Diwali was around the corner. YRF, which had SRK’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan on release, had drawn up exclusive contracts that gave it what was seen as a disproportionate number of screens. Ajay Devgn’s Son Of Sardaar was the underdog then and had filed a complaint with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against YRF, alleging abuse of its dominant position. Devgn lost the case but won the battle. Son Of Sardaar did well. A dozen years later, its sequel is underway.

October, 2024. Diwali was around the corner with a role reversal. Devgn’s star-packed Singham Again was the big brother and it was Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (BB3) that complained to the CCI about unfair practices.

So, 12 days after release, when BB3 booked JW Marriott for a success party, it was more than about box-office numbers. It was about withstanding the pressure of big guns led by Reliance (who bankrolled Singham Again), PVR (the chain of exhibitors) and the awe-inspiring star power of the cop universe.

What gave BB3 the confidence to stand its ground?

A fly on the wall of the top offices of T-Series reported a story that provides glimpses into the thinking that goes into taking a tough call.

Recognising that too many voices lead to cacophony, it was decided that only chairman & MD Bhushan Kumar and co-producer Shiv Chanana would deliberate on it and would keep ego out of it. “So, even when Singham proffered a 60-40 deal where BB3 would get less screens, it was accepted,” reported the fly. “It was, therefore, not ego that made them go ahead with BB3 on Diwali when the Singham team urged them to step back. One must remember that BB3 had announced Diwali 2024 as its date one year ago when Singham was looking at Independence Day. So, after a point, Ajay Devgn also saw reason and stayed out of the discussions, preferring to not let this issue affect his friendship with people he’s known for decades.”

Although BB3 had its imperfections, the producers looked at their pluses: one, they had Kartik Aaryan who’d pull out the plug and do whatever it took to promote his film with Vidya Balan matching his enthusiasm. In contrast, Singham had a laidback cast. Two, BB3 had music on its side to enhance its box-office appeal and to benefit from music rights. Singham did not have a musical roar. Three, the box-office climate was in favour of the horror-come-dy genre. Fourth and most important was the cost. BB3 had priced itself sensibly and recovering ₹150 crore was easy pie. Both franchises would get favourable terms for satellite and digital rights but Singham had to cross ₹350 crore to start recovering its investment.

All this thinking went into the final decision, said the fly. So, when both films crossed ₹200 crore in their India collections within 10 days, it was win-win for BB3 while Singham gasped because of its price tag. Also, before the Diwali weekend was over, theatres had begun to give more screens to BB3 which was an indicator of which way the wind was blowing.

That confidence was reflected when BB3 had a pre-release media screening with a festive air on Diwali while Singham called itself a “massy film” and took the safe route of asking critics to watch it in the theatre along with the audience.

Although rumours abound about Kartik Aaryan’s aggressive perception management (which includes ensuring houseful boards) and some label him the new-age Rajesh Khanna (who revelled in coming out the victor whatever the cost), the glowing hero and his three ladies — Madhuri Dixit, Vidya Balan, Triptii Dimri — had reason to cut a celebratory cake.

“It’s still to sink in,” beamed Kartik. Director Anees Bazmee posed for more photographs that evening than he did in his entire career. Vidya was radiantly mature. “I don’t know why all of them were so tense,” she chirped. “I was always super confident of the film.”

What a story.