A RELEASE IN TIME CAN SAVE DIMES

Experts decode how the film business gets affected when a film’s release is pushed

This year many films are getting postponed after having announced a tentative release date. This includes films such as Thugs of Hindostan, Jagga Jasoos and Golmaal 4. So, how does a film’s delay affect the cost of making a film, and the business it does?

“In a film like Jagga Jasoos (directed by Anurag Basu), where the starcast (Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif) and production cost are big, the budget can double with delay and become an expensive affair. But otherwise, in an average film, the production cost can increase up to 20 percent to 25 percent. It also depends at what stage a film is getting delayed,” says trade analyst Atul Mohan.

It is not just Basu’s film, Ajay Devgn’s Golmaal 4 has also experienced a delay of a few months. Actor Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan’s much-awaited film Thugs of Hindostan’s shoot will also be delayed by two weeks as director Vijay Krishnan Acharya is making some changes in the script.

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, who produced, Taapsee Pannu and Amit Sadh’s recentlyreleased film, that was also delayed, says, “A film’s delay doesn’t always have a huge effect on production cost. The cost doesn’t build up much unless there is re-shoot involved. But costs go up if the film’s release date is changed. Then producers have to keep the buzz of the film alive and continue with the promotions.”

Director Sujoy Ghosh makes a similar point saying, “A delay causes the interest cost of the money invested by the producers to go up. Associated costs go up, too.” However, filmmaker Anand L Rai says that he is open to a delay if that means a better quality film. “I don’t think the delay harms the film as much as trying to be on time and losing out on the creative part does,” says Rai. Amit Sadh feels that an actor’s confidence takes a beating if a film’s release is pushed. “I remember going to Amit Roy (director) to ask if my film was getting delayed because I didn’t act well,”says Sadh.

PHOTOS: YOGEN SHAH, PRAMOD THAKUR, AFP Clockwise: Katrina Kaif, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra and Ajay Devgn’s films are delayed