The industry is gearing up for the clash between the Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR starrer War 2 and the Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie. As it happens during clashes, issues have come up with regards to show sharing. However, in the state of West Bengal, Bengali film Dhumketu has come out of the syllabus and has given a tough fight to both the films.
A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “Dhumketu also releases on the same day as War 2 and Coolie, that is, Thursday, August 14. It was known that there was tremendous excitement to see the film. Yet, its makers are surprised by the advance ticket sales. Several shows across the state, particularly in Kolkata, are fast-filling or nearly sold out.”
The trade source added, “Dhumketu has sold nearly 21,000 tickets as of Monday, August 11, 11 am and the number is increasing with each passing hour. Meanwhile, War 2 has sold around 5,500 tickets in West Bengal.”
War 2 is distributed and produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF) and they have asked cinemas across the Hindi-speaking belt for maximum showcasing or 100% showcasing in single-screen, two-screen and three-screen properties.
The trade source continued, “But YRF seems to have made an exception in West Bengal, looking at the response to Dhumketu’s advance booking and allowed some theatres for show-sharing. YRF head honcho Aditya Chopra always takes a pragmatic approach and he understands the hype for the Bengali film along with that for War 2. Hence, the exception was made.”
In single-screens of Kolkata like Prachi, Asoka and Menoka, War 2 has been allotted 3 shows while Dhumketu has been allotted 1 show. In Jayanti and Binodini, Dhumketu has been given two shows. In Navina and Uma Talkies, two shows, however, have been allotted to both Dhumketu and Coolie’s Hindi version. As for the iconic Priya cinema, the management, from August 14, will play 3 shows of War 2, 1 show of Dhumketu and the morning show has been allotted to the animated blockbuster Mahavatar Narsimha. Surprisingly, both shows of Dhumketu in Navina and the afternoon show at Binodini are already sold out, though the release is three days away.
Dhumketu stars popular Bengali actor Dev along with Subhashree Ganguly, Parambrata Chatterjee, Chiranjeet Chakraborty and others. Readers will be surprised to know that the shooting of the film began nearly ten years ago, in October 2015 and was completed in January 2017. The film then faced certain issues, after which it was finally revived earlier this year.
A Bengali film industry insider commented, “Usually, delayed films look dated and their appeal diminishes over time. But with Dhumketu, that hasn’t happened at all. The audience is well aware that its filming was completed 9-10 years ago, but still, they can’t wait to see it. This is truly historic.”
(Also read: War 2 Final Runtimes Locked: Hrithik Roshan And Jr NTR’s Hindi Version Is LONGER Than Tamil And Telugu Cuts, Set To Feature Extra Cameo End Credit Scene )
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