Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 have fired up the Hindi-language film industry ahead of their Diwali release. But even as the response to the trailers of the two mega productions portends fireworks at the box-office, with some estimates suggesting potential collection of around Rs 1,000 crore, cinema owners are facing intense pressure from distributors for more shows and screens for the respective films, said industry executives.

Cinema owners in not just metros but also tier-2 and tier-3 cities across the country find themselves in a bind over the competing big-budget films, they said.

“Single-screen theatre owners are facing a tough dilemma when it comes to allocating shows between these two films,” said Anil Bohra, owner of City Light, a single-screen theatre in Palanpur, Gujarat. He added that the potential for these films to generate strong box-office business could be diminished due to their release on the same day.

Echoing concern, Brijesh Tandon, a film exhibitor from the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh regions, said, “Both films look promising and could be big money-spinners. However, I believe the clash could have been avoided. Releasing them separately would have been better, as business will inevitably get divided with both films competing on the same day.”

According to the 2024 FICCI-EY media and entertainment report, India has a total of 9,742 cinema screens. Trade analysts estimate that 25-26% of these are multiplex screens, while the majority are single screens.

Singham Again is being distributed by PVR Inox Pictures.

PVR Inox is the distribution arm of multiplex firm PVR Inox, which operates 1,747 screens across the country.

Meanwhile, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is being distributed by AA Films, owned by Anil Thadani, one of the most successful pan-India distributors. “Multiplexes with at least five screens can easily allocate sufficient space and showtimes to both films. Distributors of these two films are unlikely to suffer significant losses in multiplexes,” said a person, who did not wish to be identified.

“Single-screen cinema owners, however, will face intense pressure from distributors of both films.”

Independent film distributor and trade analyst Shaaminder Malik said, “Exhibitors cannot afford to upset distributors of both films. If Singham Again has big stars and a big studio attached to it, then one cannot underestimate Anil Thadani, who is distributing Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. He has a long-established record, brand name and quite a standing in the industry.”

He added that exhibitors are aware that these distributors and studios can distribute and produce around a dozen films a year. Nitin Datar, president of the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India, said he was optimistic despite the tension between the exhibitors and distributors. “Single-screen owners will certainly feel significant pressure from distributors,” he said. “However, this will likely be a weekend issue. By Monday, November 4, after Diwali, it will be clear which film gets more shows and screens, as the audience’s verdict will be reflected in the box-office collections.”

Trade analysts said the running time of the two films — Singham Again (about three hours) and Bhool Bhulaiya 3 (around two hours and 40 minutes) — would also play a role in how many shows and screens they get. However, expectations from both films are high, they said, as these films don’t face competition from another big-budget production for at least a month.