Screen Space Woes For ‘Son of Sardaar 2’

In a bid to woo audiences, Devgn Films has launched a ‘full-price comedy at half price’ campaign, offering ticket discounts via special booking codes. However, the promotional strategy seems to be doing little to counter the dominance of current box office heavyweights.

The romantic melodrama Saiyaara, starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, continues to draw packed houses. Deepak Kumar Sharma, Managing Director of Cineport Cinemas (Delhi-NCR), says: “Son of Sardaar 2 is being sidelined as theatre owners are riding high on Saiyaara’s strong performance. With the much-anticipated War 2 slated for release around August 14, exhibitors are cautious about breaking the current momentum by slotting in a film that might not hold up against a heavyweight.”

According to a recent tabloid report, the distributors of Son of Sardaar 2 are demanding 60 per cent of total show slots, but exhibitors are reluctant to oblige. “While some single screens have agreed to two shows per day, the non-national chains are offering no more than 35 per cent of their shows,” the report said.

Meanwhile, Dharma Productions has taken a more calculated approach with Dhadak 2, releasing the film on just 1,000 screens nationwide. The strategy relies more on a word-of-mouth buzz.

The blockbuster success of Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara has taken both the trade and audiences by surprise, leading many filmmakers to postpone their release dates. One of the affected films is Param Sundari, starring Janhvi Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra, which has now been moved to August 29.

With War 2 looming large and audiences showing little patience for mid-tier comedies, it remains to be seen if Son of Sardaar 2 can make a comeback, or be forgotten amongst the crowd.