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28 March 2024

Dubai Diwali evening leaning towards SRK

Published
By Sneha May Francis

Our initial checklist shows that Yash Chopra’s romantic drama ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ (JTHJ) and comedy ‘Son of Sardar’ (SOS) have no takers for the ‘first day, first show’ in Dubai, with no rush recorded for ticket sales for either films.

The rush, however, is recorded for the evening shows, with ‘JTHJ’ showing a clean sweep at the popularity charts here.

With just a day left for the movies to release, the online sales show enough seats available for the ‘first day, first show’ for both movies.

“It is probably because it is a working day in the UAE. The morning shows, which is technically the ‘first day, first show’ is not a sell-out. It’s the evening shows at some centres that have been sold out,” projects a ticketing officer at the cinemas.

One reader even told Emirates247 that when she booked online for the ‘first day, first show’ at the Deira City Centre movie hall, not a single ticket was sold. “I just logged on last night and was shocked when I was the first one to buy the ticket for ‘SOS’,” she adds.

The ticket sales is said to pick up over the weekend. “With the long weekend just a few days away, more people will be heading to the cinemas then,” claims a ticketing officer

Even if we had to draw a comparison to find out which movie would emerge a winner at the box-office tug-of-war, it does appear that ‘JTHJ’ does win over ‘SOS’.

“This week, ‘JTHJ’ is the most popular movie,” states a call centre agent for Grand Cinemas. “The tickets are selling fast. Tickets for ‘SOS’ are going too, but it isn’t close to the sales of ‘JTHJ’.”

With regard to ‘JTHJ’ the evening shows for the first day at the Reel (Dubai Mall) are a sell-out. But, there are enough seats available for the morning shows at Dubai Mall and Marina Mall.

Even for Grand Cinemas, tickets to the morning shows are available while the evening shows are fast selling, and shows post 7pm termed a sell-out.

At the Vox Cinemas too, the evening shows are ‘sold-out’, while there are enough tickets available for the morning show.

For ‘SOS’, seats to both the morning and evening shows at Reel Cinemas are plenty. Even at Vox and Grand, the scenario is the same. “There is no sold-out show yet,” adds an agent.

Looking at the visibility, in terms of number of screens allotted to each, Yash Chopra’s movie does show an advantage.

At the Vox Cinemas, Shah Rukh’s ‘JTHJ’ will be screened at three screens each in Mirdif City Centre and Mall of the Emirates, and two screens each in Ajman City Centre, Deira City Centre and Abu Dhabi’s Marina Mall.

At the Reel Cinemas, it plays at three screens at the Dubai Mall, and one at the Marina Mall.

At the Grand Cinemas, ‘JTHJ’ will showcase at three screens at Megaplex and Dubai Cineplex, one at Festival City and Cinecity.

Meanwhile, ‘SOS’ has only one screen at the Reel Cinemas in Dubai Mall, and none at the Marina Mall.

At the Vox Cinemas too, its numbers are nowhere near the screens allotted to ‘JTHJ’. It has three screens at the Deira City Centre, two at Mall of the Emirates, and one each at Mirdif City Centre, Ajman City Centre, and Abu Dhabi’s Marina Mall.

At the Grand Cinemas, it has got three screens at Dubai Cineplex, two at Festival City and Megaplex, and one at Cinecity.

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