Dulquer Salmaan‘s I’m Game, which released worldwide on Thursday, ran into a significant distribution problem on its opening day in Hyderabad after Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) for the Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada versions were not delivered to theatres for the first show. Multiple shows were thus cancelled, with Telugu screenings being among the worst affected.

Morning shows cancelled across various centers

Talking to SCREEN, one of the prominent industry veterans of Telugu cinema said, “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.”

The DCP is the digital format in which films are delivered to theatres for projection. Without it, a cinema cannot screen the film for the audience. The delay meant that while the Malayalam version of I’m Game played as scheduled across Kerala and other Malayalam-speaking markets, audiences who had booked tickets for the Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada versions in several centres arrived at theatres only to find their shows cancelled or indefinitely delayed.

Story continues below this ad

Low occupancy for I’m Game

Theatre owners and distributors also pointed out low occupancy being one of the other factors for shows getting cancelled. Nithiesh K, one of the theatre owners in the state, said, “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.”

I’m Game was previously scheduled to release on August 20, but was postponed so it did not have to fight other releases during Onam for shows. Dulquer himself had explained the decision in a social media post, saying the delay was made “to give I’m Game the scale, reach and theatrical platform it truly deserves, allowing audiences across different markets to experience it on the big screen.”

What is I’m Game about?

I’m Game is directed by Nahas Hidhayath, who previously directed the sleeper hit RDX. The film stars Dulquer as Dan John, a gambler whose mathematical betting system spirals into a high-stakes crisis. The cast includes Kayadu Lohar, Antony Varghese, Mysskin, Vinay Forrt, Sham Prasad and Jayasudha. It is produced by Dulquer under his Wayfarer Films banner and is his most expensive production to date. The music is by Jakes Bejoy, with cinematography by Nimish Ravi and Jimshi Khalid.