How 'Singham Again' and 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' are drawing crowds despite box office clash

A still from Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

After a seemingly uneventful 2024, fan-favourite franchises Singham and Bhool Bhulaiyaa have brought relief to the box-office, with the third edition of both films setting cash registers ringing on Diwali. Rohit Shetty's cop comedy Singham Again achieved a significant head-start, earning Rs 43 crore on its opening day, and continued its successful run on day two, collecting Rs 41.50 crore. While the actioner found favour among fans of the franchise's outlandish stunts, Kartik Aaryan's horror comedy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, also drew a different set of viewers. The Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit-starrer earned R35 crore on day one, with its collections seeing a marginal jump to R36.50 crore on the second day.

While filmmakers go to great lengths to avoid locking horns with one another on the annual film calendar, this clash, trade experts agree, served well for both parties. "Singham Again appeals largely to an action-loving audience, while Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 offers a blend of comedy and supernatural elements. The diverse genres have allowed the films to cater to distinct [audiences] even though the demographics overlap," says trade analyst Taran Adarsh, adding that the movies are tapping into the holiday crowd and benefiting from positive word-of-mouth. "Both films are designed for the masses, and the clash is drawing crowds back to theatres; it's encouraging for Bollywood. Distributors can finally heave a sigh of relief as the numbers have brought cheer. The momentum must continue. One expects that each film will earn a lifetime revenue of R200 crore. The makers of Singham Again would feel the pressure to earn more than that."

As per early projections, Singham Again is expected to cross the R100 crore mark by today, while Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 may breach Rs 90 crore. Trade expert Girish Wankhede agrees that the films are "not competing but complementing each other". "Contrasting genres that are simultaneously released often mutually benefit each other," he says, adding that the collections are likely to see an up-tick in the following week as well.

Despite mixed reviews, the brand loyalty of each franchise has drawn fans of both Ajay Devgn and Aaryan to theatres. Gaiety Galaxy's Manoj Desai said, "Analysts believe this is a sign that Bollywood might be heading toward a strong box-office finish this year. We are optimistic about the continuing success of the films, especially as the holiday momentum carries on."

Collections of top films in 2024 (Rupees in crore)

Stree 2
628

Fighter
200

Shaitaan
150