Film exhibitors call Middle East conflict 'blessing in disguise' for averting Toxic vs Dhurandhar 2 box office clash

Film exhibitors across India have expressed happiness that Toxic and Dhurandhar 2, two big-budget films, are no longer releasing on the same day.

The announcement took many by surprise. Yash's pan-India film, Toxic, was pushed back from its March 19 release to June 4, just two weeks ahead of release. The reason was the chance of Middle East business getting impacted due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. But the postponement spelt the end of Dhuroxic, the heavy-duty clash of two mega films releasing on March 19 - Yash's Toxic and Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar 2.

Yash plays a gangster in Geetu Mohandas' upcoming Kannada film Toxic.

And industry experts and exhibitors are breathing a sigh of relief because of it. Trade insiders say that two big films releasing on the same day not only eat into each other's business but also create a headache for exhibitors, who are caught between a rock and a hard place. With two big solo releases now, they say they have their ideal situation.

‘Middle East conflict blessing in disguise’

With Toxic pushing its release to June, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, Aditya Dhar's much-awaited spy thriller, is the only big release on March 19. It has some competition in the south from Pawan Kalyan's Ustaad Bhagat Singh, but the film is not big enough to trouble exhibitors.

The exhibitors say the logistical challenges of two big releases on the same weekend are best avoided. And while most big cinema chains say they are well-equipped to handle a clash of this proportion, avoiding such a box office clash is a "win-win" situation.

Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR INOX Pictures, told PTI, “For us, showcasing both the films on the same day was not a problem. It was beyond our and the producers' control because of the ongoing war. The Middle East business is getting impacted, and that's a big number for Toxic. We respect the decision of the producers of Toxic. Looking at the current situation, it is a good decision for both films.”

Both films set for a bumper run

Dhurandhar, released on December 5, was a massive box office success, grossing ₹1300 crore, including a record ₹1000 crore from the Indian market alone. The sequel is expected to surpass that mark now that it no longer has any competition. The film's potential is increased as it will also release in four additional languages - Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada.

Trade insiders told HT that Toxic's absence may help Dhurandhar 2's opening weekend grow by ₹100 crore worldwide. Film distributor Raj Bansal told PTI that both films ‘will have an advantage of at least 20 per cent’.

Experts believe that instead of splitting over 9,000 screens across India, both films are now poised to capture 80 to 90 per cent of all available screens during their respective solo windows, giving both a clear run for a blockbuster outing.