Dhurandhar: The Revenge, starring Ranveer Singh, will have paid preview shows a day before its official release. The film is scheduled to arrive in theatres on March 19, but movie lovers will be able to watch it earlier through preview screenings on Wednesday.
Bookings for these preview shows have already started, and the response has been strong so far. As per BookMyShow, the early ticket sales for the previews have crossed Rs 10 crore. People in the trade believe the number could grow much higher by the time the previews take place. Some estimates suggest the previews alone could earn more than Rs 25 crore, and the final total may even go close to Rs 30 crore.
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Preview shows often attract fans who want to watch a film before everyone else. However, they can also reduce some of the rush on the official opening day, because many viewers end up watching the film during the previews itself.
A report by Pinkvilla noted that the preview collections may be added to the opening day total when the box office numbers are officially reported. In the past, however, preview earnings and first-day collections were usually counted separately.
Holiday confusion around release week
There has also been some confusion about the holiday around the film’s release. Earlier, many people believed March 19 would be a national holiday because of Eid. But the festival is now expected to fall on March 21 instead.
Because of this date change, March 19 will no longer be a nationwide holiday. The day will only be observed as a restricted holiday in some states, including Maharashtra and a few states in South India. In many North Indian cities, it will be a regular working day.
Still, strong advance bookings could help the film start well at the box office.
Higher ticket prices for the film
The makers have also introduced a new ticket pricing category for the film. It has been labelled ‘Super Blockbuster Plus Rates’.
This decision is mainly because the film has a very long runtime of nearly four hours. When a movie is that long, theatres usually get fewer shows in a day. Higher ticket prices help theatres balance this.
Big films often release with ‘Blockbuster Rates’ or ‘Super Blockbuster Rates’, which are usually around 10 to 25 percent higher than normal ticket prices. The new category may push the prices even higher, although the final rates will depend on each theatre.
Opening day estimates adjusted
Trade experts have also slightly changed their box office predictions for the first day. Earlier estimates suggested the film might earn between Rs 75 crore and Rs 90 crore on its opening day.
The latest Pinkvilla predictions now place the opening day collection between Rs 60 crore and Rs 75 crore, with around Rs 65 crore seen as a more likely figure.
If the preview earnings are added, the total could become much bigger. In that case, the combined number may reach between Rs 85 crore and Rs 105 crore.
With strong ticket sales already and a lot of curiosity among fans, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is expected to open with big numbers when it finally reaches theatres.