Gems or duds: Plot twist at box office hits small-town theatre owners
In a tale of highs and lows for India’s movie-theatre industry, small-town cinemas find themselves at a critical crossroads with recent box-office disappointments echoing through single-screen theatres.
While high-profile action films, featuring popular stars, such as tres, mostly single-screens, had shuttered. However, 2023 showcased the potential for revival with the success of commercial entertainers like Pathaan (₹512.76 crore), Jawan (₹554.30 crore), Gadar 2 (₹515.13 crore) and Animal (₹556.36 crore), which resonated with audiences in smalltown markets.
However, the optimism has been short-lived with the recent releases, which followed a similar template of star power and slick action, failing to make a mark.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, featuring Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff and Sonakshi Sinha, could only muster ₹47.52 crore at the box office since its Eid release. Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, concluded its theatrical run with around ₹200 crore, way below its production costs of over ₹250 crore. Shroff-starrer Ganapath, in fact, did not even cross the ₹10-crore earnings mark since its release in
October.
Amid this gloomy picture, a glimmer of hope emerged from the success of a few small-budget, content-driven films like Crew, Shaitaan, and Laapataa
Ladies. However, their popularity remained confined to larger multiplexes in metropolitan areas.
According to Pranav Garg, managing director at Maya Palace, a two-screen cinema in Muzaffarnagar, audiences usually clamour for wellcrafted entertainers that offer something new, especially during the festive periods of Eid, Diwali or Dussehra, when families tend to step out together, and prices are higher even in small towns.
However, both Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Fighter hinged on the well-worn theme of India-Pakistan hostilities.
Besides, the films’ music failed to generate any buzz leading up to the release, resulting in little awareness among the audiences in tier-two and tier-three markets. “The feedback we received was that the films offered zero value for money, thus, featuring popular faces was not enough,” Garg said.
Vishek Chauhan, a singlescreen owner from Bihar, said audience preferences in small towns have evolved significantly postcovid, and merely investing in action sequences and visual effects is no longer sufficient for filmmakers to capture their attention.
“Viewers are tired of movies with a light touch. They are looking for grittier themes, raw and rustic, in-your-face cinema, and characters that are grey. Many are connecting with anger and negative themes, which have to do with poverty and joblessness post-covid.”
Even for action movies, there is a need for more personal and realistic stories, Chauhan said. The past quarter has been bleak for the film business in small towns, and it’s becoming increasingly challenging to cover operational expenses considering that revenue is barely trickling in, he added.
However, a section of trade experts argued that the recent failures are not solely due to high pricing, considering the big budgets and marketing expenditures.
Lacklustre BO numbers of high-profile action films have dealt a blow to resurgence of single-screens