The highly anticipated film, *Border 2*, is all set to storm theaters this Friday, January 23rd. In a pleasant surprise for fans, advance bookings for the film opened way ahead of schedule on Sunday. While recent trends have seen theaters holding back ticket sales for big releases due to competition, the near-end run of *Dhurandhar* and no other major clashes on January 23rd have paved the way for *Border 2* to command unprecedented screen allocation. Bollywood Hungama brings you an exclusive insight into the distributor's extensive demands from exhibitors regarding the film's showcasing.
Unprecedented Showcasing Directives
Trade sources reveal that the distributors have laid down stringent showcasing directives to ensure *Border 2* receives maximum exposure across all cinema formats:
• Single Screen Cinemas: All shows are to be exclusively allotted to *Border 2* for a remarkable two-week period.
• Multiple Screen Cinemas: For theaters with more than one screen, these directives are mandatory for the first week of release.
Detailed Show Allocation Demands
The demands escalate based on the number of screens a cinema complex possesses:
• Two-Screen Cinemas: Distributors have instructed theaters to allocate all available shows to *Border 2*.
• Three-Screen Cinemas: A minimum of 12 shows a day is required.
• Multiplexes (4, 5, and 6 Screens): These complexes are mandated to play 14, 16, and 18 shows a day, respectively.
• Large Multiplexes (7 or More Screens): A staggering requirement of 20 shows a day has been put forth.
Considering *Border 2*'s significant runtime of 3 hours and 19 minutes, a trade source commented on the implications: “This means that the gap between the two shows in most cinemas would be four hours. Assuming 4 shows of Border 2 are played daily, one can say that even three-screen cinemas will allot all shows to Border 2 and to no other film, provided they follow the directive.”
Blockbuster Opening & Weekend Predictions
The advance booking figures for *Border 2* have been exceptionally strong. As of Monday at 6:00 PM, the film had already sold 13,500 tickets in the top three national chains – PVR, Inox, and Cinepolis. Trade sources are highly optimistic, suggesting an opening day collection of Rs. 40 crores. With its release coinciding with a four-day weekend (Monday being a National Holiday for Republic Day), the first-week box office numbers are anticipated to be sky-high, setting a strong precedent for its theatrical run.
