Frequent top star movies could spark viewer fatigue
Anumber of top actors have multiple releases lined up in quick succession, raising questions on the wisdom of the practice as the overkill may turn audiences away, especially since many of their films have bombed in the recent past.
Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn, whose movies helped projects move forward, but there could be some viewer fatigue when releases are so frequent. “Especially if you are delivering one dud after another, it may make sense to recalibrate and come back after six months with something fresh,” a studio executive said.
He said that though the fault is not entirely that of actors since a lot of movies were delayed because of the covid pandemic and released in quick succession, it is crucial to pace things out.
“The big impact of films flopping one after the other is not on the actors per se, who’ve often taken their remuneration in advance but on the producer or studio who incurs the losses alone. Also, sometimes, there is pressure from OTT platforms to release the film in theatres because it is scheduled to stream within a particular quarter,” the executive said on condition of anonymity.
Film producer, trade and exhibition expert Girish Johar said the frequency of releases is not as important as whether the project is put together meticulously and the story comes with some merit. Even in Kumar’s case, his satirical comedy OMG 2 found draw in theatres when released last year.“Audiences are very impatient now and can see through films. They can see if a film has been made for the heck of it, also thanks to the conversation on social media,” Johar pointed out. Further, the fact that cinemas haven’t been able to reduce prices to help some of these films gain better traction shows that the overall business is in doldrums, Johar added.
A lot of movies were delayed because of covid and released in quick succession, but it is crucial to pace things out