Why 'Pushpa 2' was pulled from North Indian PVRs
What's the story
Despite setting a new record as the fastest Indian film to cross the ₹1,050 crore mark worldwide, Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule has been surprisingly pulled off from all PVR INOX chains in North India.
The move comes amid a tussle between its distributor, Anil Thadani, and the distributors of Baby John, starring Varun Dhawan.
The dispute revolves around Thadani's demand for equal screen time for both films during the Christmas week.
Distributor's stance
What did Thadani demand?
Reportedly, Thadani's AA Films asked for an equal number of screens for Pushpa 2 and Baby John from December 20 to December 26.
This demand is to ensure that Pushpa 2 doesn't lose any shows to Baby John, which is releasing on Christmas Day (Wednesday).
Now, the problem is, if theaters have to maintain a uniform number of screenings throughout the week, they're going to suffer.
Thus, until a solution is reached, Pushpa 2 has been removed, reported Times Now.
Booking impact
Thadani's demand affected advance bookings for 'Pushpa 2'
The ongoing dispute has also affected the advance booking of Pushpa 2 in several theaters for the upcoming weekend.
According to Bollywood Hungama, Thadani has requested exhibitors to give him a written confirmation that they will fulfill his condition of equal screenings for both films.
If theaters don't oblige to his demand, Thadani threatened to not issue them a release order (RO) for Pushpa 2 over the weekend.
Insider insights
Industry insiders reveal potential solutions to the conflict
An industry insider revealed that all parties involved are working diligently to resolve this conflict.
If they agree to Thadani's demands, they'll have to play fewer shows of Pushpa 2 until December 24. This would allow for an equal number of screenings when Atlee's production, Baby John releases.
Alternatively, if they continue with maximum screenings of Pushpa 2 until December 26, Baby John will get limited shows for two days and a full-fledged release only from Friday (December 27).