Renowned filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane has raised concerns over the screening practices surrounding Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna’s Pushpa 2: The Rule. Taking to Instagram, Motwane criticised the monopolistic tactics allegedly employed to secure maximum screen space for the film in multiplexes.
The controversy began when a multiplex manager, speaking anonymously to a media outlet, revealed that their chain was contractually bound to screen Pushpa 2 exclusively for 10 days, barring other films from being shown during this period. For those unversed, with a runtime of 3 hours and 20 minutes, Pushpa 2 has reportedly occupied more screen time than usual, with as many as 36 shows a day in some theatres.
The manager told Zoom, “We are under contract to screen no other film for ten days. If we play any other film for even one show, action is likely to be taken against us.”
Motwane, known for his critically acclaimed films like CTRL, Udaan and Lootera, did not hold back and slammed the multiplex chains, which have often been accused of sidelining smaller films in favour of big-budget projects, now facing the brunt of monopolistic practices from a major franchise.
Reacting to the manager’s statement, Motwane wrote, “Ah the plot thickens… Not that we should start feeling sorry for our favourite multiplex chain (yeah you know the one). The irony of them being strong-armed after they’ve done the exact same thing in the past multiple times to producers is just 🤦.”
“Either way, this is a terrible precedent to set. Multiplexes cannot and should not be monopolised in this way. If every big film started doing this, it would be disastrous,” he added.
Before that, he shared a screenshot of a ticket-booking website that shows multiple time slots for Pushpa 2 and none for Payal Kapadia’s critically-acclaimed film All We Imagine As Light.
“And yet, Payal’s incredible success will mean f**k all to us because we will throw her film out, not let it breathe or find an audience, and will have 36 shows a day of one film in a single multiplex. Congratulations. We deserve this,” he mentioned in his story.
The release of Pushpa 2 has generated quite a buzz across India and fans are leaving no stone unturned to express their excitement. The film has shattered box office records and cemented itself as one of the biggest films of Indian cinema.
The film is all set to enter Rs 1000 crore club soon, globally. According to Sacnilk, Puhspa 2 earned Rs 52.50 crore nett on Tuesday, December 10. The total collection of the film in India stands at Rs 645.95 crore.
