Shruti Suman
The unexpected clash between Dunki and Salaar at the box office emerged in September when the release of Prabhas starrer Dunki was postponed. Both films generated significant buzz before their grand release, leading to intense negotiations regarding screen allocations, especially in the northern market. Rajkumar Hirani’s directorial, Dunki, has maintained a strong grip on the larger Hindi-speaking audience, capitalizing on Shah Rukh Khan’s unparalleled screen presence. Recent reports suggest that Salaar: CeaseFire has secured fewer screens in the northern market compared to Dunki, primarily due to this factor.
According to a Pinkvilla report, the social comedy Dunki has secured approximately 46% of total showcasing in northern multiplexes, while Salaar follows with a 20% share of the screen count. Hollywood superhero film Aquaman 2 claims a 14% share, and the successful film Animal, currently running in cinemas, accounts for the remaining 10% of the screen count during the holiday season.
Potential reasons for Salaar’s lower screen count in the north include its A-certificate and the presence of violent content. Although this screen count situation is still tentative, it indicates a preference among northern exhibitors for Dunki over Salaar. The A-certificate, coupled with the film’s violent content, has deterred exhibitors from showcasing Salaar to family audiences. However, Salaar is anticipated to perform well on single screens, where action genres tend to fare better.
Simultaneously, the pan-India film, featuring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Shruti Haasan in significant roles, has surpassed $1 million at the overseas box office through advance bookings, including preview shows on Thursday, December 21. Both films are successfully drawing audiences to theaters, making it intriguing to see which one will ultimately triumph in this box office battle.
Khushi Sikarwar
