The film trade is euphoric. Such happy faces have not been seen in the trade in the last 21 months. There’s a new-found confidence in people in Bollywood. And not without reason. The next four Fridays just might give the push the film trade so badly needed after it reopened post-lockdown. Of course, Sooryavanshi, the first major release after the reopening of the cinemas, did give the industry a kickstart but the sustained boost might come in the week beginning this Friday — actually, Thursday — when the highly-anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home is slated for release. A week later will come 83, the trailer of which has the trade people going ga ga over it, just like the general public. One week after 83, that is, on December 31, will release Jersey, another film about which the trade and the general public are excited. And on 7th January, 2022, it is the turn of RRR to hit the screens. Just the fact that it is directed by the maker of Bahubali is enough to give film buffs and the trade an adrenaline rush.
Nobody could’ve asked for anything better than this. Four potential hits in four consecutive weeks! But therein lies the problem. Exhibitors, especially single-screen cinemas, are having a terrible time trying to decide how they can accommodate all or the maximum number of these four films. Sony and its distributors are clear that they will give their Spider-Man to only those single-screen cinemas which will continue the film in at least one or two shows in its second week too. However, Reliance Entertainment and its distributors are insisting that 83 will be given to only those single-screen cinemas which will commit the film for a minimum two weeks’ run, that too, in all shows. Since the first week of 83 will be the second week of Spider-Man, single-screen cinemas are in a dilemma whether they should screen the former or the latter film. Of course, they want to screen both but as of now, that seems difficult, even impossible. For those cinemas which opt for 83 by forgoing Spider-Man, it is not the end of their tale of woes. For, they would then have to forgo Jersey in the following week because the producers and distributors of 83 will not permit show-sharing in its second week too. The story doesn’t end here. The all-India (except South) distributor of Jersey and the following week’s RRR is the same — Pen Marudhar. And, as expected, the distributor has specifically told the single-screen cinemas that those which do not give at least two shows to Jersey in its first week, should not hope to get the screening rights of RRR in the following week.
In other words, if the producers and distributors of all the four films do not budge from their respective stands, a single-screen cinema has the following options:
(1) screen Spider-Man: No Way Home on 16th December, but it would then have to forgo 83 on 24th December. It can then screen Jersey on 31st December, and RRR on 7th January 2022;
(2) forgo Spider-Man: No Way Home on 16th December, screen 83 on 24th December, forgo Jersey on 31st December, and, as a consequence to forgoing Jersey, also forgo RRR on 7th January, 2022.
Of course, some or all of the producers and distributors will change their stance as their release date approaches. But till that does not happen, it’s going to be unimaginable tension for exhibitors in general and single-screen cinemas in particular.
Frankly, the entire drama changed two days back when the response to the advance booking of Spider-Man: No Way Home turned out to be beyond imagination. The trade was aware that the anticipation and craze for the Hollywood film were immense but nobody expected the excitement to be so great that the advance booking numbers would be as huge as they are. Looking to the unprecedented advance booking, single-screen cinemas are now unwilling to forgo the film. So, the problem which was to start from 24th December has started a week earlier. Besides, with three instead of four films to be managed, the problem only got larger.
The good thing, of course, is that the trade is looking at four potential hits and blockbusters back to back. But the sad thing is that single-screen cinemas and, to some extent, even multiplexes, will not be able to do justice to all these four films. Exhibitors are breaking their heads, wondering how they can resolve this problem.
Frankly, this is a problem created by the producers of the above mentioned four films, by circumstances (COVID-19, because of which there is a huge backlog of unreleased films) and by chance. Exhibitors cannot resolve it, try as much as they may. This underlines the fact that there is a shortage of cinemas in India. The tremendous craze building up for the four films also underlines the fact that people are willing to venture out to watch event films and also films which promise entertainment. This is the happy news. The tinge of sadness is that exhibitors will have to win some and lose some.