Movie theatres across the country are betting on the upcoming Diwali weekend to bolster business after a long dry spell at the box office since the release of horror comedy Stree 2 in August.
Two big Bollywood releases—Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Singham Again—come with the benefit of established franchises and recall value, making anticipation strong enough for the festive weekend to emerge as one of the biggest in the past 20 years. Together, they are estimated to clock in ₹70 crore to ₹80 crore on opening day (1 November), which is also the day after Diwali in most parts of the country, while a weekend of ₹200 crore is on the cards.
However, the fear is that a tussle for more screens and better show timings will lead the two to eat into each other’s business, dwindling returns in the long run.
“This weekend is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent times… There is significant anticipation surrounding both films and the festive timing will likely boost their box office potential,” said Devang Sampat, managing director at Cinepolis India.
In north India, Singham Again (starring Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone) is slightly ahead as the first choice among audiences owing to its mass appeal and the strong fan base built by Rohit Shetty's franchise that includes hits such as Simmba and Sooryavanshi. However, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 also enjoys high excitement levels, given its blend of comedy and horror, making it a family-friendly option for the festive period, Sampat added.
In south India, regional films are being released on Diwali weekend. Amaran (Tamil), Bagheera (Kannada, with Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi versions) and Lucky Bashar will vie for attention even as Singham Again and BB3 attempt wide showcasing.
Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer, cinemas, BookMyShow, said the Diwali weekend has typically been a major contributor to the festive quarter's revenue and could set new benchmarks in footfalls and earnings in 2024.
“With single screens and multiplexes gearing up to meet the demand, this is poised to be one of the highest-grossing weekends of the year. The diversity in film genres and target demographics ensure widespread appeal and are likely to create a broad base of moviegoers. With Diwali celebrations stretching across two days this year, we should avoid looking for opening day trends since it will be influenced by region-wise festivities,” Saksena said.
Trade experts estimate that Singham Again could open with collections of ₹40 crore-45 crore on its first day, with a weekend total of about ₹120 crore. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (starring Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit) is projected to open strong, with day-one collections of ₹30 crore-35 crore and a weekend total of ₹85 crore-90 crore.
Diwali weekends have traditionally been a peak period for theatres, with families coming together to celebrate and spend time and money. That said, the clash between the two films has left theatre owners in a pickle, with advance bookings yet to open in several places as both demand better show slots and bigger auditoriums.
Further, single-screen cinema owners point out that both films aim to cater to the widest possible audience and have the advantage of previous instalments releasing to box office success after the pandemic. Independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said that while Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 made ₹185.92 crore in 2022, Akshay Kumar-starrer Sooryavanshi earned ₹196 crore in 2021, right after the lockdown.
Moreover, given that the past few Diwalis have barely performed as per expectations, there was no urgency for the two films to release only for the festive weekend and could have easily been spaced out.
“A certain amount of cannibalisation is possible as many viewers might decide to watch one of the two films and give the other a miss. But we’re still expecting this to be the biggest weekend of the year,” said Amit Sharma, managing director of Miraj Entertainment, a company that operates multiplex theatres.
