After weak Diwali footfall, multiplexes pin hopes on December releases

The festival of lights is an occasion that the film exhibition industry always looks forward to. This year has bucked the trend though. Despite a long Diwali weekend and strong promotional offers run by studios such Yashraj Films, footfalls have been weak at cinema halls.

Conversations with multiplex operators reveal that producers remain wary of releasing their films this month. The result? There were no new films on Friday or Saturday, the first two days of Diwali. Instead, cinema halls saw new releases on Sunday, an unusual practice for Bollywood. Manoj-Bajpai-starrer Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari, which is a comedy-drama, and niche movie Sir released on Sunday.

“Generally, producers, and distributors try and advance their releases so that they can take advantage of a long weekend, especially during a festival. But the pandemic has rewritten the rules this year. Producers have been slower to release their films. Things should get better from here. December will be better than November,” Kunal Sawhney, senior vice-president, operations, Carnival Cinemas, said.

Hollywood movie Tenet, produced by Warner Brothers, could be released in India next month, exhibition industry sources said. The Hollywood studio is expected to announce its date of release this week.

Among Hindi movies, Bunty Aur Babli 2 and Pinky Aur Sandeep Faraar will be likely released next month. “These are bigger releases, but not blockbusters,” explains Komal Nahta, a trade analyst. “Since the blockbusters will require a good turnout, they are unlikely to be launched in the 2020 calendar year. They will move into the 2021 cycle, when confidence level among people will be higher,” he says.

Exhibition industry sources indicate that Sooryavanshi, featuring Akshay Kumar, and 83, starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, will release between February and April next year. Radhe, starring Salman Khan, has been pushed to Eid next year, while Laal Singh Chaddha will release during Christmas of 2021. 

Given the 50 per cent limit, big-ticket movies will have to be shown in double the number of theaters or the number of shows will have to be doubled, sector experts say. This will make it difficult for distributors to keep a tab on their budgets, which explains the reluctance of producers to release their blockbusters this year.  

“We are not just hopeful but are quite positive that the situation will improve in the coming months,” Gautam Dutta, chief executive officer of PVR Cinemas, said in a recent interview to Business Standard.

“It is very dynamic right now, and it may take 3-4 weeks for the confidence to start building up and for the new content to start coming in. However, it can be both sooner or later than that,” Dutta said.

Audience turnout is crucial to most exhibitors, since their discussions with film producers hinge on how many people will return to movie halls in the weeks ahead. This is because around 40 per cent of a movie’s revenue comes from the box office, which is, in turn, dependent on footfalls and ticket price.

While the average ticket price for multiplex operators is Rs 150-200, the first few months will see a 20-25 per cent discount to encourage visits. Discounts are also expected on food and beverages, with bookings, check-in, and food ordering all going contactless as part of the standard operating procedures.