New Covid wave hits film industry hard
THE second wave of Covid has struck and the business of film exhibition has been once again affected all over India, just when it looked to be opening up.
The situation is disappointing particularly down South.
More than Bollywood, which was getting back to releasing films cautiously, the superstars of South had already dived headlong into the game. Vijay’s Master and Ravi Teja's Krack opened even before the pandemic had died down and did big business.
Pawan Kalyan's Vakil Saab opened to good numbers, too. On cue, several top stars were enthused to lining up big projects over the next months.
However, after the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce announced strict curbs on shooting this week, apprehension is already on among people in the Telugu film trade about the immediate fate of big screen business.
While a final decision is yet to be taken on the functioning of theatres in the Telugu market, the threat of closure looms large.
“No big film is releasing now, anyway, since producers are worried about footfall,” said Abhishek Nama of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce.
As the threat of lockdown looms, many upcoming big-ticket films are either officially being postponed, or makers are contemplating the idea to do so.
Reflecting on the quantum of losses for the Telugu film industry, if a possible closure of halls was to happen, trade analyst Atul Mohan said: “The loss can happen in the promotion of films.
“While there are associations that give a set cap of money that can be spent on promotions, a postponed film means spending the same amount all over again later, when the film will finally release.”
A major source of profit for South Indian films is the dubbed version market elsewhere in the country.
While many films have started going back and forth with their release date owing to the present uncertainty, some of the most-awaited Telugu films that have been postponed include Acharya, which might not release on May 13, Pushpa which is slated to release on August 13 but could also see a December release.
Another is Tuck Jagadish, directed by Shiva Nirvana, which was scheduled to hit theatres on Friday, but has been delayed.
The much-anticipated
Story, was also postponed.