On September 23, cinemas celebrated India’s first-ever National Cinema Day in multiple states, with many theatres lowering their ticket prices to Rs. 75. With houseful boards back at several cinemas and people even watching movies back-to-back through the day, it was evident that lower prices can bring the audience back to theatres. As a result, cinemas are now discussing the need to reassess the current ticket pricing model. Several also offered movie tickets for a special festive price of Rs. 100 last Monday till Thursday, and many are planning to experiment with an affordable price model in the long run to sustain this momentum.

However, based on their learnings over the past two weeks, stakeholders say that while there will be “no uniform lower ticket price”, they are planning to offer discounts and promotional prices on a per-movie basis. Here’s more:

According to Rajender Singh Jyala, Chief Programming Officer, INOX Leisure Ltd, “Even though we are still in the experimental phase, we have observed that last week’s footfall was higher than normal pricing days, but it wasn’t the same as National Cinema Day. The reason is that National Cinema Day was just one day, and so people didn’t want to miss it. When the promotional offer was spread out over five days, they must have thought, ‘if not today, then we can watch the film some other day’.”

Kunal Sawhney, COO, Moviemax also said during a recent discussion in Mumbai that keeping uniform lower prices is definitely not the way ahead, based on their observations from south India, where film ticket prices fall in the Rs. 100-200 slab on all days. He said, “A film’s ticket price can be fixed depending on the experience that film is providing. The right product has to be given at the right price.”

Regular, popular, blockbuster and mega blockbuster – prices are often decided on the basis of which category a movie falls in. Recently, for example, while Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan: I’s ticket prices fell in the regular category, Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan-starrer Vikram Vedha’s ticket prices were revised from the blockbuster to regular category.

For releases like the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Goodbye, some cinemas lowered ticket prices on Friday, while for Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam 2, moviegoers got a 50% discount on advance bookings for a day. Jyala says, “In discussion with the makers, cinemas will keep offering lower rates on specific days for films or will roll out promotional offers.”

Kamal Gianchandani, President, Multiplex Association of India (MAI), told us, “There is a lot of experimentation being done by various cinema operators at this point. Disney, Dharma, and other studios, who have films playing in theatres, have been very supportive in this regard. We are constantly listening to our customers and other stakeholders in the business. We have always taken ticket pricing and other similar decisions keeping the interest of consumers and all stakeholders in mind. We will continue to do so in the future.”

After more than one-and-a-half years, a slew of big-ticket films are lined up for release during the festive season. Speculations are rife that Shahid Kapoor-starrer Jersey will clash with Marvel’s Eternals at the box office on Diwali. Tamil action-drama Annatthe starring Rajinikanth and Telugu movie Ghani featuring Varun Tej are also slated for a Diwali release. Besides these, Mahesh Babu’s Sarkaru Vaari Paata, Prabhas’ bilingual Radhe Shyam and Pawan Kalyan’s Bheemla Nayak are scheduled for Sankranthi on January 14, 2022.

“We’re expecting the films to run with 100% occupancy,” says Rajender Singh Jyala, chief programming officer, Inox Leisure Limited. He adds, “Clashes are bound to happen now that the release of a bevy of films is pending. We’ve a sufficient number of screens to accommodate multiple releases. So, footfalls won’t be affected.”

The audience turnout in multiplexes will be huge during festival periods, believes trade analyst Taran Adarsh. “Christmas is followed by the New Year and that makes for a long holiday period. So, two films can easily be accommodated. But Hollywood and regional films will pose a threat to Hindi films as both these industries have a pan-India appeal, especially Tollywood. Also, they are big in terms of scale and production,” he says.

According to Kunal Sawhney, chief operating officer, Carnival Cinemas, the upcoming months will bring good news. “Once Hindi films start releasing, we’re hopeful that people will come back to the theatres. The star-studded films that are releasing during festival periods are expected to garner Rs. 200-300 crore if the 50% occupancy clause changes to 100%,” he says.

Producer-trade analyst Girish Johar expects to witness “a box office upswing” during festivals. He opines that the upcoming releases are a testament to film production fraternities’ faith on the big screen: “Producers need big screens as a big chunk of revenue comes from there. And I don’t think these clashes are a threat. In a particular window, if we have two big films, they’ll cater to two different sets of audiences.”

Theatres are just about getting back on their feet, but they are in no mood to accept a two-week gap between the OTT and big screen release of actor Kangana Ranaut’s Thalaivii. While Telugu and Tamil versions of the film have a four-week window before they release on OTT, the Hindi version does not. And this decision of the multiplexes hasn’t gone down too well with Ranaut, who even took to social media to share her angst.

The industry, however, seems divided over the matter. While multiplex owners say a two-week gap won’t do them much good, trade analysts believe makers are not wrong about their decision.

Trade analyst Komal Nahta says, “Producers are right. The film sells 20-25% more (depending on many factors) if they release it sooner on OTT. In two weeks, they’ll get more than what they will in four weeks. Theatre owners, on the other hand, have signed four-week window agreements with big production houses, they can’t jeopardise that.”

Echoing this sentiment, trade analyst Atul Mohan points out that no film makes money beyond two weeks. “It’s the first weekend, first week and next weekend that matter. Makers could have taken a direct-to-OTT release, but they are still releasing in theatres to help them out. Of course, multiplexes feel why will anyone come to watch if they know it will release online in two weeks. But, how many people have access to OTT platforms in tier I and II cities?” he reasons.

But, multiplex owners insist a two-week gap is not profitable. “It is important to respect the window theatres get. Before Coronavirus, it was eight weeks. It’s been reduced to four weeks till the time the industry settles. We want to play the Hindi version of the film, as we know the audience is also waiting for it. But, we cannot accept the two-week window. We will play the Tamil and Telugu versions in theatres till this is resolved,” says Devang Sampat, CEO, Cinepolis India.

This issue is being discussed at length as it’s about more than just this film, opines Kunal Sawhney, COO, Carnival Cinemas. “Once you allow a two-week window for one film, it’ll happen for others as well. We want to bring films to cinemas, but we need to safeguard ourselves as well,” he reasons, adding, “We have not decided if we will play it or not, as of now.”

Akshay Kumar did the heavy-lifting by releasing Bellbottom in theatres, thus taking the lead in reviving the exhibition sector. Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi says that the thriller had all the makings of a blockbuster had it not been for the theatre shutdown in Maharashtra. “As a market, Maharashtra contributes significantly to the collections. Bellbottom’s motive was to give movie halls [a boost], and it has delivered successfully on that count,” he says.

However, Rathi notes that the jumpstart provided by a single release is not enough to salvage the exhibition sector’s losses that have been mounting since the second lockdown in April. Especially when the state government continues to play the waiting game as far as the reopening of cinemas is concerned.

“Two [big] markets are shut — Kerala and Maharashtra. The first [is reasonable] given the high cases in the state. But in Maharashtra, restaurants, schools, and local trains have reopened. Cinema owners are feeling singled out. One can’t dismiss the feeling that the state government has no interest in the entertainment sector,” he emphasises.

Manoj Desai, executive director, G7 Cinemas, rues that the community is reeling under the pressure of property taxes and lack of rebates. “It has been so long that our shutters have been downed. We are facing huge losses.”

Encouraged by the brave step taken by the Bell Bottom team, Amitabh Bachchan’s Chehre and Kangana Ranaut’s Thalaivii have queued up for a big-screen release. Kunal Sawhney, senior vice president, operations, Carnival Cinemas, is hopeful that movie halls in the state will be up and running next week. “Many movies are lined up, but the makers have not confirmed because theatre occupancy pan-India is restricted to 50 per cent, and Maharashtra theatres are not [operational]. If the state government gives a green signal, the official announcements will follow.”

On Tuesday, Akshay Kumar announced that his spy thriller, 'Bellbottom', will have a big-screen release on July 27. The announcement came amid trade buzz that theatres across the country may soon throw their doors open. While the Punjab government has allowed cinemas to operate at 50 per cent capacity from June 15, it is heard that other states may follow suit by July 1. 

Amit Sharma, MD, Miraj Entertainment, breaks it down, stating, “In Maharashtra, districts on Level 2 can have theatres functioning at 50 per cent occupancy. So, we’ve procured permission to reopen cinemas in Chandrapur and Vasai. Unless we go to Level 1, we can’t get 100 per cent occupancy.” 

Kunal Sawhney, senior vice president, operations, Carnival Cinemas, says that exhibitors and filmmakers are hoping that movie halls will be up and running latest by July 15. “We heard that Telangana might reopen theatres soon. On our part, we have begun the sanitisation process and getting our cinemas [in order].”

This has created a flurry of activity in Bollywood as makers are quickly lining up releases that have been awaiting their turn at the marquee over the past six to 10 months. While Kumar is leading from the front with 'Bellbottom', trade analyst Komal Nahta says, “People were expecting the announcement of 'Sooryavanshi'’s [release]. The makers are perhaps waiting for every state to open completely before making an announcement.”

In all likelihood, John Abraham will follow the superstar as his 'Attack' will hit screens over the Independence Day weekend. An insider reveals, “While John’s Eid release 'Satyameva Jayate 2' had to be deferred, 'Attack' will meet its August 13 release. The exhibitors want to give 'Sooryavanshi' and '83' their due for standing by them through 2020. It is possible that the cop caper will arrive in October, followed by Ranveer Singh’s cricket drama in November.”

Yash Raj Films, a staunch supporter of the exhibitors’ community, has four movies in the pipeline. “They will get into action by September with the 'Bunty Aur Babli 2', followed by 'Shamshera', 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar', and finally 'Prithviraj',” adds the source.

On Tuesday, the Gujarat government announced a complete waiver of property tax for the owners of multiplexes, cinema halls and gyms from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. Trade and exhibitor Akshaye Rathi informs that encouraged by the move, members of Multiplex Association of India (MAOI) met Balasaheb Thorat, Maharashtra’s revenue minister, on Wednesday to urge that a similar relief be provided to the cinema owners in the state.   

“We hope that the Maharashtra government will follow suit. The state contributes close to 30 per cent of the national box-office revenue. The sector needs to be protected by the state government. Besides exemption from property tax, they should charge us for electricity as per industry rates and not commercial rates. Additionally, the renewal of cinema license shouldn’t be charged [this year], or the license should be extended,” says Rathi as the exhibition sector reels under the second lockdown.

In the 15 months since the first lockdown was imposed, cinemas in Maharashtra have been operational only for five months — from November 2020 to April 4, 2021 — with losses running into hundreds of crores. With the state gradually easing the lockdown restrictions, Rathi says that movie halls may be operational only by August.   

Kunal Sawhney, senior vice president, Carnival Cinemas, says the meeting with Thorat comes months after the stakeholders had a virtual meeting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. “The MAOI also discussed the electricity charges levied on us. The minimum charge is close to 20 per cent of our expenses. When we had met Uddhav Thackeray on video call, he was positive in his approach. I am confident the recent dialogue will give us a breather,” he says.

In 2020, when Gulabo Sitabo became the first Bollywood film to bypass a theatrical run for a digital premiere, exhibitors and distributors across the country were enraged, with a leading multiplex chain warning of “retributive measures”. A year and two severe waves of Coronavirus pandemic later, trade analysts and exhibitors seem to have softened their stance.

With Vidya Balan’s Sherni becoming the latest film to be OTT-bound, exhibitors are viewing the digital route as a favourable option that keeps the wheels of the business turning.

Vishek Chauhan, who owns cinemas in Bihar, explains, “What’s the point of holding on to films? Sooryavanshi’s trailer was released in March 2020. We are in May 2021, and the film is beginning to get dated. I’d be okay if the makers decided to go the OTT way. We can only hope that theatres will be functional, like before, by Diwali this year. Akshay [Kumar] has completed Bellbottom, Prithviraj and Raksha Bandhan [which can enjoy theatrical run if things improve].”

Chauhan emphasises that survival of the primary stakeholders — which consists of directors and producers — is the need of the hour. “The industry is reeling under economic strain. For the cash flow to continue, if makers decide to give their film to an OTT platform, it is understandable. The money that they make off the OTT release will be pumped back into making their next film, which will open in theatres.”

Rumours are rife that Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s Hungama 2 and Saif Ali Khan-starrer Bhoot Police are also considering taking the web route. Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi, who has a chain of cinemas in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, says the move will help movie halls in the long run. “There is no doubt that theatres will be back with a bang. But the big question is when will things settle, leaving people comfortable to go back to halls. In the current scenario, every business in the entertainment sector is only trying to survive — be it us or the producers. I hope that whenever cinemas open, there is enough content to have them up and running.”

However, a section of multiplex owners are standing their ground. Kunal Sawhney, senior vice president, operations, Carnival Cinemas, says, “I wouldn’t want a movie to release on an OTT platform, but it also depends on the amount the producers have invested and their holding capacity. That said, the big movies haven’t been appreciated on OTT. From Laxmmi to Radhe, these films wouldn’t have fared as badly in movie halls because there are viewers who like the community-viewing experience [more than the film itself].”

Theatres in Mumbai pulled their curtains down even before Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray imposed Section 144 in the state. The lockdown in 2020 badly hit the film exhibition sector. With the rise in Coronavirus numbers again triggering severe restrictions, the question before exhibitors is, ‘Will theatres be able to survive another lockdown?’

Akshaye Rathi, director, Aashirwad Theatres Pvt Ltd, says, “I’m pretty sure the exhibition sector, in general, will survive this crisis. But there will be a lot of collateral damage.” He emphasises the importance of measures such as waiving off of property tax during the period of the closure and deduction of electricity cost. Even with night curfews and weekend lockdowns in Delhi, Kunal Sawhney, senior VP, Carnival Cinemas, says, “It won’t be as tough as last year where we weren’t prepared. Now, we know how to cut expenses.”

But restrictions in Maharashtra are affecting the pan-India theatre business. “Maharashtra is the biggest territory for Hindi films. Now that theatres across the state are shut, 30% of the revenue will be chopped off. For a film to perform well, it’s necessary for theatres in Maharashtra to function properly,” says Rajkumar Mehrotra, GM, Delite Cinema (Delhi). Echoing the sentiment, Satadeep Saha, director, SSR Cinemas Pvt Ltd (West Bengal) says, “Bollywood films aren’t releasing now. It’s important for the entire country that Maharashtra gets a clean chit and the market reopens.”

“With theatres in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh closed, which is approx 40% revenues generated by Bollywood movies, producers began postponing films starting from Chehre to Thalaivi and Sooryavanshi,” Sawhney says.

However, all is not lost. The success of South films like Master (2021), Vakeel Saab (2021), Krack (2021) among others have given hope. “The South market is open and that’s helping us in a way,” says Rajender Jyala, CPO, INOX Movies.

B H Basha, a distributor from Karnataka, believes that ‘rational steps and advertisements by government about a safe ecosystem inside the cinema halls’ is a fruitful measure to keep the audiences coming.

It is difficult to keep the wheels of the entertainment industry turning with several leading stars testing positive for Coronavirus over the past week, despite following the necessary precautions. The week began with khiladi Akshay Kumar announcing that he had contracted the virus. With the superstar hospitalised and almost 45 members in the crew testing positive, the shoot of Ram Setu has screeched to a halt. 

A source close to the Abhishek Sharma-directed project reveals that two sets had been erected at Madh Island and Film City in Goregaon. “Akshay had recently wrapped up the Madh Island stint with Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha, and was to begin the Film City leg this week. The makers have decided to keep the set standing until they resume shooting a fortnight later,” adds the source. Mr Lele is another project that derailed soon after it went on floors, with Vicky Kaushal and Bhumi Pednekar coming down with the infection on Monday.

Gangubai Kathiawadi’s long journey to its culmination continues. After filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali was in the clear in late March, the team resumed work on the biopic. A source reveals, “Now, the last schedule is suspended again with Alia Bhatt having contracted the virus.” On the upside, work on Prabhas’s Adipurush, Taapsee Pannu’s Shabaash Mithu and Amitabh Bachchan’s Goodbye is on in full swing. Kartik Aaryan, who has recovered from the illness, will resume work on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 later this week.

Bollywood will have to exercise more caution as Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray introduced additional on-set restrictions on Sunday. Birendra Nath Tiwari, Federation of Western India Cine Employees president, who was among those attending the virtual meeting with Thackeray, reveals that shoots can only be conducted during the weekdays. “Strict action will be taken against those filming over the weekend. Only indoor shoots are allowed, and filming of crowd scenes is barred,” says Tiwari.

The makers announced that Sooryavanshi, slated to hit screens on April 30, has been postponed again in the wake of the second round of theatre shutdown. The decision comes after director Rohit Shetty joined Thackeray’s virtual meeting with Marathi and Hindi film and TV producers on Sunday, where the latter discussed the way ahead for entertainment amid the rising cases in the state. Kunal Sawhney, senior VP Operations, Carnival Cinemas, says that movie halls are the worst hit by the new restrictions. “Cinemas have to remain shut till April 30. We had started seeing a jump in footfall with Mumbai Saga and Godzilla vs. Kong. We have requested the government to inform us 10 days in advance whether theatres can reopen after April 30 so that makers can plan their releases.”