Will the arrest of Aryan Khan in the drugs case adversely affect his stardom when he is launched in films?

– Unlikely! Salman Khan became a far bigger star than he was, after his arrest in the black buck case and his involvement in the road accident case. Sanjay Dutt’s KHAL-NAYAK did hit business even though it was released soon after his arrest in the arms case. Rekha’s PHOOL BANE ANGARAY became a hit although it was released less than a year after her husband, Mukesh Agarwal, committed suicide for which many held the actress responsible. Like it or not but oftentimes, controversy and legal tangles work in favour of the stars (whether established or upcoming) involved.

Would Shoojit Sircar now be regretting his decision to premiere Sardar Udham on Amazon Prime, especially because cinemas all over the country will be operational just a few days after his fllm will start streaming on the OTT platform from 16th October?

– Not at all. Shoojit Sircar signed the deal with Amazon Prime recently, when it was clear that cinemas all over India would be open very soon. According to Sircar, once his film is ready, he gets impatient and wants to release it as soon as possible. Secondly, he says, he had a great experience with the OTT platform in GULABO SITABO which was also premiered on it last year. Thirdly, there’s no question of guilt in him as, according to him, he and his partners were aware of what they wanted.

Why is there a feeling in the trade that producers of only those films which are not commercially viable, sell the premiere rights of their films to OTT platforms during the lockdown?

– If there is such a feeling, it is wrong. We’ve had films like SHERSHAAH and GUNJAN SAXENA: THE KARGIL GIRL which were premiered on OTT platforms and have done well. The success ratio of films, whether premiered on OTT or in cinemas, is low — and that’s the universal truth.

What is the logic behind two big films, RRR and Gangubai Kathiawadi, releasing together in the first week of January 2022? It was believed that the first week of January is inauspicious for new film releases.

– Yes, there is no sense in releasing two big films in the same week, but you will see this happening some more times in the near future because there’s a huge backlog of unreleased films, thanks to the lockdowns. As for the first week of the year being inauspicious, well, NO ONE KILLED JESSICA was released in the first week of 2011.

If Sooryavanshi is slated for release in the first week of November, why has the promotion not yet started? Are the producers having a change of mind?

– There is no change of mind. The film has been so much in the news that even two weeks of promotion should suffice.

During the lockdown, especially in the aftermath of Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise, when Bollywood was being maligned left, right and centre on social media, it was made to seem that cinema in general and Bollywood films in particular had no future. But the way films are being announced by production houses in recent times, it appears that the future of both, cinema and Bollywood, is secure. Your comments, please?

– The badmouthing of Bollywood on social media was instigated by a few disgruntled industry people and the electronic media. If you think, a handful of frustrated souls within the industry or equally frustrated souls on social media and in the electronic media can decide the fate of the film industry, you are sadly mistaken. It is the paying public and only the paying public which can decide which way the industry’s future is headed, and the public seems to be gung-ho about Bollywood and cinema.

What films does Priyanka Chopra have in Hollywood and Bollywood currently?

– Priyanka Chopra’s TEXT FOR YOU is ready for release. It is directed by Jim Strouse and revolves around a young woman who loses her fiancé, but keeps sending romantic messages on his old phone number till she ultimately develops a deep bond with the current owner of the telephone number. She will also be seen in Hollywood film THE MATRIX: RESURRECTIONS alongside Keanu Reeves. She has CITADEL, with Richard Madden, and an Indian wedding comedy, with Mindy Kaling. There’s also a film based on the life of Maa Anand Sheela lined up. In Bollywood, she has JEE LE ZARA with Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt. In other words, her hands are full.

Why did so many producers announce the release of their big films no sooner than the Maharashtra government granted cinemas in the state permission to reopen?

– It is because these producers have waited for months together to release their big films in the cinemas. By announcing the release dates, they have, in a way, secured the dates in the hope that no other big film would release on that date.

With so much content available on OTT platforms, how do you think, films will be able to run in cinemas once normalcy returns?

– The world had feared that films would have no future in the cinemas, even when television was making inroads into people’s homes. Just like cinema survived the TV boom, it will survive the OTT boom too. There’s an audience for all kinds of entertainment.

Will cinemas in Maharashtra be allowed to reopen from 1st October?

– It will be great if they are permitted by the state government to reopen on 1st October. It’s high time the government allowed cinemas to restart operations because all other businesses and establishments are functional. But the guardian minister of Bombay has refuted rumours which were circulating about the reopening and has said, cinemas in Maharashtra will not reopen on 1st October.

What’s with the deal between Dharma Productions and Viacom18? If I am not mistaken, Dharma had entered into a deal with Lyca Productions.

– The deal between Lyca and Dharma was called off soon after it was announced. One hears, no monies were exchanged. That is to say, Dharma had not accepted any money from Lyca for the co-production ventures.

Why did the Tamil version of Thalaivii not do well in Tamil Nadu?

– Perhaps, because the audience wanted to see a Tamil film heroine playing the Tamil Nadu political leader.

Why has Hollywood studio Disney decided to release its balance 2021 slate exclusively in cinemas instead of hybrid (cinema and Disney+ Hotstar simultaneously)?

– The phenomenal box-office collections of SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS seem to have reinstated the studio’s faith in the big screen. The film collected $75.3 million in the three-day Labour Day weekend in North America. If one considers the four-day weekend, the gross was $94.6 million. These grosses were better than the most optimistic projections. In fact, the film broke the all-time Labour Day weekend box-office record which had been held for 22 years by THE SIXTH SENSE. Before this film, all of Disney’s titles in 2021 — RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, CRUELLA, BLACK WIDOW, JUNGLE CRUISE — had had hybrid releases.

Isn’t Reliance Entertainment foolish to hold back the release of Sooryavanshi and 83 for so long just because cinemas are not functional at more than 50% capacity in most of the states? Like many other producers, they should either premiere both the films on OTT platforms or release them in cinemas.

– Oh really? Why don’t you become the CEO of Reliance Entertainment if you think, you know it all? SOORYAVANSHI and 83 are both huge budget films. Besides, they are meant for the big screen. Reliance will hold the release for as long as it can — and that can be decided only and only by the company. So, it shouldn’t be anybody else’s concern. And no, Reliance is not foolish because it must be having its own solid reasons to wait for normalcy or near-normalcy to return before it can plan the release of the two mega-budget films.

Isn’t Bollywood losing out to regional films because while Bollywood producers are wary of releasing their big-budget films till better times return, regional films are not only releasing but also doing well at the box-office during these abnormal times?

– Regional cinema does well in the regions it targets. If Punjabi film CHAL MERA PUTT 2 is going great guns in East Punjab, it doesn’t mean that it will affect Bollywood all over India.

Are the national multiplex chains justified in refusing to screen Thalaivii this week because the producers would be premiering it digitally after two weeks of theatrical release instead of four weeks, as desired by the chains?

– The three national multiplex chains (PVR, Inox and Cinepolis) had their reason to refuse THALAIVII. They had already signed contracts with some leading Bollywood producers for the screening of their forthcoming films in these extraordinary times, and those deals provided for a four-week exclusive theatrical window. By releasing THALAIVII (with a two-week exclusive window), they would be risking their contracts with such producers as those producers would also probably insist on a two-week window instead of the agreed four-week exclusive window.

How is it that Hollywood studios are already announcing release dates of their films while Bollywood producers are still waiting and watching?

– For Hollywood studios, India is not the primary market, but for Bollywood producers, India is primary. Without cinemas in Maharashtra reopening, producers of big-ticket films can’t risk releasing them in cinemas. Some are even waiting for cinemas to function at 100% capacity all over India.

The digital premiere of Tips’ Bhoot Police was scheduled for 17th September. How was the date changed to 10th September?

– Tips felt, the film’s promotion was at its peak and it, therefore, requested Disney+ Hotstar to advance the release by a week. Besides, the producers wanted to take advantage of the Ganpati festival period as various state governments are urging people to do online darshan of Lord Ganesh. This would mean that people would be forced to stay at home during the festival period, at least on Ganesh Chaturthi (today, September 10). For OTT release, a holiday on which people don’t go out is the best.