Drishyam The Conclusion has converted its box-office run into hard negotiating power. After crossing Rs 300 crore on Sunday, October 11, the Ajay Devgn-starrer is now expected to finish at least around Rs 375 crore, with an outside chance of entering the Rs 400 crore club. That momentum has made its distributor, Panorama Studios, press cinemas to hold enough shows in the film’s third week—and the request has collided with a crowded release calendar.
The week-three show count
From October 16, Panorama Studios wants the thriller to keep a significant share of the day’s programming. The proposed scale rises with screen count:
- Single-screen cinemas: at least 3 shows
- Two-screen cinemas: 5 shows
- Three-screen cinemas: 6 shows, including 1 morning show
- Four-screen multiplexes: 7 shows, including 1 morning show
- Five-screen multiplexes: 8 shows, including 1 morning show
- Six-screen cinemas: 10 shows
- Cinemas with seven or more screens: 15 shows
For a title entering its third week, those are substantial holds. They amount to a direct claim on prime screening capacity at the very moment the market is preparing room for new films.
Why the standoff has paused bookings
The request has put exhibitors in a dilemma because this week brings several releases: Nayyi Navelli, Prahaar, Street Fighter, Jailer 2 and Ranabaali. The last two are also arriving in Hindi. Each has audience potential, so cinemas are trying to negotiate with distributors to reach a consensus rather than simply displace one slate for another.
The immediate consequence is visible to ticket buyers: advance bookings for the upcoming week have not opened at several cinemas. The logjam is not a minor scheduling detail. It delays the point at which audiences can commit to a Friday plan, and it leaves distributors of the new titles waiting to see how many shows they actually have.
A familiar trade-off with a stronger holdover
Show-sharing negotiations are a recurring part of the exhibition business, but the balance of power here is unusual. A film that crosses Rs 300 crore is a proven draw, so Panorama can reasonably ask for a wide hold. At the same time, six incoming films need enough shows to generate their own opening numbers. The result is a week where theatrical capacity, not audience demand, is the constraint being negotiated.
An industry insider added that the film “still has a lot of gas left in the tank” and can keep pulling audiences despite the competition. The makers have also asked exhibitors to sell tickets at regular prices, which may help convert the film’s strong word of mouth into continued footfall while the schedule gets sorted.
What happens next
A trade source told Bollywood Hungama that the matter could be resolved by Wednesday morning or evening, or it could stretch to Thursday—just a day before the new releases arrive. For readers who are planning to book tickets, the practical signal is to watch for advance windows opening midweek. For the trade, the outcome will set the tone for how much a holdover hit can dictate the screen map against a full slate of new titles.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
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