Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan star in Tashan, to release today

Another Yash Raj Films (YRF) production has run into release trouble. Revenue-sharing discussions with multiplexes over the much-awaited multistarrer Tashan, the first film of the year from the Chopras, have reached a stalemate with no sign of resolution before Friday.

From Calcutta the Bollywood movie giant is demanding the highest percentage of revenue for the Vijay Krishna Acharya film starring Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. According to sources, Yash Raj is asking for a 60 per cent revenue share of the ticket sales in the first week from the INOX, Fame and Adlabs plexes in town. In the same period, YRF is asking for a 50 per cent slice inMumbai and Delhi.

Sanjeev Kohli, director and CEO of YRF, did not deny seeking the highest revenue share from Calcutta. “We have not asked the multiplexes for any incremental terms from those of last year,” he said.

But why do Calcutta multiplexes have to shell out more than their Mumbai and Delhi counterparts? “The volume of business in Calcutta is 10 times less than that of Mumbai or Delhi,” says Pritam Jalan, who handles YRF movies in eastern India.

With all discussions over revenue sharing being held nationally, the Calcutta terms may stop the two parties from reaching a quick agreement. In Mumbai and Delhi, YRF is demanding only 2 per cent more than the usual revenue share of 48 per cent in the first week, but for Calcutta it’s a whopping 12 per cent more.

“We are always on the back foot because we don’t have that many screens in Calcutta,” says exhibitor-distributor Arijit Dutta. “A Fame (South City) with six screens cannot afford to not play a Tashan.”

The plexes and YRF, in fact, did agree on the terms last week, for not just Tashan but also for the two forthcoming Yash Raj labels. But on Monday, they were locking horns again.

Till late Thursday evening, INOX, Shringar Cinemas (Fame) and Adlabs had not signed a deal with the Chopras. Tashan is sure to release at standalone cinemas like Elite, Menoka and Star Theatre.