Big Shock On Release Day! Dulquer Salmaan’s ‘I’m Game’ Faces Telugu Show Cancellations

Dulquer Salmaan’s action thriller ‘I’m Game’ faced a major release-day setback on September 3, with morning shows cancelled or delayed across several centres after the film’s dubbed versions failed to reach theatres on time.

Directed by ‘RDX’ fame Nahas Hidhayath, the film was originally scheduled for August 20 but was postponed to September 3 to enable a wider five-language theatrical release in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada.

However, theatres reportedly did not receive the Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) for the Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Kannada versions in time. An industry veteran said exhibitors had been waiting for the dubbed-version DCPs since the previous night. The delay particularly affected Telugu shows, leaving several ticket holders facing cancellations or delays.

The problem was compounded by low occupancy at some centres. Theatre owners indicated that certain shows did not have enough bookings to justify screening them while exhibitors were also waiting for the delayed content. The Tamil version was similarly affected, with some bookings reportedly pushed to September 4.

The Malayalam version, meanwhile, screened as scheduled, allowing Dulquer’s latest Malayalam outing to begin its theatrical run despite the pan-India disruption.

‘I'm Game’ marks Dulquer Salmaan’s 40th film and is his most expensive production to date under Wayfarer Films. The actor has also discussed plans to develop the film into a larger franchise.

Dulquer plays Dan John, a gambler who uses a mathematical betting system that eventually draws him into a dangerous, high-stakes crisis. Kayadu Lohar plays the female lead, while Antony Varghese, Mysskin, Vinay Forrt, Sham Prasad and Jayasudha appear in key roles. Jakes Bejoy has composed the music, with cinematography by Nimish Ravi and Jimshi Khalid.

With Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Kannada shows disrupted, the film’s carefully planned pan-India launch has suffered an unexpected blow. Its performance over the rest of the opening day and weekend will reveal whether the distribution problems affect its box-office prospects.