So what happens when 11 films release in a single week? Chaos! It was madness last Friday, with 11 films vying for audience attention and even if one added the opening day occupancy of all films released on that day, the combined total would still fail to touch the 100% mark. I am sure, the respective film-makers must've realized the folly of releasing their films [with other films] after the commencement of a couple of show itself. But it was too late by then!
Sure, films like SHOR IN THE CITY and I AM were never expected to generate a great opening or set the box-office ablaze. These were clearly word of mouth films, but they never got the opportunity to grow thanks to so many 'opponents' in the fray. In the recent past, several low profile movies with mediocre face-value but superior content have not only caught the attention of the critics, but also made a decent impact at the box-office, having also caught the eye of the passionate moviegoer. But these two films never got the chance to breathe. The numbers of SHOR IN THE CITY were at least below average, but I AM met with a worse fate.
NAUGHTY @ 40 was never expected to work at movieplexes -- it's a film that appeals to the hoi polloi -- but the numbers at single screens [even at mass-dominated centres] were completely missing. The sole film that stood out was CHALO DILLI. Again, I wish to add, had it been a solo release, CHALO DILLI would've collected double of what it has collected now.
The advantage with films like CHALO DILLI, SHOR IN THE CITY and I AM is their low costing, coupled with the fact that a big chunk of the revenue has been recovered from Satellite Rights [at least in the case of CHALO DILLI and SHOR IN THE CITY]. So that might ensure decent profits at the end of the day for their investors.
Subhash Ghai made a valid observation while we animatedly discussed the escalated ticket rates at cineplexes. Should cineplexes charge the same amount of money for a biggie as well as a low cost film? I mean, should ticket rates for I AM and SHOR IN THE CITY be equivalent to READY, BODYGUARD and RA.ONE? Or should there be a difference? Big films = big rates and low cost films = low rates?
With most films getting screened on TV weeks after their theatrical release and rampant piracy killing the business of most movies, shouldn't cineplexes think about increasing the revenue at their properties? Ghai's concept of selling 2 films [LOVE EXPRESS / CYCLE KICK] for the price of 1 ticket to the patron has met with a favourable response from exhibitors, he tells me. "The moviegoer can watch the film soon after he has watched one film or can watch it on another day. The ticket for the second film would be valid for a week," Ghai divulges.
Let's see how successful the Showman is in his new endeavour. It could just trigger off a trend, frankly.
