Maratha Mandir's Manoj Desai on Ram Setu and Thank God: 'We have been told to not open advance bookings'

With two Diwali biggies making a grand opening on screens, Akshay Kumar’s _Ram Setu_ and Sidharth Malhotra-Ajay Devgn starrer _Thank God_ are expected to go for tough competition at the box office. While advance booking at multiplexes started with a big boom, it was not the same for single-screen owners as many of them were not allowed to start advance ticket booking for both films. While exhibitors were hoping for a grand opening prior to the Diwali release, advance booking kept on hold has left many unsatisfied and disappointed. The same was the case with Manoj Desai, the executive director of G7 multiplex and Maratha Mandir Cinema who also seemed quite angry over not allowing the ticket sales of Ram Setu and Thank God before release. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Desai, while hitting out at the distributors, said that the same fate has been faced by several single-screen cinemas across the country. “We have been told to not open advance bookings as they want to handle multiplexes first. Because of them, our businesses are getting affected on Diwali. I wish the same for them as well. This is unfortunate and shameful”, he added. Furthermore, while speaking about the issue regarding the bookings, Desai stated that the distributors of both Ram Setu and Thank God are making the same demand for more shows and this has left the single-screen owners in a puzzle. “While I had planned to give 2 shows each to Ram Setu and Thank God in Maratha Mandir, the distributors of Ram Setu are not satisfied as they demand 3 shows for themselves and 1 for the latter” he further said. Ram Setu vs Thank God While the advance bookings show a slight edge for Ram Setu over Thank God, a clear picture will be available after a day of its release. Directed by Abhishek Sharma, Ram Setu revolves around the story of an archaeologist who fights against time to prove the existence of the historic Ram Setu. On the other hand, featuring actors like Sidharth Malhotra, Ajay Devgn, and Rakul Preet Singh, Thank God is a comedy film that revolves around an egoistic real-estate broker who receives a second chance at life after a near-death experience. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram