Dulquer Salmaan's I'm Game faced multiple morning show cancellations across Hyderabad theatres on Thursday.
The cancellations occurred because Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) for the Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada versions failed to reach cinemas on time.
Telugu dubbed screenings were the hardest hit, leaving moviegoers facing major delays and abrupt cancellations.
Dulquer Salmaan's I'm Game Faces Hyderabad Opening Day Show Cancellations Due to DCP Delivery Delays
Theatre owners and distributors revealed that weak advance ticket sales also contributed to pulling delayed shows from cinema schedules.
Summary
Dulquer Salmaan’s I’m Game hit the theatres worldwide on Thursday (September 3), but Hyderabad saw an opening-day distribution snag when Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) for the Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada versions had not arrived for the first shows. Several screenings were cancelled as a result, and Telugu shows were hit the hardest.
People who had booked tickets in several centres were met with cancellations or long delays because theatres could not begin the dubbed-language shows on time, SCREEN reported.
The Malayalam version continued to run in Kerala and other Malayalam-speaking markets, so the problem was confined to the dubbed releases.
Morning shows cancelled
A prominent Telugu cinema veteran told the publication, “The DCPs for the dubbed versions simply did not reach the theatres on time. We’ve been waiting for it since last night. While the makers have informed us there will be a delay, we didn’t expect it to reach a point where we had to cancel morning shows across multiple centres.”
DCP is the digital file sent to cinemas for projection. Without it, a theatre cannot show the film.
The disruption unfolded today morning. Moviegoers who bought tickets for the Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada editions faced sudden cancellations or long delays at cinema halls. In contrast, Malayalam screenings ran on time across Kerala and other primary circuits.
Why I'm Game shows were cancelled
Theatre owners and distributors also pointed to weak occupancy as one reason some shows were pulled.
Poor ticket sales worsened the disruption. “Some shows were cancelled not just because the DCP did not arrive but because there were not enough tickets sold to justify running them while we wait for the DCP,” Nithiesh K, a theatre owner in the state, said.
The film had already faced delays. The film was scheduled to release on August 20 and then it was pushed to September 3.
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Directed by Nahas Hidhayath, the film stars Dulquer as Dan John. His character uses a mathematical wagering method that pushes him into a dangerous crisis.
Kayadu Lohar, Antony Varghese, Mysskin, Vinay Forrt, Sham Prasad and Jayasudha round out the cast.
It has been backed by Salmaan's Wayfarer Films.
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