Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS): The highly anticipated showdown between “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” and “Singham Again” is creating a stir among moviegoers as advance bookings open.

Both films are scheduled for release this Diwali. According to BookMyShow trends, Kartik Aaryan’s horror-comedy has surpassed Rohit Shetty’s cop drama in advance bookings. In the past hour, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” was trending with 6,980 tickets booked, while Ajay Devgn’s cop drama trended with 5,440 tickets booked.

Reports indicate that “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” has garnered an impressive Rs 3.18 crore in advance bookings in India, with key contributors including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, where demand for block seats has particularly surged. Meanwhile, “Singham Again” has crossed the Rs 1 crore mark in day-one advance bookings.

With the inclusion of block seats, the film's advance sales have reached Rs 1.78 crore. States such as Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and West Bengal are contributing significantly to its pre-release figures. Additionally, the show-sharing issues between the two films have been settled. “Singham Again” will reportedly receive around 60 percent of the show slots, while “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” has secured the remaining 40 percent.

Earlier, international advance bookings for Singham Again were higher than those for its competitor, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.” According to reports, the cop drama opened in the UAE, generating solid interest, with pre-sales nearly 84% higher than those of Anees Bazmee’s directorial. “Singham Again” boasts an impressive ensemble cast featuring Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, and Jackie Shroff. It marks the fifth installment in Rohit Shetty’s cop universe and the third film in the Singham series. Meanwhile, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3” stars Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Triptii Dimri, Madhuri Dixit, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, and Sanjay Mishra. Both films are set to face off at the box office on November 1.