THE RACE BEGINS: FESTIVE RELEASES ON BOLLYWOOD’S RADAR
Films have booked festive dates for their releases but will things change as the D-day comes closer?
Festive season has always translated into the release of big-budget movies in Bollywood. And after waiting for almost a year owing to the pandemic, it seems that actors and makers want to make the best of everything.
The year 2021 has some festivals already booked at the box office — John Abraham and Salman Khan have chosen Eid for Satyameva Jayate 2 (SMJ2) and Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, while Akshay Kumar will come out with Raksha Bandhan on Diwali. He has also booked Republic Day 2022 for Bachchan Pandey.
Is blocking festivals so much in advance a wise decision? Reliance Entertainment CEO Shibasish Sarkar sees no harm in this. He explains, “Since the last two-three months, shoots have been on, and top stars have all been working. So, producers will start looking for dates. Once the floodgates are opened, everyone will try to look for a release.”
FESTIVE BONANZA
Aamir Khan has lined up Laal Singh Chadha for Christmas 2021. Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan and RRR recently created headlines, with the former’s producer Boney Kapoor miffed with the latter’s director SS Rajamouli for announcing the same Dussehra release date.
Milap Milan Zaveri, director of SMJ2, says, “Our film is the perfect recipe for a festive occasion. This Eid, audiences who have been starved of entertainment will rush to cinemas.” Echoing similar sentiments is the producer of SMJ2, Bhushan Kumar. “Eid will be a perfect date to celebrate the massy cinema we plan to give our audience,” he says.
NO SENSE IN EARLY FILM ANNOUNCEMENTS?
Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi feels early announcements beyond a point don’t make sense. He reasons, “This year, Diwali is set to see five releases. I’m more than willing to bet my right arm that all five won’t release come what may, irrespective of how conducive a scenario it is.”
He feels that makers should focus on completing the films first. “Rather than cutting a sorry figure by announcing a release date and then moving away from it, they should complete the film,” Rathi says.
Experts, however, don’t negate how festive releases make a difference to revenue altogether. Trade analyst Joginder Tuteja says, “Since there’s a certain backlog, it’s all the more important to block a festival date. If one superstar doesn’t block a date, someone else will.”
EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT BOOKING A RELEASE DATE IN ADVANCE GIVES A START AND IS A GOOD PROMOTIONAL PEG FOR A FILM