From films managing to lure audiences back to cinemas to new ticket pricing strategies, the year has been eventful for the Hindi film industry. With everything falling in place, makers are not taking any chances, even with release dates. In the past two months, several films have pushed their releases — be it for a “great end product” or due to the domino effect of one big-ticket project getting postponed .

Take, for instance, the Ranbir Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna-starrer Animal, whose release was recently pushed from August 11 to December 1. Murad Khetani, co-producer, tells us, “We want to give a great end product to the audience and don’t want to take away from our director’s eventual vision.” 

However, Fukrey 3 and Meghna Gulzar’s Sam Bahadur are also slated to release on the same date. And Ronnie Screwvala, producer of the latter, is in no mood to push it. “Our date was already announced. It’s the content that works today, not just the Friday opening,” he shares.

Experts help us decode the constant reshuffling and its long-term impact on other films, too.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh predicts more shifts in releases due to Animal getting postponed: “Whenever a big film gets pushed, like Adipurush from January to June, and now Jawan, other releases in the month get automatically shifted.”

Khetani adds that filmmakers’ pursuit for a certain standard of product has also impacted these decisions. “Makers have to get the film ready with a certain standard in terms of VFX, sound or post-production. Hence, a lot of dates have been moved,” he explains.

A multiplex representative, without wishing to be named, shares his optimism: “It means audiences get to enjoy a wider range of movies over a longer period of time.”

But Manoj Desai, executive director, G7 Multiplex and Maratha Mandir cinema, feels otherwise: “We don’t have other films to screen when something gets postponed.”

Original Date: June 2

New Date: September 7

Original Date: august 11

New Date: December 1

Original Date: November 24

New Date: December 1

Original Date: July 7

New Date: august 25

Original Date: July 7

New Date: December 15