With the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic looming large, the Indian film fraternity is taking steps to tackle the growing threat of business disruption.
The production house has already started postponing the release of the upcoming films.
The heat was first felt in the Shahid Kapoor-led cricket drama ‘Jersey’. This was followed by the postponement of period epic, SS Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’, and then came the news on Tuesday that Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Prithviraj’, which sparked a political controversy even before its release, was also put on hold. Is. In cold storage
Karan Taurani, trade analyst at Elara Capital, told IANS, “Producers of big budget films will refrain from taking risks in the current situation.”
With cinemas and multiplexes shut in Delhi, Haryana followed suit in five districts by January 12, and Tamil Nadu and West Bengal imposed 50 per cent occupancy limits (like Maharashtra before them), box-office, which is a state Was in ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, after the euphoria after the successes of ‘Sooryavanshi’ and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, is back in a state of semi-paralysis.
Taurani says that she doesn’t see any big film releasing anytime soon. “They are all postponing,” he said. “For the next three months, I don’t see any releases being announced. I believe normality will return only after April.”
Independent film trade analyst Sumit Kadel said the postponement of films will affect the theatrical calendar for 2022. “For example, the postponement of ‘Prithviraj’ will affect other Yash Raj Films releases, such as ‘Shamshera’ and ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’.”
According to Kadel, the third wave will last until February-March, resulting in more films being postponed. “Of course the whole calendar will have to be reshuffled,” Kadel said.
Taurani expects big budget films to suffer as their interest cost increases with each delayed release. “They may have to approach the exhibitors again to demand more distributor’s share or make some other arrangement,” Taurani said.
But he ended on a note of hope. “It won’t be as bad as it was during the second wave,” he said. It is an expectation that is being cherished by all those involved in the cinema business across the country.
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