The pandemic puts paid to 2020’s first half, makers may now be eyeing its year-end festive season
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 19, 2020)

Traditionally, festivals have always helped Bollywood rake in big moolah at the box office. This year though, things have clearly been not rosy largely due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Bollywood has lost around ₹1,500 crore to the lockdown as theatres are shut,with the only major hit of 2020 yet being Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. Plus, the Eid weekend has also gone for a complete toss.

So, now, the big question is: will there be a mad rush for year-end festive weekends such as Dussehra, Diwali and Christmas [assuming that theatres come back to life by then]? “Honestly, I foresee a chaotic scenario because every producer would want to release their films in the most profitable window,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh, adding that he hopes to see “a planned strategy” about releases. “But it looks extremely difficult, especially since everyone would want their products out at the earliest,” he says.

On the other hand, many experts feel it’s all about the supply of films. “See, if film releases have come to a halt, so have the production and shoots. It’s not as if there are a large number of films, which are in a ready state to hit the theatres at any given point. As of now, around 15 films must be ready or in post-production stages,” says exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi.

In terms of numbers, apart from a few small/medium-budget films, about half-a-dozen biggies such as Sooryavanshi, ’83, Radhe, Coolie No 1, Jayeshbhai Jordaar and Mumbai Saga are either complete or have gone in the post-production stage.

“If all goes well, theatres may open in July or August, and since there are only a handful of big releases, which are ready or near completion, there shouldn’t be any mad rush. Apart from a few, every major movie has a lot of work still left on them,” says Mumbai Saga maker Sanjay Gupta.

At the same time, Adarsh hopes that everyone works together on ‘release strategies’. “I wish some associations along with the makers devise a strategy to ensure that films are spaced out in a proper manner,” he says. And Rathi believes that there may not be “any better time” for smaller-mid budget films than the post-lockdown period. “Whenever theatres re-open, a small or a medium budget film will also get a fantastic showcasing, space and huge [box-office] figures since there aren’t many ready-to-release films,” he adds.
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Festivals and stars!

For years now, Diwali has been considered Shah Rukh Khan’s stronghold, starting with Baazigar (1993). This year though, SRK won’t have a film on Diwali. On the other hand, Aamir Khan and the Christmas weekend have had a great partnership with hits such as Taare Zameen Par (2007), 3 Idiots (2009), Dhoom:3 (2013) and the like. This year too, he has Laal Singh Chaddha slated for the season, but shooting is yet to be completed.