Amitabh Bachchan, Uunchai has a limited release on less than 500 screens
Multiplexes have been asked to play shows only after 11 a.m.
On was the first to report that Rajshri Productions’ Uunchai will be distributed in India and internationally by Yash Raj Films. We also said that it would be released on 600-700 screens.
Bollywood has now discovered that plans have changed. “The film is expected to release in only 450-475 screens in India,” an exhibition source told Bollywood Hungama. This is quite low for a mid-sized film starring an A-lister and directed by a blockbuster.
The film’s showings should begin no later than 11:00 a.m., according to the instructions given to the theatres. Furthermore, multiplexes with five or more screens can only show four shows simultaneously.
Theatres with fewer than five screens are told to have two or three daily shows.”
To put things in perspective, Amitabh Bachchan’s last solo film, Jhund (2022), was released on approximately 1200 screens. Chehre (2021) was released when Maharashtra cinemas were closed, and it was shown on nearly 1000 screens.
“Several exhibitors are stunned by this request,” the source continued. We can’t recall the last time such a big film was released with so few showings.
When asked why this release strategy was chosen, the source said, “Perhaps the makers are following the old Rajshri model of release.” In week one, they famously released their biggest blockbuster, Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994), in very limited theatres. As word spread and demand increased, so did the number of prints. They are hoping that Uunchai will follow suit. If word of mouth is positive and direction increases, the number of shows will increase in the coming days, as has recently happened with films such as Karthikeya 2 and Kantara. Furthermore, with such a short window of opportunity, shows cannot be cancelled due to a lack of audience.”
