Tere Ishk Mein lands in cinemas in two days and is already creating buzz at the box office — but ticket sales at many single screens are still on hold. The snag: a firm demand from distributor AA Films that some theatre owners aren’t willing to accept just yet.
What AA Films is asking single screens to do
Industry sources say AA Films, led by Anil Thadani, has asked single-screen owners to sign an agreement to play Tere Ishk Mein for all shows this week. On top of that, theatres must commit to running two shows of the film next week as part of the deal. Only after these conditions are met will the film be released in those venues.
Why some theatre owners are hesitant
The sticking point is timing. Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, arrives on December 5. If single-screen owners accept AA Films’ terms, they’ll have to cut Dhurandhar down to just two shows to accommodate Tere Ishk Mein. Theatre owners are reluctant because they want to give both films reasonable screen time — and they’re also mindful of recent box-office misses in single-screen circuits.
Sources add that single screens are eager for a strong release; the last mass-friendly hit they enjoyed was Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat more than a month ago. That’s why many are keen to programme both Tere Ishk Mein and Dhurandhar fairly, rather than heavily favouring one over the other.
Advance booking status (as of 8:00 am, Nov 26)
Several key Mumbai single screens have not yet started advance bookings for Tere Ishk Mein:
- Maratha Mandir
- PVR Le Reve Bandra
- Inox Nakshatra Dadar
- MovieMax Andheri East
- MovieTime Suburbia
- Mukta A2 Orion Santacruz
- Gold Cinema Dadar
- MovieTime Dahisar
- New Excelsior
- Citylight Mahim
- MovieTime Star City Matunga
- Plaza Dadar
- Chitra Dadar
Advance bookings have begun at some cinemas:
- Regal
- Gold Cinema Thane
- Gold Cinema Borivali
- Anand Thane
- Kasturba Malad
- Roxy Charni Road
At Kasturba Malad and Roxy Charni Road, four shows of Tere Ishk Mein are on the slate, while the Gujarati hit Laalo has been allotted one 7:30 pm show.
What’s next
Both distributors and theatre owners appear motivated to find common ground — single screens want the footfall Tere Ishk Mein promises, while distributors want solid showcase terms. With advance bookings already showing promise and audiences curious about the Dhanush-Kriti Sanon pairing, a quick resolution would let the film roll out in full across the country.
