Yash Raj Films, Chopra's production house, will churn out five movies this year: Tashan, animation flick Roadside Romeo, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone-starrer Bachna Ae Haseeno, Shah Rukh Khan's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and an untitled film with Kunal Kohli featuring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee.
Chopra's first release of 2008, Tashan, is slated for release on Friday. It, however, may be headed for trouble with Chopra demanding 50 per cent and 45 per cent revenue share of the ticket sales in the first and second week, respectively, in Mumbai and Delhi.
And in Bangalore, he is said to be asking for a share of 50 per cent in the first two weeks. In Kolkata, the production house is seeking 60 per cent and 55 per cent.
The industry norm is a 48 per cent revenue share for the production house in the first week and a 45 per cent share in the second week.
PVR Cinemas, INOX Leisure, Shringar Cinemas and Adlabs confirmed that they have not yet signed a deal with Chopra. Tushar Dhingra, COO, Adlabs Cinemas, said negotiations are still on.
A source from Cinemax India said leading multiplexes are apprehensive on entering into a deal involving such high-revenue share as at least two of these movies - Roadside Romeo, an animation film along with Walt Disney, and the Kunal Kohli-directed may not be major audience-pullers.
Industry sources, however, said the Aditya Chopra-directed Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is not part of the package. It's a big-ticket film as it stars Shah Rukh Khan and Aditya Chopra will be directing after almost seven years.
Yash Chopra is hoping to rake a much higher share from this film and therefore is not negotiating for it with the other four," said a source.
In 2007, Yash Raj Films released five movies, including Chak De! India and Madhuri Dixit's comeback film Aaja Nachle for which the revenue-sharing arrangement was 50 per cent and 45 per cent for the first and second weeks, respectively.
But when multi-starrer Jhoom Barabar Jhoom flopped at the box-office, Chopra gave a 5 per cent rebate to multiplex owners.