Even as Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge finally started rolling in theaters, the much-hyped release hit an unexpected snag. Several premiere shows in the regions were delayed or cancelled, leaving fans disappointed. The Kannada and Malayalam versions, in particular, were not screened on the opening evening as planned.Among the chaos, director Aditya Dhar and the team made an official statement about the situation.
‘We are truly sorry’: Officials break silence over delays
Sharing a statement on social media, the makers expressed their regret for the hiatus underlining their emotional investment in the film.“For our dear Dhurandhar family, Dhurandhar is not just a film for us, it is something we have dreamed of experiencing, nurturing and sharing with all of you, together, at the same time, in every language,” the statement said.He also clarified the revised show schedule: “Most of our Hindi shows across India are scheduled from 5:00 PM. All our Tamil and Telugu shows will start from 9:00 PM. However, due to unexpected technical difficulties, the Malayalam and Kannada shows will start tomorrow morning. Please watch the Hindi version with subtitles instead.”The band ended by apologizing, saying that the audience’s love means the world to them. Really sorry for the inconvenience. Your love for this film means the world to us, and we can’t wait to share it with you,” the statement read.
Releases have been canceled in the Southern markets
Earlier in the day, theaters in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala reported that they had not received the latest content on time, despite scheduling evening releases.Several exhibitors, including Broadway Cinemas, KSPS Cinemas, Rakki Cinemas and AGS Cinemas, have canceled their Tamil premiere shows and assured refunds. Some theaters also offered the Hindi version as an alternative.Ticketing platforms like BookMyShow later scrapped several scheduled shows for their Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam versions. Even the Hindi premieres were reportedly delayed by around 40 minutes due to subtitle issues.
Strong pre-booking takes a hit
Despite the problem, the film had a lot of pre-release traction. According to trade estimates, Dhurandhar 2 sold over 9 lakh tickets in all languages for its opening shows with a revenue of Rs 42.71 crore.Regional contributions were over 1 crore from Telugu markets, over 80 lakh from Tamil and over 8 lakh from Kannada and Malayalam.With cancellations in key regions, the team might face a loss of over 2.25 crores from its debut earnings alone.
A massive opening is expected despite the hurdles
the protagonist Ranveer Singh Starring Sara Arjun, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Rakesh Bedi, the Aditya Dhar directorial has been certified ‘A’ by CBFC for its intense violent content. The film marks the return of its lead cast along with several additions.For the uninitiated, Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge recorded historic pre-sales and is eyeing a 40 crore debut from the releases alone. The opening day collections, including previews, are expected to cross the Rs 100 crore mark at the Indian box office, making it one of the biggest openers in recent times.
