EAST VS WEST AT THE BOX OFFICE
Bollywood movies are all set to face stiff competition from their Hollywood counterparts in the most profitable quarter of the year
When Shah Rukh Khan hits the silver screen in his dwarf avatar in Aanand L Rai’s Zero on December 21, he will have a foreign superhero to contend with at the box office — Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa. Interestingly, the last quarter of the year, which has historically been considered Bollywood’s most prolific period thanks to several holidays and festivals, is set to see a number of such formidable clashes between Hollywood and Bollywood movies this year. ON THE TROT
From October to December, Hollywood’s slate includes films like Venom, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Robin Hood, Hotel Mumbai, First Man, Halloween, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Mary Poppins Returns.
From Bollywood, the last three months will also see the release of Namaste England, Badhaai Ho, Ajay Devgn’s next, 2.0, Thugs of Hindostan, Kedarnath, Total Dhamaal and Simmba, among others. Trade analyst Amod Mehra says, “Hollywood films have become a big cause of worry for Hindi film-makers, but it’s the reality and we have to live with it. You can’t, of course, stop Hollywood movies from releasing in India. Bollywood film-makers have to be ready for the onslaught, and the same holds true for the last quarter of this year, too.” SPREADING WINGS
Of late, Hollywood has been rapidly increasing its reach in the Indian market. According to industry estimates, the share of Hollywood in the overall box office pie surged to 13% last year. Around a decade ago, Hollywood films accounted for about 5%, and five years ago about 7%. Experts feel a strong push on “localisation of content and innovative marketing” has helped accelerate the growth of Hollywood’s share in India.
Exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi says, “Look at the kind of business Hollywood films have been doing [in India]. The threat from them is only going to increase, but if we can give Indian audiences high entertainment value, quality storytelling and good content, no one can challenge us in our own backyard. So, the loud and clear message for Hindi film-makers is, ‘pull up your socks or perish’.”
At the same time, experts feel alarm bells should have rung loud when The Jungle Book minted over ₹180 crore at the Indian box office in 2016. “By now, we have a set audience for Hollywood movies in India, and you can’t wish them away. Instead of trying to match their scale in terms of action and special effects, we should focus on our
strengths — the Indian style of storytelling with emotions, songs and comedy. The idea should be to become more and more indigenous, but in a quality manner,” says director Anees Bazmee.