By
KOMAL NAHTA
Of the three films released this week, two could not reap the benefit of the huge national holiday for Independence Day. While Stree 2 netted Rs. 52 crore yesterday (15th August, Independence Day), Khel Khel Mein and Vedaa had to remain content with box-office collections of just Rs. 6.50 crore each. In other words, the two big (budget-wise) films collected just an eighth of the box-office collections of the blockbuster Stree 2. On hind sight, therefore, the producers of the two films would’ve been better off had they not released them in the long and potentially bountiful week which had an alluring Independence Day holiday (on 15th August, Thursday), and a festive Raksha Bandhan holiday (on 19th, Monday). For, the advantage or whatever of that might have accrued to KKM and Vedaa was offset by the road-roller effect which Stree 2 had on the two films.
Frankly, more often than not, it doesn’t make sense for two or three potentially successful films, which are expected to bring in big numbers, to clash at the ticket windows. The next big clash is expected this Diwali. Both, Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, are scheduled to arrive at the cinemas on the occasion of the festival of lights. While one is sure that nothing as lopsided as what is happening this week is likely to repeat in the Diwali week but still, Information would advise the producers of both the films to rethink their release plans.
Let’s go back in time exactly a year ago. Animal and Gadar 2 were both slated for release in the Independence Day week of 2023. Then, suddenly one day, the producers of Animal made it clear that they would not get their film in the national holiday week. The results of not clashing with one another are for all to see. Both, Gadar 2 and Animal, joined the Rs. 500-crore club and emerged as two of the biggest blockbusters of not just 2023 but of all time too. Would this have been possible had they come in direct opposition of each other on 11th August, 2023? Your guess is as good as ours! In all probability, the two films would’ve ended up at Rs. 350 crore each or a maximum of Rs. 400 crore each. This because the expenditure outlay of middle-class families for entertainment is limited every month. Had the two films released on the same day last year, a number of people would’ve seen one of the two films, keeping the other in their to-watch list on OTT/satellite channel. Whose loss would that have been? Obviously, the pinch would’ve been felt by the producers of both, Animal as well as Gadar 2.
The cases of Gadar 2 and Animal last year and of Stree 2, Khel Khel Mein and Vedaa this year should serve as eye-openers for producers who are adamant that they would not budge from their release date even if another big film is scheduled to hit the screens on the same day. It doesn’t matter who had announced his film’s release before the other/s. The only thing that matters is that if a clash can be avoided, it should.
An aside: The producers may be thrilled that they have announced their release in a week that is expected to be big at the box-office. But reality starts biting when it is time for showcasing of the films. Since there are only a limited number of cinemas and daily shows, exhibitors are bound to give preference to the ‘hotter’ among the films slated for release in opposition of one another. So the first setback which the producers of Khel Khel Mein and Vedaa may have experienced was last week when they were clamouring for more shows for their respective films but had to contend with the best shows being given to Stree 2. As if that were not bad enough (for the producers of Khel Khel Mein and Vedaa), another shock — expected, of course — was in store for them. Looking to the bumper public response to Stree 2, exhibitors all over the country started to juggle the shows allotted to the three films by increasing the number of shows of Stree 2 and — quite obviously — reducing the number of shows given to the other two films. All of which means that the joy of the producers of KKM and Vedaa when announcing the release of their films in a potentially exciting week must’ve lasted only till the start of negotiations for showcasing. Once the negotiations appeared to be skewed in favour of the film which seemed to be the most appealing (read Stree 2), the joy must’ve diminished. And when that film (read Stree 2) more than lived up to the expectations while their own film failed to do so, the element of joy must’ve gone out of the window.
The producers of Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 would do well to not act in haste and not let egos come in the way of their rational thinking. Business doesn’t just happen because of a holiday weekend or week. A potentially hit film will click, no matter what! Animal did not have the advantage of any holiday in its week of release, Jawan also had to make do with a no-extra-holiday release (7th September, 2023, the day on which Jawan opened, was the Janmashtami day but that festival is not counted as a major holiday), Pathaan had just one (big) holiday of Republic Day on its week of release, Gadar 2 also had one major holiday (Independence Day) in its week of release, but all these films proved to be blockbusters of epic proportions.
Moral of the story: Don’t blindly run after a holiday week/weekend. And avoid the opposition of a major film if you have great expectations from your own film because a clash can kill your film or, at least, reduce the potential of its business.
