On March 23, movie enthusiasts were surprised to find that advance bookings for the upcoming film Ek Din, set to release on May 1, had opened much earlier than expected. Typically, ticket sales begin just a few days or up to a week before a film’s debut, so many initially thought this was a technical error. However, it was confirmed that the film’s producers had indeed chosen to start bookings a remarkable 39 days ahead of the release.
According to surveys on ticket sales, Ek Din, which stars Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi, is available for advance booking in nearly 20 cities across India. Currently, tickets for just one show are being sold in various cinema halls.
The Delhi-NCR region leads with advance bookings available at 24 screens, followed by Mumbai with 11 screens. In Chandigarh and Pune, tickets can be purchased in 3 theaters each, while cities like Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and several others have opened bookings at one screen each.
What stands out is the positive response to these early ticket sales, despite the film being aimed primarily at urban audiences. Raipur, in particular, has turned out to be an unexpected hotspot, with PVR City Center reporting 46 tickets sold by 8:00 AM on April 11. PVR Palladium Mall in Ahmedabad also noted 37 tickets sold, while Inox Orion Mall in Gorakhpur managed to sell 18 tickets. Additionally, various cinemas in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR recorded sales of around 20 tickets each.
Data indicates that over 520 tickets have been booked nationwide, despite minimal promotional efforts for the advance bookings. Ek Din is produced by Aamir Khan, who is known for his innovative approaches to film releases. This early opening of advance bookings is seen as yet another bold strategy from him, further reflecting his trailblazing influence in the film industry.
