Exhibitors have rarely had it so good. The flow of films is huge. There is at least one major release, if not two or more major releases, almost every week. And, more importantly, films are doing well at the box-office. It almost seems like Providence is being kind to exhibitors who faced all-round misery during the Coronavirus-induced lockdowns. Many cinemas permanently closed down in the last two years. Many others barely managed to remain afloat. Prayers for the general well-being of the exhibition sector went up…
…And the blessings came down in the form of a line-up of new releases, which was expected because the backlog of those films, which were not premiered on OTT in the last two years, needed to hit the screens when cinemas reopened. But what wasn’t fully expected was that films would do so well and in such quick succession. Following the reopening of cinemas after the Omicron variant-induced lockdown, Gangubai Kathiawadi scored at the turnstiles. After two weeks of that film came The Kashmir Files which became a box-office blockbuster of the magnitude which nobody — not even its producers — expected in his wildest dreams. Just two weeks after The Kashmir Files came another super-hit in RRR. Even as the exhibitors are laughing all the way to the bank, on the anvil are the hugely anticipated K.G.F. Chapter 2 (dubbed), Jersey and RAW (Beast) (dubbed) lined up for release on 14th April.
In other words, exhibitors are spoilt for choice. Whether it is the single-screen cinemas or the multiplexes, programming has become a ‘headache’ for the excited exhibitors. Which film should they screen and which should they let go of? Which film should they continue and in how many shows, and which new film should they release and in how many shows? That’s the dilemma almost every exhibitor finds himself in these days. You might think, that’s the happiest space for an exhibitor to be in. Partly true, but there’s always the fear that the film left out of the release schedule or allotted fewer shows because of the heavy rush of films may go on to become a bigger hit than the one accommodated more open-heartedly. Hence exhibitors today find themselves in a state of mind where they are rejoicing the flow of releases and the super-success of films but also resenting that they are not able to do justice to all the new releases.
For instance, while cinema owners and controllers are revelling in the successes of the three recent films, they are also wondering how they will divide the shows between several or all of K.G.F. Chapter 2 (dubbed), Jersey, RAW (Beast) (dubbed), RRR (dubbed) and The Kashmir Files from 14th April?
Because of the extremely tight situation, exhibitors are thinking of new ways and means to maximise their revenues. For instance, Chander Vijay, owner of Raj Imperial multiplex of Surat, opened the advance booking of RRR for the third weekend at the same ticket price as in the first weekend! Unheard of, you’d say. But wait till you hear this: the first weekend’s ticket prices were themselves the highest ever at the said multiplex. And believe it or faint, the number of shows in the third weekend at the multiplex is the same as in the first weekend. And if you think, Chander Vijay is committing a blunder, read this: all the night shows of Friday (today), Saturday and Sunday are around 60-70% full in advance!