightly divide the audience, both movies are projected to perform robustly, aided by Diwali’s extended holiday period, which usually sees high attendance rates. Thus, while each may impact the other's revenue to an extent, both films are positioned to achieve significant success."

Diwali dhamaka

Agarwal expects a minimum of Rs 400 crore to be raked in by the two movies in their first week of release.

This will be the biggest Diwali in two decades in terms of movie releases, said Amit Sharma, Managing Director, Miraj Cinemas.

"Two of the biggest franchises are colliding for the first time. Singham Again comes from the cop universe by director Rohit Shetty, so there is a huge fan base and this is one of the biggest multi-starrer films after years. Bhool Bhulaiyaa is also coming up with its third edition and both the franchises have tasted success post pandemic as well. Both franchises had movies post-pandemic — Sooryavanshi and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 that grossed Rs 200 crore each," he added.

Sharma said that while both the films should not have clashed, the advantage is that both movies have different genres, which works in favour of the exhibitors and viewers.

"While we don't know what the fate will be of the two films, but Rs 700-1,000 crore are riding on the two films. For the weekend, I expect Rs 200-250 crore from both the films at the Indian box office. When you look at the North market there is no previous film that is taking up many screens, so the two new Diwali releases will have the majority of the screens. We need to keep in mind that down South, there's a big film coming – Bagheera (Kannada language film which is releasing on October 31). This also seems to be a big film, there is also Amaran. So, there are big films in the South as well," Sharma said.

Opening weekend to potentially exceed Rs 200 crore, said Sampat. "Early estimates project Singham Again could collect around Rs 120 crore in its first weekend, while BB3 could bring in Rs 85-90 crore, totaling up to around Rs 210 crore, making it one of the most profitable weekends post-pandemic."

Diwali has been a prime time for the cinema industry, consistently driving significant box office collections that surpass regular periods, said Gautam Dutta, CEO – Revenue & Operations, PVR INOX Limited.

"All indicators point toward 2024 being a landmark Diwali for cinemas. With highly anticipated films and a rising trend in audience engagement, this Diwali could well set a new standard for the post-Covid era in terms of turnout and box office performance," said Rahul Puri, managing director of Mukta A2 Cinemas, a theatre chain by film production company Mukta Arts.

However, the clash will result in drop in ad revenues despite big movies releasing on Diwali.

"If the two Hindi films had released on separate dates then the retail business would have been much better. There is going to be a 20-30 percent drop now because of the clash," Sharma said.