'Singham Again' vs 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3': Exhibitors bet on horror, action to revive audience interest

Mumbai: With both Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 set to clash at the box office this Diwali, the exhibitors and trade experts are hoping that the star-studded franchise films will help them recover some of the losses this year.

Both the films, set for release on November 1, will be showcased in over 6,000 screens in cinemas nationwide during the Diwali weekend.

According to the exhibitors, Singham Again, the latest title in Rohit Shetty's cop universe, has an edge as it has secured 60 per cent of the screens, while Kartik Aaryan-starrer Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 will occupy the remaining 40 per cent.

Trade experts predict that Singham Again will open in the Rs 40-45 crore range, while Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 could earn around Rs 20-25 crore.

Ashish Kanakia, CEO of MovieMax Cinema, hoped for a robust footfall in theatres.

"Both films cater to large, loyal fanbases and bring unique flavours to the screen, which should attract diverse audience segments. We’re optimistic this could be a turning point for the exhibition sector, helping recover some of this year’s losses. Blockbuster releases around festivals have historically brought audiences back in large numbers, and we expect this trend to continue,” Kanakia told PTI.

"Singham Again”, the third installment in the “Singham” series, features Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Tiger Shroff, and Arjun Kapoor.

"Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3", directed by Anees Bazmee, sees Aaryan reprise his role as Rooh Baba from the previous film. Vidya Balan, who played Avni/Manjulika in the original 2007 film by Priyadarshan, returns to the franchise, with Madhuri Dixit joining as a new addition.

This year, horror-comedies “Stree 2” and "Munjya" turned out to be two of the biggest hits at the box office and the makers of "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3" hope to capitalise the audience interest in the genre.

Only a few other films, such as Devgn’s “Shaitaan” and Kiran Rao’s “Lapaataa Ladies” have achieved success at the ticket window in an otherwise dull year that was mostly dominated by re-releases of old hits.

Some of the movies featuring big names like Devgn’s “Maidaan,” “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan” with Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, and Aaryan’s “Chandu Champion,” failed to click with the audience.

For Bihar-based exhibitor Vishek Chauhan, the upcoming box office clash is a concern, given the industry’s recent losses.

"I'm hoping for a miracle where both films succeed. ‘Singham Again’ is a bigger franchise, likely to perform better. It should attract larger crowds at single screens because of its mass appeal, while in multiplexes and bigger cities, it will be more balanced between ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ and ‘Singham Again,’” Chauhan told PTI.

Trade analyst Atul Mohan noted that the films could have performed even better without the competition. “’Singham Again’ might have reached Rs 50 crore or more, and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ could have achieved Rs 35-40 crore. Both films have the potential to do well if the content is strong, as the next major release, ‘Pushpa 2,’ isn’t until December,” he told PTI.

Amit Sharma, MD of Miraj Entertainment Limited, suggested that the two films will likely impact each other’s business.

“The clash between ‘Singham Again’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ is going to be interesting. Both films have the potential to surpass Rs 1,000 crore in lifetime collections,” Sharma told PTI.

Senior distributor and exhibitor Raj Bansal, based in Jaipur, estimated the combined first-day collection of both films to be around Rs 90 crore.

“Diwali clashes aren't new; they’re quite common. It’s important to note that the two films are releasing on Diwali pujan day, which the industry considers the weakest day of the year for box office sales,” Bansal explained to PTI.

At an event earlier this month, Aaryan expressed confidence in both films’ success. “Diwali is such a big holiday that two films can run simultaneously in theatres. ‘Singham Again’ is an action film, while ours is a horror comedy. It’s a rare and exciting moment to have two options on the same day. I think audiences are eagerly waiting for both,” he said.

In South India, there is more buzz around “Singham Again,” according to Chennai-based trade analyst Ramesh Bala. He shared that the two films will release on 750 to 1,000 screens across select cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Cochin.

"'Singham Again' has an edge due to its star-studded cast, including Ajay, Akshay, Deepika, Ranveer, and others who enjoy strong popularity here. However, both films look promising,” Bala said.