'Dhurandhar 2' previews cross ₹27cr; full presales yet to open
What's the story
The Hindi film Dhurandhar: The Revenge, starring Ranveer Singh, has reportedly earned ₹21.96 crore from its paid previews in India. Including the dubbed versions, as many as 4,23,974 tickets have been sold, per Sacnilk data. The two national chains, PVR INOX and Cinepolis, contributed to this revenue by selling 2,22,000 tickets, as per Pinkvilla. When blocked seats are included, the advance haul for paid previews goes up to ₹27.02cr.
Sales delay
'Dhurandhar's presales delayed due to revenue-sharing disagreement
The opening weekend sales of Dhurandhar were supposed to start on Wednesday, but reportedly got delayed due to a disagreement between the distributor and exhibitors over revenue sharing from the original film and exclusivity for this new release. The dispute is about revenue sharing and show exclusivity, with the ask being for a four-week exclusive window, including three weeks that are already open. The fourth week will see competition from Bhooth Bangla.
Share dispute
Distributor's demand for higher share could impact film's performance
The distributor of Dhurandhar is reportedly asking for a 5% higher share of the revenue, an unprecedented demand in Indian cinema. The current terms are said to be quite harsh on films, especially in regional film industries. This change could have been addressed during the COVID-19 downtime but was not.
Revenue projection
Paid previews projected to reach ₹25 crore before official release
Despite the ongoing dispute, Dhurandhar will probably be nearing ₹25 crore by Monday. However, a slowdown in sales once the weekend opens could delay this milestone. The film's pre-sales exclusivity will continue until the issue is resolved. Its overseas sales have also been impressive due to early ticket sales and premium pricing for evening and late-night shows. Pawan Kalyan's OG holds the record for the highest preview earnings, at ₹25cr.