INDUSTRY GEARS UP FOR THE GRAND DIWALI RELEASES

In less than a week, the Diwali releases, namely Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, will be arriving in theatres. Since Diwali this time falls on Monday, October 20, the makers of both the films have decided to go for a mid-week release. Hence, the films will hit the theatres on Tuesday, October 21.

Thamma belongs to the much-loved Maddock Horror Comedy Universe and is set in the same world as Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya. It stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Paresh Rawal. It is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar of Munjya fame. The trailer and assets promise an ample dose of horror and comedy and visually, it looks striking. Shraddha Kapoor, the lead actress of Stree, unveiled the trailer of Thamma; in a way, it gave a hint that she would be present in the film. The makers have further indicated that there are several surprises in the film, possibly cameos.

However, until now, the film hasn’t been able to generate the kind of hype that was created by Stree or Stree 2. The songs have always been a big draw for the universe. Until now, the songs of Thamma have definitely been noticed but haven’t become chartbusters.

The advance booking hasn’t commenced and it would be a bit difficult to guess the opening day figures. But since it’s a Diwali release, features popular names and is a part of a big franchise, it will open in double digits and can even cross the Rs. 15 or 20 crore mark. The next two days, Wednesday, October 22 and Thursday, October 23, are also holidays, while the weekend will commence from October 24. As a result, Thamma will have the advantage of a six-day weekend. A good word of mouth will lead to a jump in earnings from October 22.

Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is directed by Milap Zaveri and stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa. It is Harshvardhan’s first release after his 2016 intense love story, Sanam Teri Kasam, became a super-hit upon its re-release. Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is also in the same zone. The songs have worked big time, which has added to its buzz. The makers have gone for the Saiyaara model of promotion. In other words, the makers haven’t held any event or allowed the team to give interviews.

Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat should open at Rs. 7-8 crores with an outside chance of double digit opening as well. It seems like the B and C centres will patronize the film more, at least on its release day. Hence, positive reports are crucial for the film to break out in the metro cities and also for a healthy lifetime.

Hence, a day 1 of around Rs. 30 crore is expected from both the films. This number is nowhere close to the Rs. 73.25 crores collectively accumulated by the 2024 Diwali releases, Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, on the first day. But this was expected as Thamma and Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat are not the biggest films of the year. But as they have the advantage of the holiday period and their genres are massy, sky's the limit, provided the word of mouth is positive. If reports are bad, it’ll prove detrimental from the second day itself.