Singham Again vs Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: Who will win the Diwali 2024 clash? Verdict out

Here's the Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 clash being discussed from an exhibitor's perspective.

By Vishek Chauhan

Published on Oct 25, 2024 | 11:04 PM IST | 8.1K

Here's an exhibitor perspective of the Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 clash (Credit: Jio Studios, T-Series)

As the Diwali season approaches, the film industry finds itself in a precarious position. Conversations with with fellow exhibitors reveal the growing tension over the impending release of two major films, Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Both are highly anticipated franchise films, with the potential to dominate the box office, but a clash of this magnitude seems ill-advised, especially in a year where the exhibition sector has already been hit hard.

PVR Inox, India’s largest exhibitor, posted a staggering ₹321 crore loss in 2024 alone, signaling the dire state of cinema operations. The industry is reeling from a lack of blockbusters, with only Stree 2 emerging as a genuine hit. In comparison, 2023 saw a much healthier lineup with films like Pathaan, Gadar 2, Jawan, and Animal sustaining the trade. This year, the three-way clash between Stree 2, Vedaa, and Khel Khel Mein proved disastrous for the latter two.

Both the films cater to universal audiences—one driven by action, the other a blend of horror and comedy, both genres loved by the masses. These films have immense potential individually, and releasing them on separate dates could have given much-needed support to theatres that are bleeding.

Trade analysts have pointed out that Diwali, which was once a peak period for blockbusters, no longer guarantees massive box office success as it did 25 or 30 years ago. The biggest hits of recent years have occurred during other key periods such as Christmas, Eid, or even on non-holiday weekends. Audiences today don’t depend on festivals to flock to cinemas for their favorite franchises—films like Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 are event films that attract crowds based on their content and appeal, not the date they release.

There is also a pressing concern about the economic reality for cinema-goers. Ticket prices (ATP) have been on the rise as exhibitors try to compensate for dwindling footfalls, which now hover around 3 to 3.5 crore admissions for a typical blockbuster. The audience base simply doesn’t expand dramatically during festivals, and it’s unlikely that Diwali will see numbers surge to 5 or 6 crore footfalls. This precedent of releasing films during festivals was set during a time when cinema was the dominant medium for film consumption. But today, with digital and satellite platforms capturing larger audiences, the theatrical medium serves a much smaller, more dedicated subset. These movie-goers don’t need festivals to watch their favorite blockbusters.

The evidence is clear: non-holiday releases can and have become blockbusters. In today’s landscape, a major release needs more than just a holiday—it needs undivided screen space and the full attention of the audience. The concern is that whatever initial gains Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 might see on the next day of Diwali, will be lost in the following days due to the splitting of screens. Worse still, if the reviews for either film are underwhelming, audiences will flock to the other, further disrupting the balance. And if both films fail to impress, the consequences for the industry could be disastrous.

For the general public, particularly those from lower-income groups, a clash like this creates a financial dilemma. With both films likely to have significantly inflated ticket prices, many viewers will be forced to choose one over the other. In a post-festive period, asking the masses to spend a sizeable portion of their monthly income on two big films is unrealistic and may only serve to shrink overall attendance.

Exhibitors, especially those in smaller towns, are facing a tough decision. Many will be forced to choose one film over the other due to space and economic constraints, meaning the full potential of each film won’t be realized. Larger cinemas will also struggle to split screens between the two, impacting the optimal performance both films could have achieved if released separately. Exhibitors are desperately seeking support from producers to revive the ailing theatrical ecosystem, as their livelihoods are directly tied to the success of the medium. Without thriving theatres, the theatrical experience itself is at risk of becoming a thing of the past.

The other issue that comes to the fore is the ill will and negativity clashes like this create for the fraternity at large. We have precedence of producers and actors going to the competition commission to complain against the unfair trade practices being adopted by the other. Even at the ground level Exhibitors, especially single screens are given veiled threats that future films will not be screened if proper showcasing is not allotted to their film in the clash. All this creates animosity and an environment of negativity that the Industry can do without.

So, who is exactly winning this clash? No one it seems. The producers will lose, The Distributors will lose, The Exhibitors will lose and The Audience also stands to lose out. In an environment, where Cinemas are bleeding, producers are in losses and distributors in distress. This clash should have been avoided in the larger interest of the trade.

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