Advance bookings for the upcoming Bollywood film Dhurandhar: The Revenge have crossed one million tickets ahead of its worldwide release on March 19, prompting cinema chains to expand screenings and schedule preview shows as they anticipate strong footfalls during the upcoming festive weekend.

Multiplex operators say the film is already seeing robust traction across markets, with demand spanning major metropolitan cities as well as several Tier-II centres.

PVR INOX Limited said advance bookings for preview shows alone have already crossed 200,000 tickets. The company has scheduled exclusive paid preview screenings beginning March 18, a day before the official release, across select premium auditoriums to accommodate demand.

“Films like Dhurandhar: The Revenge are made for the scale, sound, and emotion that only cinemas can deliver, and we look forward to welcoming audiences for what promises to be a spectacular cinematic celebration,” said Gautam Dutta, CEO – growth and revenue at the multiplex chain.

“The response so far has been phenomenal, with advance bookings already crossing 200,000 tickets and preview shows expected to run at full capacity. Given the strong demand, we are bringing the film to a wider network of our cinemas so that audiences across the country can experience it together on the big screen,” he added.

According to the company, the film has already seen one million overall advance bookings. Demand has come from metro markets such as Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai, while Tier-II cities including Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Coimbatore are also contributing significantly.

The film is releasing in multiple languages – Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam – which exhibitors say is helping broaden its regional appeal.

“If the current momentum continues, we believe Dhurandhar: The Revenge has the potential to surpass the success of the first film and set new benchmarks for Bollywood,” Dutta said.

A festive window boosts expectations 

Rival multiplex operator Cinépolis India also reported strong early traction for the film.

“The response to Dhurandhar 2 has been strong. Previews alone have crossed ₹13 crore, the highest ever for a Bollywood title,” said Ashish Misra, head of Commercialisation at the company.

Advance bookings across Cinepolis India’s 491 screens are trending well ahead of the first film in the franchise, with the company projecting more than 10 lakh admissions during the four-day festive weekend.

Occupancy levels are expected to cross 80%, Misra said.

The release coincides with a rare convergence of multiple festivals – Eid, Ugadi and Gudi Padwa – creating a four-day holiday window that typically drives higher cinema attendance across markets.

“The festive convergence pulls in audiences across demographics and markets,” Misra said. “For exhibitors, that translates into sustained footfalls across the weekend, not just a Day 1 spike.”

Multiplex chains are also using the release to enhance in-cinema spending. Cinepolis said it has introduced special food and beverage pairings tied to the film’s release while running its “Blockbuster Food Festival” across theatres.

“For us, big film moments like this are about elevating the overall outing, where great content, immersive cinema, and food come together to create a complete entertainment experience for our patrons,” Misra added.