Mumbai8 hours agoAuthor: Hiren Antani
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- Big films will not come for 3-4 months, alarm bells for Lalsingh Chaddha-KGF-2 too
- Films releasing in November-December 2022 may also slip by 2023
The third wave of Corona, which came in early 2022, has completely spoiled the release calendar of both Bollywood and South Cinema. 14 films scheduled for release till April 2022 may have to push their release dates. It has started with the postponement of the release of RRR, Radhe-Shyam and Prithviraj, which were scheduled in January. About Rs 1100 crore of the industry is at stake on these 3 films alone.
At the same time, if we look at the films till April 2022, the industry has spent Rs 2125 crore on 14 big films. The makers are in no mood to spoil their earnings estimates by releasing it in a hurry. The release of all the films scheduled in January has almost been postponed. If the situation remains the same, then the release of films releasing in February and March 2022 will also be postponed.
Big films expecting to earn huge amount will now have to wait a long time for release. Shooting-post production is stopping, it may also affect the release of films coming towards the end of the year.
what is the situation now
Cinemas are closed in Delhi, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. Theaters are running with 50% capacity in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal. Night shows have stopped in most states including UP, Gujarat. In view of this, the release of four films Jersey, RRR, Radhe-Shyam and Prithviraj has been postponed.
Big films will not come till everything is normal
Yusuf Sheikh, Feature Film Business Head and Film Distribution Expert, Percept Picture Company, said that there is an investment of 200 to 400 crores in films like RRR, Prithviraj, Lalsingh Chaddha. Now to earn so much, normal occupancy is needed in theaters all over the country. There will be no thinking about the release of these films until such situations happen.
Yusuf says that all the stake holders, producers, distributors, exhibitors, overseas distributors of the film industry will not stick to their release date. If you want a good income, then everyone has to bring change. Now no film is going to release in January. After this, it will take three to four months to set everything up anew.
Full release calendar to be rescheduled
Atul Mohan, editor and trade analyst of trade magazine ‘Complete Cinema’, said that Bollywood’s experience of the last two years has been that cinemas close first but then open last. In Maharashtra, 100% occupancy never came after Kovid. In such a situation, any producer sitting with a big budget will not make haste.
Right now the possibility of the release of big budget films till April 2022 seems difficult. The rescheduling of big films will have an effect on other small films. There will be some mid budget films back and forth. Some will go over OTT. Re-shooting and post-production have come to a halt, which could mean re-shuffled release dates for upcoming films at the end of the year.
Business of every state is important
Cinemas have been closed in Delhi and in some big cities of Haryana. Their share in the film business is 10 to 15%. If a film expects to earn 100 crores, then 10 to 15 crores is available from here. Obviously no producer can ignore this territory. Cinemas have been closed in Bihar, half capacity in Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
For now only wait and watch
No producer will even think of a new date right now. When the whole atmosphere is settled, the panic will end and it will seem that there is no possibility of any restraints coming. Only then will he take the risk of release. At present, the entire industry is again in the mode of wait and watch.
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