There’s a big hue and cry over the stand taken by Jio Studios, the producers and all-India distributors of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, as far as sharing of shows in single-screen cinemas in its fourth week is concerned. A lot of trade people are condemning the “selfish” move of Jio Studios.
Jio’s stance was clear: no show-sharing in single-screen cinemas. The studio told exhibitors that even in its fourth week, Dhurandhar must be screened in all four shows daily. If a single-screen cinema was unwilling to give the film four shows in the fourth week as it wanted to accommodate another film in one or two shows, Jio said, it must stop screening Dhurandhar completely!
Frankly, what is so selfish about Jio’s stance? Why is the trade sitting on the high horse of morality, and criticising what is actually just a business move? Jio has all the right to look after its own business interest and safeguard it. It need not bother about the fact that the trade considers its “obstinate” stand as being too high-handed.
Films like Dhurandhar don’t come everyday. Naturally, therefore, why wouldn’t its producers/distributors try to maximise the revenues from it? It posed tough competition to a huge Hollywood franchise film like Avatar: Fire And Ash last week and ultimately collected better in its third week than the third Avatar film could net in its first week!
Frankly, all discussions should have ended after the show of strength of Dhurandhar vis-à-vis Avatar: Fire And Ash. But if that hasn’t stopped tongues in the trade from wagging, it is a sad reflection of the petty-mindedness of the trade people. Would a single person out of the many voices spewing venom against Jio Studios agree to share shows with Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri this week if Dhurandhar was produced/distributed by him? The answer is obvious!
One has been hearing comments like, “It will set a bad precedent”, “Jio should be more considerate”, “Where is the feeling of bhaichara gone?”. But are these remarks even justified? Those fearing that Dhurandhar will set a bad precedent are fretting and fuming unnecessarily. For, it is not everyday that we will get to see a film performing like Dhurandhar. As for those waving the bhaichara card, they need to put themselves in the shoes of Jio Studios — and they will understand that charity ends where business begins.
If the trade people opine that the producers of Avatar: Fire And Ash last week, and of Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri this week are feeling let down by the so-called selfish stand of Jio Studios, they conveniently forget that the producers of the two films pretty much had the option of postponing the release of their respective films. What prevented them for selecting a new release date? And if they didn’t opt for a new release date, how can any third person complain that Jio Studios did not exhibit any considerateness?
Some trade people even cite the examples of the good old days when distributors used to believe in the police of give-and-take. In those “good old days”, a distributor could be cajoled into relinquishing some shows in favour of a new film releasing. The trade wallahs putting forth this argument fail to appreciate that times have changed. Giving up a handful of shows (when a distributor had to take a decision for his singular territory in the “good old days”) is very different from giving up hundreds of shows today (as it is generally one distributor for all India; Jio Studios in the case of Dhurandhar). Common sense would indicate that in relinquishing a few shows, one territory’s distributor was, in those days, probably agreeing to forgo an earning of a few lakh rupees whereas if an all-India distributor were to show that kind of large-heartedness today, he’d have to forgo several crores of rupees in earnings!
Everyone — repeat, everyone — has the right to do business the way he deems correct. And in the case of Dhurandhar, not just Jio Studios but every well-meaning trade person would also deem the action of Jio cent per cent correct. Perhaps, Jio Studios should say, “Film meri, business mera, business mera, film meri. Can’t burn the expected earnings in the Fire of bhaichara and reduce the future profits to Ash!”