Single-Screen Cinemas Distressed
Single-screen cinemas in different circuits are on tenterhooks. Distributors with multiple releases in quick succession are ‘arm-twisting’ owners and controllers/bookers of such cinemas to release all their films even if that means forgoing eagerly-awaited films of other distributors.
Last week, Fox Star Studios tried to persuade single-screen cinemas to run its Student Of The Year 2 for two weeks so that after two weeks, the cinemas would be available for Fox’s India’s Most Wanted. Fox did not want the cinemas to screen this week’s De De Pyaar De just in case it ran for more than one week. If that happened, those cinemas would not be available for its IMW, it felt. Fox’s demands did not end there. The Indian office of the Hollywood studio also wanted the cinemas to run IMW for two weeks. That’s because two weeks after IMW, will come Fox’s X-Men: Dark Phoenix (English as well as dubbed versions). Since the release of X-Men will be in the same week as Salman Khan starrer Bharat, Fox asked the distributors to screen X-Men in at least one of the four shows while giving the balance three shows to Bharat. If Fox had its way, the single-screen cinemas would have had to forgo De De Pyaar De this week. They would also have to share screen time between the hugely anticipated Bharat and X-Men. Obviously, the single-screen cinemas were not happy to do what Fox wanted them to do. Since the single-screen cinemas are not united under one umbrella, like multiplexes are, it was left to individual cinemas to arrive at a compromise formula with Fox. Some cinemas completely agreed to what Fox had proposed, some agreed partially, and some others simply didn’t agree. Point to note is that SOTY 2 did not live upto expectations and, therefore, those single-screen cinemas which did not commit to a 2-week run, happily changed the programme to De De Pyaar De this week. Most of the cinemas are unwilling to forgo even a single show of Bharat in the 5th/7th June week for obvious reasons.
Meanwhile, the all-India distributor of De De Pyaar De and Bharat is the same – Anil Thadani. If Fox could do it, why was Thadani going to be left behind? He too asked the single-screen cinemas this week, while signing contracts for DDPD, to continue De De Pyaar De in the second week too. Anil Thadani told the cinemas which were reluctant, that he would give them neither De De Pyaar De this week nor Bharat on 5th June. Anil also asked the single-screen cinemas to give ALL the shows to Bharat on 5th June. Even cinemas which conduct five instead of four shows daily, were asked to give ALL the shows to Bharat. The cinemas which were reluctant to give Bharat all the shows in its week of release were not given DDPD this week. An interesting aside is that a stronger film (face value-wise) is used as a bait for the lesser films (relatively speaking) of the distributor so as to improve the chances of the lesser film. But when push comes to shove, nothing matters. Thadani used De De Pyaar De as a bait for the bigger-face-value Bharat so that the single-screen cinemas would agree to not let go of a single show to X-Men lest they would not get DDPD this week. The fact that SOTY 2 did not do too well increased Thadani’s negotiation powers vis-à-vis single-screen cinemas. Had SOTY 2 done well at the turnstiles, at least some cinemas may have considered continuing it in the second week in the event that they were not supplied DDPD. But that option was almost lost with the mediocre performance of SOTY 2 in the first week.
Single-screen cinemas find themselves completely at the mercy of those distributors who, like Fox and Thadani, have films lined up for release at gaps of two or three weeks only. In defence of Fox and Anil Thadani, it must be said that like any shrewd business person, employees of Fox as also Thadani are only trying to maximise the businesses of their films by insisting that the cinemas give their films preference over films of other distributors. As they say, all’s fair in love, war and business.
The recent tension being faced by single-screen cinemas every other week has prompted them to think of uniting under the aegis of an association. If that happens, their bargaining power would be far greater than it is today.
The distributors don’t force multiplexes like they do single-screen cinemas because there are mutiple screens in multiplexes and also because multiplexes have an all-India association.
Multiple Languages
Panorama Studios Distribution has a busy week ahead. On 24th May, the distribution concern will release not one or two but three films. The three films are in different languages. PM Narendra Modi will be the company’s Hindi release next week. Tandav in Marathi, and Chandigarh-Amritsar-Chandigarh in Punjabi will also be released by Panorama next week.
Coincidence!
While Emraan Hashmi has got the chance to act with Amitabh Bachchan for the first time in Anand Pandit’s Chehre, Emraan’s grandmother had played the role of Bachchan’s mother in Zanjeer. What’s more, 11th May was the first day of shooting of Chehre when the two actors participated together, and it was on this very date that Zanjeer had been released 46 years ago!