DUNKI VS SALAAR VS AQUAMAN: THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL CLASH IN RECENT TIMES
We have seen several clashes in the last few years at the box office. Often, issues over show sharing have cropped up. But the clash between Dunki, Salaar and Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom has been unprecedented.
Dunki stars Shah Rukh Khan and is his first collaboration with director Rajkumar Hirani. The trailer hasn’t got a great response but the hype is there as SRK is in his best form after delivering two blockbusters in the form of Pathaan and Jawan. Rajkumar Hirani’s name also carries a lot of respect thanks to his unforgettable films and historic box office track record. The film releases on December 21 and is expected to open around Rs. 35-40 crores. If the word of mouth is positive, it can emerge as a very big hit as it enjoys a five-day weekend in Week 1 and a four-day weekend in Week 2. It also has limited competition till the release of Fighter on January 25.
Salaar stars Prabhas and is directed and produced by Prashanth Neel and Hombale Films respectively of KGF fame. The trailer wasn’t liked and it affected the buzz. The second trailer is better but has come too late in the day. In Hindi, it’ll face the heat from Dunki but still can open at around Rs. 10 crores.
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom’s first part opened at Rs. 5 crores and had a lifetime of more than Rs. 50 crores. The sequel however suffers from poor ticket sales and fewer shows due to the competition. Also, the dubbed regional versions won’t get a release until Friday or Saturday due to censor delay.
It was expected that there would be some problems in getting screens. Usually, the issues are resolved a day or two before release. But this time, the issue escalated. Dunki’s distributors asked for 100% showcasing in Hindi-speaking markets, leaving no room for Salaar in the single-screen theatres. A few hours ago, it came to light that angry with unfair trade practices, Salaar’s makers decided to not release their film in PVR Inox and Miraj theatres in the South. Aquaman’s sudden cancellation of the dubbed version’s release has also added to the madness.
It now remains to be seen how these issues get resolved and which film emerges triumphant.