Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan’s next, Bhooth Bangla, which was scheduled to arrive on April 10, has now been delayed to April 17. This has spiked a huge conversation in the industry, as many are questioning the move. While the delay is attributed to the historic business of Dhurandhar 2, Bollywood Hungama has dived into the real reason for the postponement.

A source told Bollywood Hungama, “The distribution head of Jio Studios, Deepak Sharma has told the multiplexes to pull back the KDM of Dhurandhar 2 in the fourth week if they don’t promise 10,000 shows to the film in the release week of Bhooth Bangla. He has taken this in writing from the exhibitors, and given the historic run, no one was willing to take the risk of missing out on a single penny of Dhurandhar 2.”

The makers of Bhooth Bangla were fighting till the last minute to get a respectable release from April 10. “The Bhooth Bangla team contended that Dhurandhar 2 would have earned Rs. 1,000 crores by April 10, and all they wanted was a release that almost all mid-sized Akshay Kumar films get. But the Jio Studios distribution head had given a strict instruction to the exhibitors. It’s the game of power, and with a project like Dhurandhar, the studio and its head are looking to establish themselves as the #1 distributor in India. The multiplex association had no option but to agree to all the demands.”

The single screens too were given the same offer, i.e. to retain Dhurandhar 2 on all 4 shows even in the release week of Bhooth Bangla. “Akshay Kumar and co. prefer to stay away from controversy and eventually decided to move ahead by a week to April 17,” the trade source informed.

Await the new date announcement soon!

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Akshay Kumar reveals returning to Chomu Palace again for Bhooth Bangla after Bhool Bhulaiyaa; Priyadarshan addresses comparisons with the psychological thriller