Son of Sardaar 2 caught in crossfire as Saiyaara, Mahavatar Narishimha rule screens

Actor Ajay Devgn’s ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ is caught in a screen tug-of-war as ongoing hits ‘Saiyaara’ and ‘Mahavatar Narishimha’ continue to dominate theaters. With limited space and multiple distributors at play, the film’s release strategy has become a topic of heated industry conversation. Trade expert Taran Adarsh and trade exhibitor Akshaye Rathi weigh in.

Speaking to India Today exclusively, Taran Adarsh said, “The thing is, these two films are doing so well—obviously, the exhibitors aren’t going to let go of the theatres. They’re not going to release the screens. Even the distributors will feel the same, whether it’s Anil Thadani for ‘Mahavatar Narishimha’ or Yash Raj for ‘Saiyaara’. So why would they want to let go of screens? They’ll want to retain them, obviously.”

Akshaye Rathi echoes the sentiment, while also emphasising how audience demand plays a bigger role than many assume. He said, “I think the programming of films is often misunderstood. People assume it’s the exhibitors or distributors who decide what plays and how often. But in reality, it’s driven by demand and supply — it’s the audience that decides. Our job is to respond to that demand.”

While ‘Dhadak 2’ is expected to have a limited rollout, ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ was banking on a wide release to recover costs. “‘Dhadak 2’, I can understand, is a compact release. It’s not going wide. But ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ is a very big film, and it needs that kind of screen count and showcase to recover its cost. Let’s see what happens—the talks are still on,” Adarsh added.

According to Rathi, accommodating all three films might be tricky, but not impossible. He further said, “If advance bookings show greater interest in ‘Saiyaara’ or ‘Dhadak 2’, naturally, those films will get more shows. The same applies to ‘Son of Sardaar 2’. But yes, given the timing and the fact that ‘Saiyaara’ will be in its third week, I’m not sure if there’s space for all three films — but certainly for two.”

Despite ongoing negotiations, the battle for screens remains intense. “It’s going to be a very divided scenario. You can’t really pinpoint a number—30%, 40%, it’s hard to say—because a lot of distributors are involved at the same time. The marketplace is very crowded. The good thing is that ‘Saiyaara’ and ‘Mahavatar Narishimha’ are both doing excellent business. So, it’s going to be a tough fight to get screens and shows. Not just in Bombay or the urban centres, but even in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. It’ll be a tough call, especially for single screens,” Adarsh explained.

Rathi, however, points out that Saiyaara and Son of Sardaar 2 may not be directly competing. The exhibitor said, “The good thing is ‘Saiyaara’ and ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ cater to very different audiences. ‘Saiyaara’ is popular among the 14–23 age group, while ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ appeals more to viewers in their late 20s to early 40s. So they’re not really competing for the same crowd.”

Adding to the surprise is the promotional strategy being adopted. A discount scheme offering Rs. 200 off has raised industry eyebrows. “Honestly, I don’t know if that really helps. For a big film, I don’t understand what the strategy is to woo the audience. I can understand this kind of offer for ‘Saiyaara’ or ‘Dhadak 2’, if at all it’s happening. But for a film like ‘Son of Sardaar 2’, which is a big, big film, with big money involved—to give 50% off up to Rs. 200 off on Friday—it raises eyebrows,” Adarsh remarked.

Rathi disagrees with the notion that such offers dilute a film’s value. “These are standard marketing tools to generate demand. Higher demand leads to more shows and screens. It’s not unusual, and even the biggest films have used these tactics. The goal is to get people into theatres — whichever way works,” he went on.

“‘Saiyaara’, for instance, had discounted tickets and a buy-one-get-one offer on opening day, and it’s gone on to become a massive hit,” Rathi added.

Meanwhile, ‘Saiyaara’ shows no signs of slowing down. Adarsh said, “The day-wise numbers have also been huge. And if you see the trend over the weekend, I’m sure this weekend, despite two prominent releases, it’s going to be a huge weekend for ‘Saiyaara’ again.”

Rathi agreed and further said, “The craze of ‘Saiyaara’ isn’t slowing down anytime soon. We’re all hoping the momentum continues, with films like ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ and ‘Dhadak 2’ pushing it forward. Fingers crossed!”

As for the film’s potential lifetime numbers, Adarsh estimated, “It can go anywhere between Rs 375 crore– Rs 400 crore, depending on how the two new releases perform at the box office. But at the moment, it’s a tough fight between all the films.”

However, for upcoming big-ticket films Rathi remains confident. he said, “As for War 2 and Coolie, I don’t think any of this will affect them. August 15 is still some time away. Before that, we have Kingdom and a few others. I think we’ll be just fine.”

‘Son of Sardaar 2’ and ‘Dhadak 2’ are scheduled for a theatrical release on August 1, 2025.