Blockbuster festive season

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 27, 2021)

On Saturday evening, Dr. Jayantilal Gada of Pen Studios and director-producer Rohit Shetty met the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray to discuss the reopening of the theatres across the state. The meeting was held in Mumbai, with Kamal Gianchandani (President of Multiplex Association of India & CEO, PVR Pictures), Alok Tandon (CEO, Inox Leisure Ltd), Devang Sampat (CEO, Cinepolis India), and Kunal Sawhney (Chief Operating Officer - Carnival Cinemas) in attendance, where the CM assured that theatres will resume work from October 22 and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will be shared soon.

An hour or two later, Rohit and Akshay Kumar announced that their policewala drama, Sooryavanshi, will finally release on Diwali this year. In an interview with BT a few weeks ago, Akshay had said, “Even I want to see Sooryavanshi on the big screen. As for the audience and my fans, I’m really grateful to them who, despite waiting for so long, are still waiting and they keep asking for updates on its release.”

Talking about the latest developments which come as a huge relief for the film industry and theatre owners, Kamal Gianchandani said, “It’s delightful that our CM allowed cinemas to reopen from October 22. In our business parlance, a couple of regions together are called the Bombay Territory, one of the largest contributors to a film’s box office, especially if it’s a Hindi film.”

Kamal Gianchandani added, “For a large number of Hindi films to release, it was crucial to have theatres in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra running. The announcement by the CM in a very direct way has pushed the business on the road to recovery. We have also been in touch with several producers and from the vantage point that I see this, we’re looking at a very busy six months, starting with Sooryavanshi’s release around Diwali. It gives us a head start. It will be one of the busiest times we have seen in our business. After going through two shut downs and phased reopenings, we, as a team of professionals, are ready to welcome the audience back in.”

About a year ago, when Bombay Times had hosted a video panel discussion with industry stakeholders in the film business, Sooryavanshi opening on a festive weekend was suggested as the right step forward whenever the theatres opened. Akshaye Rathi from Saroj Cinemas, who had strongly supported this suggestion, says, “Over a period of time, we have seen business come back to glory when producers have put forth a commendable commercial outing. Whether it’s Master in the South or Puaada in Punjab... when a sector comes back to business, it needs to shout from rooftops about it. Even though we had some decent films running in cinemas when we reopened briefly last year, the audience sent a clear message that the films were not exciting enough to pull them back in. Sooryavanshi is the breakout film that will push the consumption cycle rolling. With Diwali already booked, we will have many big films queueing up all the way up to the end of January, 2022. The industry was waiting for theatres in Maharashtra to open.”

The list of films awaiting theatrical runs includes Ranveer Singh’s '83 and Jayeshbhai Jordar, Akshay Kumar’s Prithviraj, Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji’s Bunty Aur Babli 2, John Abraham’s Attack and Satyameva Jayate 2, and Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha among several others. While going to press, director Kabir Khan announced that 83 would release on Christmas 2021 while Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha would release on Valentine’s Day 2022.

Manoj Desai, who operates the G7 and Maratha Mandir theatres in Mumbai, cautions, “Yes, we are happy that finally we also can open our theatres and welcome the audience in, but all these dates have no relevance till we don’t see the SOPs. There are very big films in the pipeline, starting with Sooryavanshi and we are hopeful that we will have big numbers to report when the film releases. The big question is: how many people and in what way will I be allowed to seat in my theatres.”
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Industry and theatres gear up for re-opening of cinemas from October 22, with plea for GST removal; ticket prices unlikely to go up
Mohar Basu, Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; September 27, 2021)

It’s finally showtime in Maharashtra after seven months of theatre shutdown. On Saturday evening, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that cinemas across the state would reopen from October 22. The decision came in the wake of an exhaustive meeting that was headed by Thackeray. The meeting was attended by filmmaker Rohit Shetty, PVR Pictures CEO Kamal Gianchandani, Inox Leisure Ltd CEO Alok Tandon, Carnival Cinemas CEO Kunal Sawhney, and Dr Jayantilal Gada of Pen Studios, among others.

With the news, a wave of cheer erupted among the exhibitors who have been bleeding dry since the first shutdown in March 2020. Soon, Shetty announced that his Akshay Kumar-led Sooryavanshi — that has been waiting in the wings since early 2020 — would finally hit the marquee this Diwali. That was cue enough for Bollywood to bring out its big guns. Ranveer Singh’s sports drama 83 booked the Christmas window while Shahid Kapoor promised to arrive a week later with Jersey.

Producer Aditya Chopra lined up four releases — while Bunty Aur Babli 2 will be a November 19 offering, Kumar’s Prithviraj locked January 21, followed by Jayeshbhai Jordaar on February 25 and Ranbir Kapoor’s Shamshera on March 18, 2022. Ahan Shetty’s debut vehicle Tadap will be big-screen bound on December 3, and Kumar’s Bachchan Pandey on March 4, 2022. Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha will now be a Valentine’s Day 2022 fare.

Producer Anand Pandit, whose Chehre recently had a big-screen outing despite the shutdown in the Maharashtra circuit, is excited about the “blockbuster Diwali”. He notes that filmmakers have wisely spaced out the releases so as to not eat into each other’s business. “I am glad that the government, in its wisdom, decided to reopen theatres. The industry needs this revival. I don’t see too many clashes since the industry understands that the return of audiences might be slow, and it would be best to avoid a situation where the [footfall] gets divided.”

Pandit will soon lock the release date of Thank God, starring Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh.

On the ground level, theatre owners are awaiting the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) from the CM’s office. But they are relieved that the government finally took action on their multiple appeals to reopen cinemas. In their last letter, the Multiplex Association of India (MAoI) had reportedly stated that the exhibition sector lost almost Rs 4,800 crore since March 2020.

Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 multiplex and Maratha Mandir, says, “Theatres may start with 50 per cent occupancy, with only fully vaccinated people allowed. Few theatres are also considering appealing for [the removal of] GST.”

He adds that ticket prices can be determined once the safety protocols have been announced. “It’s not the right time to increase the ticket rates, because people should be willing to come to theatres in the first place.”
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Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 27, 2021)

With cinemas reopening in Maharashtra from October 22, the film industry is all set to light up some sparks at the box office.

Filmmaker Rohit Shetty has already announced the arrival of the Akshay Kumar-starrer Sooryavanshi on Diwali. The film that has been awaiting release since March 2020 will fight it out at the box office with Marvel’s superheroes from Eternals and Rajinikanth’s Annaatthe.

“It’ll be a big-screen Diwali. The industry needs this revival,” shares producer Anand Pandit, while producer Amar Butala points out, “Sooryavanshi’s release will ensure this year ends on a positive note for Bollywood.”

According to trade experts, it will be “first in, first out format”, with films that are ready for a long time open in theatres first. “With so much backlog, at least two films will release every week,” notes trade expert Komal Nahta. There’s a growing sentiment in filmmakers to stand in solidarity with Shetty and not release their films alongside his.

Producer Girish Johar says, “The team has waited patiently and the film has all it takes to revive the box-office.”

For some, avoiding clashes for the next six months is a strategic move. “Or else it’ll only divide the audience in the theatres, when many are still running with 50% occupancy,” asserts expert Atul Mohan.

But sharing a different view, trade expert Joginder Tuteja opines, “I don’t think anyone with ₹50 crore stuck will want to wait.”

Director Anees Bazmee agrees and says, “Normally, clashes should be avoided, but people are desperate to release their films now. They will try to make the most of Diwali.”

Theatre owners are breathing a sigh of relief after months. Manoj Desai, executive director of Mumbai’s G7 Multiplex (Gaiety Galaxy) and Maratha Mandir, says, “We’re waiting to hear for the safety protocols, and raring to go.”

Announcements galore in Bollywood
While the release date for Sooryavanshi was announced on the same day when the news of theatres reopening came, yesterday, many directors announce their film releases. Ranveer Singh’s ’83 is set for a Christmas 2021 release and Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, which was originally slated to hit the theatres around Christmas, will now release around Valentine’s Day 2022. Shahid Kapoor’s Jersey will release on Dec 31. The release dates for four films from Aditya Chopra’s production house have also been declared. While Bunty Aur Babli 2 will release on November 19, 2021, Akshay Kumar’s Prithviraj is set for January 21, 2022. Jayeshbhai Jordar, starring Ranveer and Shamshera featuring Ranbir Kapoor will release on February 25 and March 18, 2022, respectively. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s film Tadap will be out on December 3 and Bachchan Pandey on March 4, 2022. Tiger Shroff’s Heropanti 2 releases on May 6, 2022.