Arm-twisting by distributors is nothing new. Ask any exhibitor and he will give you countless incidents wherein distributors of big and star-cast films have browbeaten him into giving their films more shows in comparison to films of other distributors. If the exhibitors don’t listen to the distributor who is pressurising them to allot a certain number of shows, there’s the fear that that distributor will not cooperate with them (exhibitors) at the time of his next release.
From the above, you would’ve realised that regular distributors, who have a line of releases, can wield more power than ‘smaller’ distributors. But it is not rare when two equally regular (read ‘big’) distributors are competing for shows. Sometimes, the competition could be between the distributor of a film due for release and the distributor of an already running successful film.
As it happened this week. Kalki 2898 AD (dubbed) has done tremendously well in the first two weeks. Its third week commenced today (12th July) when two big films — Sarfira and Hindustani 2 (dubbed) — have opened. While Kalki 2898 AD (dubbed) has been released all-India (except South) by AA Films, the two big films of this week have been released by PEN Marudhar Cine Entertainment.
Such a scenario is the perfect setting for exhibitors to have sleepless nights. Desirous of having the maximum number of shows for his two films, Sanjay Chhattar of PEN Marudhar Cine Entertainment demanded more shows than the multiplexes could accommodate because they were sure that Kalki 2898 AD (dubbed) would perform in the third weekend too. Tensions and more tensions followed.
Anil Thadani (AA Films) tried to prevail upon the multiplex chains to not drastically reduce the number of shows of Kalki 2898 AD because the advance bookings of both, Sarfira and Hindustani 2 (dubbed), were way below the mark. That is also the argument put forth to PEN Marudhar by the multiplex chains, but Sanjay Chhattar was adamant. Finally, most of the chains gave Sarfira and Hindustani 2 (dubbed) more shows than they would’ve liked to give.
Man proposes, God disposes! Both the releases of today have opened so poorly that the entire trade has realised that the argument of Thadani was right while that of Chhattar was wrong. Not just that, in multiplexes where the initial of Sarfira and/or Hindustani 2 (dubbed) is dismal today, the exhibitors have already decided to reduce the number of shows of the two films from tomorrow (13th July) and allot those shows to Kalki 2898 AD (dubbed).
And so, it is Kalki 2898 AD which is having the last laugh. This should be a lesson for distributors in future. If a film has not shown brisk sale of tickets at the advance booking counters, don’t be unreasonable in your demand for number of shows. Like water finds its own level, film shows, too, do!