Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi’s Jolly LLB 3 is set to hit theatres on September 19. However, just before its release, the film ran into a major problem. PVR-Inox suddenly stopped advance bookings for the film, which brought ticket sales across the country to a standstill.
According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, PVR-Inox suspended the film’s advance bookings from the evening of September 17. Except for a few selected screens, ticket sales in most PVR-Inox theatres across India were put on hold. No clear reason was given for this move, but initially, it was linked to “extensive programming.” This means giving the film more screens and a longer runtime, something PVR-Inox was reportedly not ready to do. Instead, it halted advance bookings completely, and the situation remained unchanged until 9 a.m. on September 18.
Meanwhile, another possible reason also surfaced. Some reports suggested that the issue was related to the Virtual Print Fee (VPF). VPF is a temporary payment that filmmakers pay to theatre owners. In the past, movies were shown through reels, which involved heavy costs. Now films come in digital format, requiring theatres to invest in expensive digital projectors and software. To help offset these costs, filmmakers pay VPF to theatre chains.
Also Read: Jolly LLB 3 Cast Salary and Budget: Everything You Need to Know
Neither Star Studios, the producer of the film, nor PVR-Inox has made any official statement on the issue. However, on the morning of September 18, both parties reportedly held an emergency meeting and resolved the matter. Our checks confirm that advance bookings for the film at PVR-Inox have now resumed.
As of now, the movie has sold tickets worth ₹1.75 crore for its opening day — a disappointing figure for a successful franchise starring Akshay, Arshad, and Saurabh Shukla. The numbers are even lower than Akshay’s Kesari 2, which was released earlier in 2025 and had collected ₹1.84 crore in advance bookings for its opening day.