New Delhi: A new box office showdown is here. This time, between Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again. With less than 10 days to go for one of the most anticipated clashes, T-Series, the producer of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, has gone to the Competition Commission of India, alleging unfair practices by the makers of Singham Again. The production house is proposing a 50-50 per cent split of screens for the two films.
The two films will be released on 1 November.
Singham Again’s distributor has convinced PVR Inox theatres to allocate over 60 per cent of shows to the Rohit Shetty movie. Certain single-screen theatres have also been asked to dedicate all shows to Singham. Some have been allowed, however, to screen Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 only in early morning slots.
This Diwali weekend clash is reminiscent of what happened in 2012 when Ajay Devgn’s Son of Sardaar collided with Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan, starring Shah Rukh Khan. Back then, it was Devgn who approached the CCI.
The trailer of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 has garnered 61 million views on YouTube, while Singham Again has 26 million views. Both feature ensemble casts, and are sequels of existing franchises.
With a budget of Rs 150 crore, Bhool Bhulaiyaa has Kartik Aryan, Triptii Dimri, Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit Nene, while Singham Again is headlined by Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor and Akshay Kumar. It has a budget of Rs 350 crores.
“It was a hot topic in 2012 with a lot of controversy as well. This Diwali looks like a tough fight too after a very long time. Screen sharing apart, two big films just divide audiences because people watch one, and wait for reviews of the other one before watching it. It will be very interesting to see what happens,” trade analyst Taran Adarsh told ThePrint.
In the 2012 clash, Jab Tak Hai Jaan made Rs 235.7 crores, while Son Of Sardaar earned Rs 150 crores. The CCI had refused to get involved.
“Life has come full circle for Ajay Devgn. I remember his company filed a complaint against Jab Tak Hai Jaan,” Karan Johar told The Indian Express.
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Diwali clashes
Box office clashes on Diwali are not new. But this is the first high-stakes clash post-Covid-19. Last year, the YRF spy universe film Tiger 3, helmed by Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif ruled the box office. It was a blockbuster and made Rs 466.43 crores worldwide. In 2021, it was Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi, starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, which made Rs 291.94 crores. In 2022, both Ram Setu and Thank God failed to perform at the box office.
“At the end of the day, it is about the audience’s verdict. These deals and approaching CCI will not lead to anything. Even theatres change the number of screenings after a week of analysing footfall,” said a film producer who did not wish to be named.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)