Clashes at the box-office are never desirable. Every film deserves breathing time and space. But it is also a fact that clashes are unavoidable because there are only so many Fridays in a year! Besides, because the whole game is of the opening weekend, festival weekends or weekends with national holidays like the Republic or Independence Day are sought after by producers of all big-budget and star-cast films.
One such clash is imminent in the Diwali week. Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 are scheduled to hit the screens in the festive weekend, but how one wishes, this clash could be avoided.
First things, first. The Diwali week was first taken by Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Singham Again was earlier announced for 15th August release, but it was later postponed to the Diwali week. It’s another thing that ‘claiming’ a week for release has no legal sanctity. Anyone can announce his film’s release in any week, and that does not preclude another producer from announcing his film’s release in the same week.
The trailer of Singham Again was released yesterday (October 7) with a lot of fanfare at the NMACC in Bombay. Jio Studios, Devgn Films and Rohit Shetty Picturez, the producers of the third film in the Singham franchise and part of Rohit Shetty’s Cop Universe, had invited not just the media but also exhibitors and their distributors from all over India at the trailer launch. The unanimous response to the trailer was that it was terrific.
The trailer of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is not yet out. One hopes, it is as exciting as the trailer of Singham Again. In fact, after the runaway success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, there is every reason to believe that the third part of the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise and, therefore, its trailer will also be excellent.
Be that as it may, the two films should not release in the same week. It would be beneficial for the trade and for the business of both the films if they did not clash at the ticket counters on Diwali.
If the trailer is any indication, Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again has married mythology and modernity beautifully. Because it is an action film, one would think that it would appeal a great deal to the masses, but, I feel, the mythology angle will work big time with the ladies and family audience. In other words, the multi-star-cast actioner may very likely become a film for all classes of audience and all centres — A, B, C and D. Rohit Shetty told Information, “Our film juxtaposes Ram Leela in the story. It has been shot on many actual locations where incidents of the Ramayana are said to have taken place, including in Sri Lanka and places in India, and we have tried to draw parallels between the epic and our story. Since the story of Singham Again ends on Diwali day, there can’t be a better week to release the film than the Diwali week.
However outstanding the trailer of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 may be, the film doesn’t have any such angle to warrant its release only in the Diwali week (like Singham Again) except, of course, that the week is expected to be bountiful because of the Festival of Lights. If only for this reason, the producers of BB 3 should reconsider their release date. Of course, the Diwali week can accommodate two major releases, but Singham Again has the potential to eat into the earnings of BB 3 because its trailer gives the impression that it will appeal to every strata of audience and in every kind of small and big centres. Let’s assume that the same holds good for BB 3 also. That should be a bigger reason for BB 3 to move ahead — may be to a date in November or December — because why should two potential blockbusters come in direct opposition to each other? There are other good dates after Diwali too. Good times won’t cease after the November 1 weekend and there’s nothing which prevents the postponed film from targeting that new date.
It is learnt that Ajay Devgan and Rohit Shetty actually requested Bhushan Kumar to postpone the release of his BB 3 because they feel, their film’s story warrants its release on Diwali, but Bhushan refused to give in.
I feel, it would make more commercial sense if one of the two films were to be postponed. In other words, it would be in the fitness of things for the two films to avoid a clash. The exhibitors would breathe easy, and the distributors of both the films would be able to optimise their release and, therefore, their earnings in the final tally.
The producers of which of the two films should make the move to shift its release ahead? The following parameters might help:
(i) Compare very objectively the public response to the two trailers after the trailer of BB 3 is out;
(ii) compare the likely showcasing — again, very objectively — the two films are expected to get in the multiplexes;
(iii) compare the likely showcasing which the two films would very likely get in single-screen cinemas;
(iv) compare the likely revenues of only the first three days of the two films;
(v) compare the probable revenues of each film in the first weekend if it were to come alongside the other film on Diwali vis-Ã -vis if it were to release solo;
(vi) objectively assess whether there is a solid reason which makes it imperative for the film to hit the screens in the Diwali weekend (like, for example, the content of Singham Again, as mentioned above).
If the producers of both the films are honest to themselves, both will get the same answer about which film should release Diwali and which shouldn’t.
The unfortunate part is that producers often make it an ego issue when it comes to shifting the release date. “Why should I bend?” they are apt to think. The answer is simple: “You are not bending, you are only acting rationally. And you should act rationally for your own good. You owe that much to your film.”
P.S.: The all-India distributor of Singham Again is PVR-Inox Pictures. Did you say, “Oh, then what chance does Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 have, at least as far as the showcasing is concerned, because PVR-Inox is also the largest all-India multiplex chain?” Well, eat back your words because the all-India distributor of BB 3 is Anil Thadani. And Anil is one of the biggest all-India distributors today so that even the biggest multiplex chain of India cannot sidestep a film being released by him. Gosh! it’s more than three weeks to Diwali and the fireworks have already begun!!