Big movies that release on the same date or a day apart often face harsh and critical scrutiny at the box office, particularly if they are coming out during festive weekends. Not every time an industry can pull off a Barbieheimer where both films emerge winners in a box office clash. It's not just the actors and the producers who await the outcome eagerly; the film's distribution team, PR personnel, and theater owners all wait for the results fervently. And there are times when clashes between two films lead to some very sour talks. This scenario is presently unfolding with Shah Rukh Khan's Dunki and Prabhas' Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire. Dunki: Siddharth Anand, Suniel Shetty and Riteish Deshmukh Express Their Excitement To Watch Shah Rukh Khan–Rajkumar Hirani’s Film on the Big Screen.

Dunki Vs Salaar

As per some early reports, the makers of Dunki had demanded exclusive 100 percent screening rights from single-screen owners that would make them prioritise the Shah Rukh Khan movie over Salaar. In response, the single-screen association refused to open bookings for Dunki on December 22. Now, as per a report in Bollywood Hungama, another issue has unfolded as Team Salaar has alleged unfair trade practices by Pen Marudhar and SRK's Dunki team and has apparently withdrawn their film from the PVR-Inox chain in South India. Salaar Part 1 – Ceasefire: Actor Sapthagiri Is ‘Confident’ That the Prabhas Starrer Will Surpass ‘Rs 2000 Crore Mark at the Box Office’.

Dunki Drop 4 :

 Salaar Trailer:

What Has Led to This Decision?

According to the report, the reason to do so was because all single screens managed by PVR-Inox and Miraj are now favouring Dunki over Salaar. This development happened when Shah Rukh Khan struck a deal with Ajay Bijli that the latter couldn't refuse. The report further states that the Hombale team is planning to pursue strong action against Ajay Bijli and PVR-Inox. Prabhas fans are also trending #BoycottPVRInox on social media after the report went viral.

It looks like we are going to have a very heated weekend ahead, as Dunki arrives on December 21 and Salaar a day later. Dunki, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, stars Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal and Boman Irani and deals with illegal immigration. Salaar, meanwhile, is made by Prashanth Neel of KGF fame, and has Prabhas in the lead, with Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran in an important role.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 20, 2023 03:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).