Baby John Producer Murad Khetani Addresses Show-Sharing Talks with Pushpa 2: “We’re Requesting a Fair 50-50 Split in Single Screens”

Ziya Khan 4 weeks agoLast Updated: December 23, 2024

Since Thursday, reports have emerged regarding a conflict between Anil Thadani, the distributor of Pushpa 2 – The Rule, and PVR Inox Pictures, the distributor for Baby John. According to a report from Bollywood Hungama, advance bookings for Baby John, featuring Varun Dhawan, have yet to open in several cinemas. This delay is due to PVR’s request for a 60% share of the shows for their film and a 40% share for Pushpa 2. This arrangement has raised concerns among the distributor of Pushpa 2 and some exhibitors. In response to these reports, Murad Khetani, the producer of Baby John, clarified the situation during an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama on Sunday evening (December 22). He assured that advance bookings for the film would commence nationwide on Monday, December 23.

Murad explained, “There’s no issue. MovieMax, Miraj, Mukta, and others have opened advances. We had a few minor details to address regarding programming. We need to proceed step-by-step, and this takes time. Our distribution team has been diligently working on it; everything cannot be finalized at once.”There were concerns that PVR Inox had begun bookings for both Baby John and Pushpa 2 for December 25, giving them a potential first-mover advantage. Murad clarified, “Other multiplexes tend to follow the programming patterns set by national chains.

That’s why PVR, Inox, and Cinepolis started first. PVR Inox is distributing the film, and other chains wanted to see what they were asking for before implementing similar arrangements in their theatres.”Regarding show-sharing in single screens, Murad stated, “We are working on it, considering various factors, including the film’s runtime. Some single screens are amenable to show-sharing, while others are not. By December 23, everything should be resolved. We are being reasonable, proposing a 50-50 show-sharing arrangement. For theatres with five shows a day, we are requesting three.”He concluded by confirming that Baby John is expected to release in approximately 3000 screens but added, “There are no plans for a paid preview on the evening of December 24.”