We have previously seen this phenomenon in October 2021, when cinemas in Maharashtra were allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity. Around Diwali, theaters were operational in most parts of the country and when Rohit Shetty’s ‘Sooryavanshi’ released, the theaters thronged the theaters in huge numbers. ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ made record breaking numbers worldwide. Kabir Khan’s ’83 also released in December, but due to a surge in Omicron cases, originally failed to earn despite rave reviews. It has become inevitable for the Shahid Kapoor-starrer.jersey‘ to be postponed from its December release.
In conversation with ETimes, Atul Kulkarni reflected on the emerging trend and said, “In the last two years, the whole world faced something unprecedented across all businesses. Of course, this is going to have some effect. Like Revenge Tourism, Revenge Filmism is also going to happen. When big movies knock in theatres, you just check the collections. It’s going to be incredible.”
This week at #BigStory, we talk to trade experts, filmmakers and actors, and find out what general sentiment is going to be like when films return to normalcy in relation to theatrical consumption in 2022.
there’s nothing to stop the crowd
Restrictions have been eased and the thali is ready! ‘With movies like’Radhe Shyam,Bachchan Pandey‘, ‘Jersey’, ‘Heropanti 2’, ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, ‘Dhaakad’, ‘Maidaan’, ‘Prithviraj’, ‘Jug Jugg Jeeyo’ and many more slated to hit the silver screens in 2022 , the audience will be spoiled for choice.
Film Exhibitors and Distributors Akshay Rathi Says, “The line-up of films releasing with Hindi dubbed versions including Bollywood and South films is huge and I truly believe that the films which are releasing theatrically have phenomenal numbers at the box office. There is immense potential to do so. Amidst all these upcoming films, the kind of response we are going to see at the box office is what we have seen in many years. In the last two years, people sitting inside the house are disappointed. They are longing for some outdoor fun now.”
Research analyst Karan Taurani says that the consumption of revenge movies is going to continue for at least the next three to six months. “What is really happening in the last one year is that it is a vicious cycle. There are restrictions and because of the restrictions, the producers are not confident to screen the big films because of the high cost on the theaters and the audience result. Night curfew, Restrictions are being eased in terms of 100% occupancy allowance, and this has prompted many producers to put out their big films, which will attract a larger audience. I think this is a very important trend Which is driving this revenge consumption,” he explains.
Not only big budget movies, but also short films with compelling content attract audiences to theatres. “Even small-medium budget films struggled a lot during the pandemic, as they did not want to take the risk of going to theatres, and OTT was a safe route for them, a route in which they got ROI Some amount of was guaranteed. But I think this trend could be reversed in a big way. Because clearly, if you look at films, if the content is compelling enough, even small- to medium-budget films, people are going to watch in theatres,” says Karan.
However, filmmaker-exhibitor-distributor Sunny Khanna makes a valid point when he considers what the audience would have to leave behind the safety and peace of their homes. “Audiences will be rushing to theaters like never before. However, we must understand that there are only certain types of movies, pure event movies, big stars will leave their peaceful homes to make people come to the theatres. The film will be good, word of mouth will be strong, people will come to the theatres. Period. No one can stop it now or anytime,” he says.
theatrical business will be huge
With the increasing number of viewership, the film business is definitely expected to see an upward trend. film producer Boney Kapoor Which is forming the basis of the theatrical success of his latest Ajith starrer.ValimaiSays, “Good films will always go up in numbers. There are a lot of plus points where ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi‘, or ‘Bhimla Naik’ or ‘Valimai’. This is the reason why the audience keeps coming and going to the theatres. Cinema will never die. Theatrical business will grow like nobody’s business, just wait and see!”
Akshay Rathi says, “I truly believe that the coming financial year is going to be the best one we have seen so far. Expect a turnover of roughly Rs 2500-3000 crores!”
Are OTT Platforms a Threat to Box Office Collections?
The pandemic has seen a remarkable growth of audience. When theaters were closed, OTT came to the rescue. When theaters reopened, films like ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, ‘Sooryavanshi’, ’83 and others were screened on OTT after their theatrical performances. Then there’s OTT-centric entertaining content like ‘Gheahiyaan’, ‘A Thursday’, ‘Rudra: The Age of Darkness’ and many more to choose from. The audience will surely have the option of a platform to fulfill their entertainment needs. Will this change in dynamics affect the film business at the box office?
People have to decide based on the promo, feels Sunny Khanna. “People are looking for a certain level of entertainment and upliftment. As soon as the trailer is out, they decide… ‘Am I going for this? Is this a movie to watch? Or is it an OTT watch’ ?’ Yes, it will dent the box office numbers too, but gradually things will get back to normal. However, the quality of the stories, the entertainment needs to go a bit further than the present,” he says.
Actress Sunny LeoneAwaiting the release of her spy series ‘Anamika’ on MX Player, she believes that going into films is not yet fully started. “We’re still scared. We’ve gone through so much trauma, and especially when you have kids to take care of, it’s a huge step to enter theaters like this. If you were in a family like that. Whoever had COVID at your doorstep, lost a family member or a business, it would take a lot. But I think, people who go to movies, and people who watch OTT, are two completely different consumers. Cinemas have a culture that is very different from sitting at home watching 8 hours of shows,” she says. Having said this, OTT will not really affect the box office numbers, she adds.
Karan Taurani chimes in with the stats and insists that OTT is not such a threat. “If you look at the first wave, the second wave of the pandemic, around 20-23 Hindi films have gone straight to OTT. This number has remained largely constant. And I don’t think that number is growing that fast. In fact, the numbers will drop sharply because of a trend reversal. Because it happens in the cinema experience that the producers always have the scope to get a greater amount of positive surprises. So if a film goes to OTT, there is a certain amount of ROI which is retained. But in terms of cinema there is no limit to what a film does at the box office if Word of Mouth picks up well. I think now there will definitely be a trend reversal in favor of cinema and we will see a very sharp drop in the number of movies going directly on OTT. I am not saying it will stop, it will continue but there has been no such impact at the box office, as the numbers are very less to speak of,” he says.
OTT is a new format of watching cinema, views trade analyst Atul Mohan, “OTT flourished when theaters were closed during the pandemic. And even as it has reached a limit now, people are confused about what to watch and how much to watch with the content available to choose from. Therefore, watching a movie in the theater is an easy option. People want to come to theatres, but they want the content to be worth the money. Good films will always work,” he says.
irreplaceable joy of theatrical experience
The entertainment world has seen massive progress over the years and new and innovative options are popping up with the potential to replace cinemas. But the theatrical experience has always outlived your options and it is here to stay.
“In the late 70s and early 80s, when Doordarshan was introduced in India, people thought that movies would now be seen on television and that would be the end of cinema. But nothing like this happened. Then came VHS, followed by cable and satellite channels, home theatre, CDs, the Internet… but each time cinema got bigger and bigger. The allure of watching a film on the big screen – sitting in an auditorium with other people, their reactions, laughing, whistling, clapping together – you won’t find it anywhere else. It will not be fun sitting at home,” says Atul Mohan.
Echoing this sentiment, Boney Kapoor said, “OTT will happen but it will become a new revenue stream. We had satellite channels back in the day. There were ‘Mahabharat’ and ‘Ramayana’ on Doordarshan, IPL… but we have always found a way around emerging trends. In the end it is cinema that is and will be there. Just as cricket lovers can watch matches on TV, they still go to stadiums. Similarly, film enthusiasts will head to theaters for a different experience – they laugh together, or clap together. You may not get the same dramatic viewing experience when watching on TV. Theaters like Stirling, Minerva will never get old. Watching movies on the big screen is a different kind of fun.”