In Mumbai, industry experts and exhibitors say that the escalating tensions in West Asia have turned out to be a blessing in disguise for "Dhurandhar 2" and "Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups," which were originally scheduled to compete at the box office on March 19, but will now have separate releases.
In a surprise announcement on Wednesday, the makers of "Toxic" announced that they have decided to move the film's release to June 4, due to geopolitical uncertainty, which would impact its box office collections in the global and Gulf regions. The film stars Kannada superstar Yash.
The second part of Aditya Dhar's spy thriller, "Dhurandhar," starring Ranveer Singh, will now be the only major film released on March 19.
According to Girish Wankhede, a trade expert, the industry had feared losses of up to Rs 150 crore due to the clash between the two major releases.
"The Iran-Israel war is a blessing in disguise; the conflict has done good for the Indian cinema as 'Dhurandhar 2' and 'Toxic' will have solo releases," he said.
Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR INOX Pictures, said that while exhibitors are equipped to handle the simultaneous release of two major films, avoiding such a box office clash is a "win-win" situation.
"For us, showcasing both the films on the same day was not a problem. It was beyond our and the producers' control because of the ongoing war. The Middle East business is getting impacted, and that's a big number for 'Toxic'. We respect the decision of the producers of 'Toxic'. Looking at the current situation, it is a good decision for both the films," Gianchandani told
