Chandigarh, Oct. 20 -- This Diwali, crackers in Chandigarh are getting a Hollywood twist. From Matrix Reloaded and Fast and Furious to Game of Thrones and Avengers, fireworks featuring stills from English movies and TV shows have taken over the markets.

While the UT has allotted 12 sites for the sale of crackers this year, shopkeepers are reporting slugging sales, with an estimated 30% drop compared to last year.

However, they are still hopeful of drawing some buyers through attractive packaging.

Raghuvir, who has set up a stall in Sector 49, said, "The trend of having movie stills on cracker packaging first started when the second Avatar movie came out in 2022. That year, some cracker companies took a chance with the movie visuals and...