PremiumSalaar vs Dunki - Maratha Mandir owner Manoj Desai claims 'internal politics will kill' Prabhas starrer at box office
Mumbai-based exhibitor Manoj Desai, who owns the famous Maratha Mandir, has lashed out at his colleagues who were hampering the smooth release of Salaar in North Indian states.
Last Updated: 08.25 PM, Dec 21, 2023
Telugu superstar Prabhas' highly anticipated film, Salaar: Part 1, is facing several obstacles in North Indian states on the eve of its grand release. The producers find themselves at an impasse with North Indian distributors, posing a potential impact on Salaar's opening-day box office collection.
Mumbai-based exhibitor Manoj Desai, who owns the famous Maratha Mandir, has lashed out at his colleagues who are hampering the smooth release of the film, which has the potential to be a big draw at the box office this holiday season.
"Salaar is set to release tomorrow and the conflict is still going on. What are you guys doing? Why hinder advance bookings?" ranted Manoj Desai in a viral video.
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He claimed that he had been getting calls from the production team as to why he was not taking bookings for Salaar yet. He alleged that he was under pressure not to facilitate bookings. "This is the way to kill a new movie. Such things don't reflect well on distributors," he said, suggesting that his hands were tied in the matter owing to "internal politics."
He said that fans are visiting his theatre to book tickets for Salaar for tomorrow. However, they were all returning empty-handed and disappointed because of the ongoing negotiations between distributors and producers.
He expressed his frustration, mentioning that if the issue persists, he might have to continue showing Ranbir Kapoor's recent film, Animal. He lamented, "These issues always happen when two films come together," adding that he was "helpless."
According to reports, the distributors are pressuring the single screens to allot more screens to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's Dunki at the expense of Salaar. Considering the popularity of Prabhas among the movie buffs in the Hindi-speaking belt, the producers are demanding more screens to cash in on the fan frenzy.
Earlier, there were also reports that producers had decided to cancel all shows of Salaar in all national multiplex chains across the country, protesting preferential treatment to Dunki, which hit the screens on December 21.
However, earlier today, PVR issued a statement rubbishing reports and assured fans that the film will play in its cinemas across the country from December 22 onwards.