Bollywood producers are in a state of panic. And so are exhibitors and distributors.
The coronavirus outbreak in India has made the trade rethink. Producers of Angrezi Medium and Sooryavanshi are thinking in terms of postponing the release of their films. While Angrezi Medium is scheduled for release on 13th March, Sooryavanshi is slated to hit the screens on 24th March.
The producers of both the films are closely monitoring the box-office collections of this week’s Baaghi 3 to arrive at a studied decision on whether to postpone their film or not. If they feel that the collections of Baaghi 3 are being adversely affected because of the coronavirus, they might postpone the release of their films. Many in the trade are of the opinion that Baaghi 3 should have opened at Rs. 23-24 crore. The actual figure is estimated to be around Rs. 17 crore. It is also a point of argument whether Rs. 23-24 crore was a fair estimate in the first place.
People associated with the two forthcoming films need to keep in mind that the initial of Baaghi 3 today (March 6) has been affected not just due to the coronavirus scare but also because of the ongoing school examinations and the dull pre-Holi period. It may also be remembered that around 60-70 single-screen cinemas and multiplexes of Delhi-U.P. have not been given Baaghi 3 to screen.
The exact picture about the future film releases will emerge on Monday (9th March), perhaps. By that time, it will be clear how much impact the fear factor has had on the box-office. It will also be clear in the next couple of days if the virus scare is growing or is being contained.