SRK edges Devgan out of Theatres!

This Diwali, Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan will lock horns at the box office. Thanks to the makers of Son Of Sardar and Yash Chopra’s directorial venture who scheduled the release of their films on November 14. And though it is still a few months before the firecrackers go off, Mirror has learnt that the war has already begun.

In fact, if sources are to be believed, Khan has already won half the battle. The latest buzz in the trade is that distributors were told to book the same number of screens for Yash Chopra’s film as for Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger. In simple words, more than half the theatres will be playing SRK’s film, leaving Devgn little room at the ticket window.

Akshaye Rathi a fourth generation exhibitor and distributor tweeted, “Yashji’s film has already been signed for all the cinemas across India which is playing Ek Tha Tiger. That takes away the best ones!”

A source from a leading theatre in the city agreed, “When there are stars like SRK and Ajay involved, that too when it’s a Diwali release, it becomes a tough call for us. When we are asked to give one film as many shows as Salman’s solo release, we are in a fix. Because here we have two big stars and two big films to showcase. However, SRK and Yashji’s film will take more shows both in multiplexes and single screen theatres.”

Another multiplex chain head told us, “Firstly, being a SRK-Yashji combo, one can safely assume maximum shows will go to that film. It will approximately be a 70:30 ratio. And it is a practice that is followed by few producers when they have big releases back to back.”

Trade expert Taran Adarsh said, “When big films release on the same date, there is always a battle to get the maximum space. But at the same time, two films can easily co-exist. However, if producers have already had a word with distributors in terms of blocking slots in advance, things may be different. Here, if Yashji’s film gets as many shows as Ek Tha Tiger – a solo Eid release, then be it in India or overseas, Ajay’s film even as big as this one, will have to fight a harder battle.”

When contacted, YRF’s spokesperson said, “YRF has been dealing with the same theatre owners through our distribution offices over the last 40 years and all of them would be more than happy to screen a Yash Chopra film, coming after a gap of eight years, without any reservation.”

Devgn, however, remained unavailable for comment.

https://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/30/2012072120120721021839281bceca24a/SRK-edges-Devgn-out-of-theatres.html

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9 Comments
  1. Author
    Milind 12 years ago

    I had been repeating this stuff on facebook for weeks now.Devgan will have to shift SOS.You cannot work on 25-30% of screens,that too not one of them premium.It would still have been fine if SS would have been available but Adi has dried them up too.Imagine in Delhi/Punjab there are some major SS centres..SOS wont get any shows there.SOS is least expected to hold interest of Bengal/South/Mumbai.So where does it go? As someone from YRF had commented weeks ago– SOS will shift! Joginder Bhai also had said the same!

  2. aryan 12 years ago

    Agreed completely Milind and we already seen trailer of SOS Devgan must shift.

  3. sanket porwal 12 years ago

    Milind- This exhibition and distribution is as good as business. The exhibitors can straight away reject the proposal of distributors. If the distributors have booked the cinemas than that means they will have certain amount of shows in the cinema. Its not that all shows will be allotted to London Ishq unless the distributors mention some specific terms for it. But in many cases its upon exhibitors about how many shows to allot to particular film. If there’s no major english or even a small class appealing film around Diwali, then all shows will be divided between these two in the proportion which is exhibitor’s choice, ofcourse, unless the distributor place some specific terms of number of shows.

    YRF has done a smart move anyway. If the exhibitor reject this proposal of LI then the distributors will not give any prints of ETT, LI and then Dhoom3 as well. Exhibitors has no choice. But I think the distributors have only booked cinemas, not placed any specific terms of number of shows and all. So its not that bad a news for SOS.

    But, exhibitors will have to fulfill distributor’s this demand otherwise they will lose out on three huge films.

    • Author
      Milind 12 years ago

      Sanket,

      YRF are distributing this themselves. Their condition is they will give ETT and SRK-YRF next together for same number of screens.If ETT is getting say, X no. of screens in a solo release,imagine the hurt SOS will have to bear if SRK-YRF opens to same number of screens,that too not on a single release!

      Distributor can always negotiate his own terms here considering:

      1. The distribution house is YRF,the Numero Uno!

      2. The stars involved are the biggest of India–SRK and Salman.

      So SOS has no other way than to prepone or postpone if it wants a decent total!

  4. Serenzy 12 years ago

    Clash to Hoga…Zaroor Hoga!

    Aakhir main Jeet toh “Baadshah” ki hi honi hain.
    😀

  5. prince 12 years ago

    Devil Gun has to either prepone or postpone his film otherwise sos seems to be a hopeless case.

  6. sanket porwal 12 years ago

    Milind, Yes definitely YRF will distribute it. But SOS distributors can also have their shows in the same theater as LI will have. They have booked cinemas, but that wont mean that all shows will go to LI itself which even ETT wont have.

    Suppose, if there are total 100 cinemas where ETT is releasing. And each cinema has capacity of 30 shows per day. Thus, the owners will give 20 shows to ETT out of 30. Not necessary that even LI should have 20 shows (unless there are specific terms). Thus even if LI gets 20 shows, the remaining 10 shows will be for SOS, considering that there wont be any other film releasing around that time.

    And its huge extended weekend so both films can have safely sail through if the quality of content is impressive. Although I didn’t like SOS promo, but it has audience friendly genre so it may not go unnoticed a-least. Ofcourse, LI will have bumper opening just like Ra.One had.

  7. desire4grave 12 years ago

    SRK looks too old these days:D

  8. prince 12 years ago

    I’m sure that sos will move at the last moment.

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