Just three days before its release, actor Ajay Devgn’s Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha was pushed to a later date. As rumours go, the makers decided to move it due to the release of Kalki 2898 AD. This isn’t the first time that such a decision was taken and experts weigh in on the repercussions.

Marketing a film can make or break a film and Varun Gupta, head of Max Marketing, who also handled Kalki 2898 AD, which had a date change, says, “I remember with Jersey (2022), the makers realized they will clash with KGF - Chapter 2 (2022), which had a lot of advance booking. I think the same happened with Auron Mein... They didn’t think Kalki 2898 AD would have such a craze in the North. For Adipurush (2023), there was overestimation and no films were released two weeks hence.”

Further, Gupta adds, “With Pushpa 2 - The Rule, two songs are out, but they are lyrical, and the teaser doesn’t tell the story, either. The problem occurs when the makers’ don’t have new assets to create a buzz during the new date.”

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh is all praise for Auron Mein... makers for opting out of the clash and says, “Postponing a film impacts the finance as interest mounts. It would’ve been immature to be stuck on, ‘Hum toh issi date pe aayenge’, knowing Kalki 2898 AD was a storm.”

When a big-budget film is postponed, it messes with the entire year’s release calendar. Amit Sharma, Managing Director of Miraj Cinemas, tells us, “Pushpa 2 - The Rule was slated for August 15, but the date change turned the entire calendar upside down. Release of small and mid-budget films are majorly affected as they look for the right time to come out to grab more eyeballs.”

There are several factors that play a part in creating buzz around a film — media interviews, social media collaborations and on-ground promotions, where actors visit colleges, shopping malls, restaurants, etc, around the country — that are slated in advance. Danny Singh handles film promotions in North India and calls this a “big issue”.

“If a film gets pushed by 15 days to two months, it’s tough to reorganize interviews. It’s not producers, but people like me who are affected when events are cancelled. They don’t spend on actors’ trips to different cities; Hotels, colleges, malls, etc, pump in money in return for the actors’ visit.”

In the past, Singh has faced legal entanglements when actors have postponed or cancelled an event. He rues, “Colleges and event sponsors have sued us for the same. Stars also cancel at the last minute and the production house simply says, ‘Artist ka mood nahi hai’.”

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In India, as a programmer, there are atleast 40 movie titles that we handle a week. It made sense to push Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, with Kalki 2898AD already doing well. It is a logistical issue.

- Devang Sampat, Managing Director, Cinepolis India