'Saiyaara,' 'Mahavatar Narishimha' overshadow 'Son of Sardaar 2'; experts react
What's the story
Ajay Devgn's Son of Sardaar 2 is facing a tough battle for screen space as it competes with two successful films, Saiyaara and Mahavatar Narsimha. The limited number of theaters and multiple distributors involved have made the release strategy a hot topic in the industry. Trade expert Taran Adarsh and trade exhibitor Akshaye Rathi shared their insights on this issue with India Today.
Expert opinions
'Exhibitors aren't going to let go of the theaters'
Adarsh said, "The thing is, these two films are doing so well, obviously, the exhibitors aren't going to let go of the theaters. They're not going to release the screens." "Even the distributors will feel the same, whether it's Anil Thadani for Mahavatar Narsimha or Yash Raj for Saiyaara." "So why would they want to let go of screens? They'll want to retain them, obviously."
Release strategy
Adarsh explains why 'Sardaar 2' needs a wide release
While Dhadak 2 is likely to have a limited rollout, Son of Sardaar 2 was banking on a wide release. Adarsh said, "Dhadak 2, I can understand, is a compact release. It's not going wide." "But Son of Sardaar 2 is a very big film and it needs that kind of screen count and showcase to recover its cost. Let's see what happens, the talks are still on."
Audience segmentation
Are 'Saiyaara,' 'Son of Sardaar 2' direct competitors?
Rathi pointed out that Saiyaara and Son of Sardaar 2 are very different films. He said, "The good thing is Saiyaara and Son of Sardaar 2 cater to very different audiences." "Saiyaara is popular among the 14-23 age group while Son of Sardaar 2 appeals more to viewers in their late 20s to early 40s. So they're not really competing for the same crowd."
Box office performance
Meanwhile, 'Saiyaara's box office run continues to shine
Meanwhile, Saiyaara is still going strong. Adarsh said, "The day-wise numbers have also been huge." "And if you see the trend over the weekend, I'm sure this weekend, despite two prominent releases, it's going to be a huge weekend for Saiyaara again." Rathi added, "The craze of Saiyaara isn't slowing down anytime soon." "We're all hoping the momentum continues with films like Son of Sardaar 2 and Dhadak 2 pushing it forward." Both these films will release on Friday.