83 Box Office Debacle: 11 reasons why Ranveer Singh starrer 83 had a dismal run and has a minimal hope to cover the lost ground – Part 1

By Fenil Seta -

December 30, 2021 - 4:30 PM IST

The much awaited film, 83, has failed to put up impressive numbers over the weekend. Even the first Monday number of around Rs. 7 crore has proved that the film is on a weak wicket. Bollywood Hungama spoke to trade experts to understand the reasons why the Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone starrer and Kabir Khan-directed film did not work at the box office.

83 Box Office Debacle: 11 reasons why Ranveer Singh starrer 83 had a dismal run and has a minimal hope to cover the lost ground – Part 1

1.Bad release time

Trade analyst Amod Mehra went back in time to explain his point, “Saudagar (1991) had become a super-hit in the first week. However, the next week saw the release of Saajan (1991). Suddenly, the majority of the public started going for this film and Saudagar baith gayi. Ultimately, Saudagar did good business but not what was expected; especially after its first week performance and also considering it marked the reunion of Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar and was directed by Subhash Ghai. Similarly, Gadar (2001) did many times more business than Lagaan (2001). When two films release together and both can click, but one of them will end up making more money. This is the norm known in the industry. Now, coming to the present day. Spider-Man: No Way Home became a surprise super-hit and so did Pushpa. A week later, 83 was released and it was bound to suffer. Nevertheless, it should have worked big time but these two films were doing so well that 83 ko toh baithna hi tha.”

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh said, “There’s a limited breathing space and audiences make up their mind ki unhe kaunsi film dekhni hai aur kaunsi film nahi dekhni hai. And then you have RRR coming on January 7. It is going to be huge. Audiences wait for an event film; it excites them. We regarded 83 as an event film.”

2. Unexciting subject; unexciting execution

While it was assumed that the subject of the film (India’s unbelievable victory in the 1983 World Cup) would find a lot of takers, it hasn’t happened. Amod Mehra rued, “It is history. Everyone knows about it.”

An industry insider, on condition of anonymity, said, “Barring that one scene where the kid cheers the players by waving the flag at the interval point is where I had a lump in my throat; no other scene made me emotional. And I am an ardent cricket fan who watches test matches ball by ball even today. The narrative just did not work for me. I am a reactive audience – I laugh and I cry. The performances are exemplary, especially Ranveer Singh. So it’s a failure at the level of the writers and director.”

Taran Adarsh said, “The first half lacked a punch” and added, “There was too much cricket. There should have been more drama off the field.”

3. Didn’t appeal the non metro audience

While the film did well in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi etc. even on Monday, the performance elsewhere was dismal. Taran Adarsh stated, “There was rejection from the audiences outside the metros. They did not go to see the film. Perhaps the trailer did not excite them or they were not aware of the film. The film looked like a docudrama. Many preferred to wait for word of mouth. They felt that agar Lagaan ya Bhaag Milkha Bhaag jaisi nikli, toh jaayenge.”

He also remarked, “In the late 70s and early 80s, we used to have 3-4 films week after week. Tab multi-starrers ka trend hota tha. I remember the theatres used to be house full. People used to crave well-packaged films and still do. However, today, our films are mainly catering to the premium multiplexes and metros. “

4. Faulty Distribution strategy

A lot of negativity surrounded 83 before the release thanks to a faulty distribution strategy. Exhibitors were compelled to accept terms for higher revenue share and 100% showcasing for two weeks. Some theatres didn’t release the film, ultimately and this includes Mumbai’s iconic single screen, Maratha Mandir.

Amod Mehra rued, “The distribution team was completely arrogant. We were distributors too and we used to be careful in maintaining relations with exhibitors. That’s because it was our money that was invested. Hence, ego used to be in the backseat as recovering our investment was our topmost priority. Today the distribution team doesn’t have that pressure as they are working for a public-listed corporate company. They don’t care about losses and hence, behave in an egoistic and adamant manner.”

5. Failure of PR and marketing

Amod Mehra further commented, “On top of it, the publicity was not done. The makers said that company ke paas paise nahi the. Aap publicity nahi karoge aur aap newspaper mein ad nahi doge toh kaise chalega? Moreover, a grand premiere was held but who knew about it? This should have been a live event and should have been aired on a digital platform or a TV channel. Just by showing the film to critics, and getting 4 or 5 stars doesn’t mean your job is done.”

The industry insider disagreed a bit as he observed, “The marketing was aggressive but a lot of marketing effort was misdirected. Money was spent on organizing events in Kochi, Chennai and Karnataka. However, what is the business that has happened in the regional versions of 83 which were released in these regions? The PR team also missed out on promoting the movie on the digital medium which has huge eyeballs catering to the youth audience.”

He continued, “We just saw Rs. 32 crore day 1 of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Now 83 has a story that is relatable to every Indian, featuring a superstar who has done huge business in India. Yet, if you manage to draw a Rs. 15 crore day 1, then I think that it’s a marketing and PR failure.”

Also Read: Ranveer Singh tears up as he talks about the response for 83; says, “It’s a miracle that I became an actor”