'Chand Mera Dil', starring Lakshya and Ananya Panday, is all set to hit theatres today, May 22. The romantic drama, which has remained in the spotlight due to its censorship tussle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), has now received a last-minute runtime revision ahead of its release as reported by The Times of India
According to early box office estimates by The Times of India (TOI), citing Sacnilk, the film is currently running across 402 shows and has earned nearly Rs 2 lakh net through Day 1 advance bookings.
The report further states that the movie has sold more than 32,000 tickets across leading national cinema chains, hinting at a slow yet gradually building momentum ahead of its theatrical debut.
As per TOI reports, the film’s runtime has been increased shortly before release. Sacnilk data suggests that the CBFC had initially cleared the film on May 8 with a runtime of 135.36 minutes. However, following the censorship-related edits, the makers reportedly revisited the board and added fresh footage to the final cut.
The updated version is now said to feature eight additional scenes, including an extended first-half sequence of nearly four minutes. The revised runtime of the film now stands at 145.53 minutes, approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes.
Directed by Vivek Soni, the romantic drama, which reportedly carries a dark twist, has also introduced a new ticket pricing strategy to attract more audiences on opening day. TOI reports suggest that tickets for all shows scheduled before 5 pm on May 22 have been priced at Rs 149.
Despite the film’s release approaching, some theatres in Mumbai and a few other regions reportedly witnessed slight delays in opening advance bookings, according to TOI.
The movie marks the first on-screen collaboration between Ananya Panday and Lakshya. Ananya was last seen in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri alongside Kartik Aaryan, and will next appear in the second season of Call Me Bae.
Lakshya, meanwhile, was last seen in The Ba***ds of Bollywood, the directorial debut series of Aryan Khan.