Showing posts with label Naveen Chandra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Naveen Chandra. Show all posts
'Tatkal' cut could spoil the show for the film industry
9:25 AM
Move likely to affect multilingual releases, increase legal and operational uncertainty
Rajesh N Naidu & Javed Farooqui (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; June 13, 2026)
Mumbai: Film producers and distributors fear tighter release schedules and greater uncertainty after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting discontinued the Central Board of Film Certification’s ‘Tatkal’ or priority certification scheme.
The withdrawal of the fast-track system – which allowed filmmakers to get CBFC certification within 10-15 days by paying a premium – from June 1 could aggravate delays in film clearances, already worsened by the abolition of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) in 2021, industry executives said.
It could particularly affect multilingual releases, last-minute edits and films locked into fixed theatrical windows, while increasing legal and operational uncertainty for producers, they said.
“The impact will be felt most by independent producers and regional films, where production timelines are often compressed and release windows are highly competitive,” said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director at Karmic Films.
Executives said the absence of both FCAT and the Tatkal route could slow dispute resolution, forcing producers into prolonged litigation and making release schedules harder to predict.
The ministry had floated a public consultation in February proposing discontinuation of the priority scheme before formally withdrawing it from June 1 through the notification of the Cinematograph (Certification) Amendment Rules, 2026, on May 20.
Some regional producers and industry veterans welcomed the move, saying the priority system had long disproportionately benefited large studios and influential production houses, often disrupting release plans of smaller producers who finalise theatrical windows months in advance.
“Situation becomes chaotic when big producers release films without advance communication,” said Naveen Chandra, founder of 91 Film Studios. “This disturbs the release schedule of films which have been planned months in advance.”
He said the growing volume of films requiring certification had made the priority system increasingly difficult to sustain.
“India’s long-term average suggests that nearly 1,800 films are produced annually across languages, amounting to almost five films a day. Besides this, there are festival films in sizeable numbers,” Chandra said. “It is not possible to physically watch films on a Tatkal basis and remain objective.”
Distributors highlighted practical challenges in certifying big-budget films, noting that Indian filmmakers, including big directors, often re-shoot and work on visual effects until just days before a film’s release.
“Unlike in the West, where studios plan films well in advance, one hardly sees big directors presenting full films to CBFC one month prior to release,” said Shaaminder Malik, film distributor and trade analyst.
The ministry, while proposing discontinuation of the scheme, had argued that routine use had diluted its intended purpose and created a “two-tier certification system” where applicants with deeper pockets secured faster clearances.
Government data tabled in parliament showed CBFC-certified theatrical films rose to 2,687 in FY25 from 2,031 in FY22. The ministry said average certification timelines for feature films currently stand at 18 working days against the prescribed 48 working days under the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024.
Dhurandhar franchise re-writes film template as makers revise, review upcoming and existing films
9:47 AM
Experts laud director’s creative vision, unconventional filmmaking
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; March 26, 2026)
Mumbai: The pronounced and indisputable success of Dhurandhar franchise (original film’s worldwide collection: Rs. 1307.3 crore and sequel’s worldwide collection: Rs. 1006.5 crore, eight days) has set a new benchmark in filmmaking in in the Hindi film industry, triggering fresh discussions about revising, reviewing and doing away with old and verbose templates of filmmaking and focusing more on depth and authenticity than stardom, said producers, editors, trade analysts and distributors to ET.
“The Dhurandhar franchise is not a project put together by funding people. It is a triumph of a firm conviction and uncompromising intent of a director in achieving his personal creative vision. It has made mass cinema into event cinema and proved indisputably the importance of a director,” explained producer Rajesh R Nair.
“In recent years, a director’s role has been relegated to mere executor of scenes. This explains the intent of the makers. But the Dhurandhar franchise clearly scores well on intent as it breaks most established conventions of filmmaking,” he added.
Among the various departments, the film’s editing has set a new benchmark, shared editors. “After a long time, I have seen a film where a film’s editing is so clean. There are no loose ends. Necessary shots are preferred to good shots,” said Vaibhav Desai, a veteran editor.
“Using quick-cut transitions, events unfold rather than characters discussing how those events will unfold. This makes almost every scene engaging and pacy. So, the audience does not feel the film’s length,” he added.
Editors cite the quick-cut transition used in the beginning of Dhurandhar The Revenge. The audience is not shown why Ranveer Singh’s character needs an AK47 assault rifle, they pointed out.
The film’s bold and innovative use of music has also been lauded by distributors. “This may be perhaps the first mainstream Hindi film where a director has been so bold in the use of music including background. So many times, the music used is so contrasting and incongruous to the sentiment and mood of a scene,” noted distributor Shaaminder Malik.
“For instance, the use of the song Hum Pyaar Karne Waaley from the film Dil in the scene where Ranveer Singh’s character is abducted and produced before senior intelligence officers may seem risky. But it is the director’s conviction. Also, the use of original and vintage music has connected multi-generational viewers,” he added.
Even the film’s storytelling structure has been appreciated by producers. “The chapter-based narrative structure in the Dhurandhar franchise enhances its engagement and recall. This aids the film’s pacing. Also, it is in line with global viewing sensibilities of episodic storytelling,” explained Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films.
Producers also acknowledged the depth in the film’s writing and clever use of contemporary history which matches the popular narrative.
“In the Dhurandhar franchise, even fictitious characters look real. There is authenticity in the presentation. There is also brilliant use of contemporary history to build a wonderful narrative of India’s resurgence in the films, which is lapped up by audiences,” shared producer Naveen Chandra.
Lastly, the film has also set a new benchmark in seamlessly blending genres without any special track for any one genre, observed producers.
“There are five genres in the Dhurandhar franchise: romance, patriotism, gangster, suspense and thriller. They blend seamlessly well without any genre overpowering This is an exception especially in Hindi films,” observed producer Ameya Naik.
After Bollywood, correction phase begins for Southern films as streamers slash film acquisition price by 50-60%
9:28 AM
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; December 8, 2025)
The correction in film acquisition prices that began in Bollywood has now hit the southern industries, with streaming platforms in the past two to three months slashing acquisition prices for mid-budget rooted films by 50–60% and cutting their monthly buying quotas across all four southern languages, according to syndicate content dealmakers, producers, entertainment analysts and independent streaming consultants who spoke to ET.
One of the key reasons for this correction phase in the film acquisition price is the increasing practice of southern producers to over quote or present inflated film budgets to streaming platforms.
“Producers of mid-budget southern films had been selling digital rights to streamers by over quoting their film budgets and pitting one platform against another even during the shooting period. But in the past two to three months, things have changed. Streaming platforms have reduced their acquisition price of mid-sized southern films by 50-60%,” shared Arun Kumar, a Chennai-based content deal syndicator who works across streaming platforms and TV channels.
Trade analysts based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu pointed out that streaming platforms are recalibrating their film acquisition price of even big stars or A-list actors.
“Streamers earlier paid Rs 100–120 crore for an A-list southern star’s film, but in the past few months even big-star titles are selling for just Rs 50–60 crore,” said Ramesh Bala, a Chennai-based entertainment analyst.
Poor performance of mid-budget regional films is another factor which has led to recalibration of film acquisition price.
“Increasingly, many mid-budget southern films are failing at the box office, and streamers have seen that these titles also don’t perform on their platforms or bring in incremental subscribers,” said Shrirang Nargund, an independent consultant specialising in the streaming business.
Mid-budget films such as Identity (Malayalam), Robinhood (Telugu), Ekka (Kannada) and Gangers (Tamil) released in 2025 have failed to work at the box office. A mid-budget southern film is made in a budget range of Rs. 2.5 crore-Rs. 30 crore. Given this, streamers have reduced their film-buying quota.
“Today, streamers are buying one film from each of the four languages in a month from four from each language earlier,” shared sector analyst Ramesh Bala from Chennai.
Increasing focus of streamers on originals has also led to correction in film acquisition price.
Recently, one of the largest streamers in India, Netflix, set up an office in Hyderabad for post-production works of its regional and global films.
At present, the total OTT non-sports content budget in India is estimated to be close to Rs. 6000 crore of which 50% is for originals. In the originals budget, the share of regional originals is estimated to rise to 50% from 35-40% at present.
“Yes, like Bollywood, a correction phase has begun for southern films. Earlier streamers paid a huge price. A realistic picture has developed recently. It is a demand-supply dynamics. So, instead of buying a large film, streamers may buy four mid-films at realistic prices,” explained Naveen Chandra, founder, 91 Film Studios, a studio that produces and distributes regional films.
Streamers are also shifting focus to other assets, particularly sports, resulting in a relatively lower emphasis on acquiring mid-budget southern films.
Southern films struggle in Hindi; poor marketing, weak stories to blame
9:34 AM
Dubbed regional films struggle to find success in the Hindi belt over the past six months, despite attempts to broaden their appeal
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; June 9, 2025)
An increasing number of southern language films dubbed in Hindi have failed to attract a favourable response in the past six months, thanks to limited or no marketing, lack of stories containing universal values and stylish larger-than-life characters, a small four-week window in theatres, and ineffective branding through the deliberate casting of prominent actors from across India.
The recent washout performance of the Hindi-dubbed version of the Tamil film Thug Life points is the latest example.
According to box office research firm Sacnilk, Thug Life collected 1.2 crore in Hindi over the past three days, while the Tamil version earned 26.08 crore in the same period. Apart from Thug Life, dubbed Hindi films such as Retro, HIT: The Third Case and Kanguva have not worked.
Producers believe that the increasing tendency among southern filmmakers to promote films as pan-India offerings is a key reason for their failure.
"A pan-India film is a myth. Deliberately casting actors from different states does not make a southern film pan-India. The Hindi belt audience just wants a good, entertaining film. A good film dubbed in as many languages as you want will work," said Naveen Chandra, founder and CEO of 91 Film Studios, a studio that produces, finances, and distributes regional films.
He cites 'Pushpa 2' and 'Kalki 2898 AD' as examples of films that found a strong audience in the Hindi belt. "In Pushpa 2 – The Rule, the story has not progressed at all. The cop has not caught the criminal. There is a continuous chase. Yet, the film has worked. This is because almost every scene in the film is entertaining. And the Hindi belt audience has loved it," said Chandra.
Pushpa 2 – The Rule was released in December last year. It collected Rs 812 crore in the dubbed Hindi version alone-much higher than the film's collection in its original Telugu, which was Rs 341.4 crore.
Another reason Hindi-dubbed versions are failing at the box office is their storytelling. "The Hindi belt audience is not interested in stars. They are interested in stories that contain universal values, stylish larger-than-life characters, and a high dose of escapism. Of late, however, southern films have been more realistic, with little escapism. Hence, they are not travelling beyond their home states," said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade analyst.
According to a report by media and entertainment research firm Ormax Media, in 2024, dubbed Hindi films contributed 31% to the total Hindi box office, highlighting the dominance of southern films. But this contribution is likely to drop in 2025.
Limited marketing and promotion, along with a four-week theatrical window, have also contributed to the failure of Hindi-dubbed films. "Of late, a dubbed Hindi film is either not marketed or not well enough. Audiences in the Hindi belt are not aware of these films. Importantly, most southern films stay in theatres for only four weeks before being released to streamers. So, the potential of these films is not fully exploited by Hindi belt audiences," said Suniel Wadhwa, a veteran film distributor.
Bollywood producers go regional to beat box office blues
10:06 AM
Faster turnaround time, lower costs, easy IP creations draw big brands to regional films as Hindi box-office lags
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; March 18, 2025)
Mumbai: Prominent Hindi film studios are moving into making regional language films as they look to break the dry spell caused by funding constraints, high costs and low confidence in starting fresh films. In the last one month, Dharma Productions, Luv Films, Baweja Studios, and Junglee Pictures are among the production houses that have announced films in Punjabi, Marathi, Tamil and Malayalam.
Dharma Productions announced a Punjabi film 'Akaal' with actor Gippy Grewal, while Junglee Pictures announced its Malayalam foray with the film 'Ronth' (night patrol).
"The Hindi film industry is in a flux. Big films and stars are unable to draw audiences to theatres. It will take at least twelve to fifteen months to deal with these challenges," said Naveen Chandra, founder and CEO of 91 Film Studios, a production house that makes, finances and distributes regional films.
"In the interim period, Hindi film production houses are experimenting with a few regional films."
After Covid, repeated failures of big-budget Hindi films have forced the industry to reassess. Similar challenges persisted even for mid-sized Hindi films as audience's interest in these films waned.
A key parameter which works in favour of regional film is the turnaround time. "The turnaround time for regional films is faster than mid-sized Hindi films," said Chandra. "Generally, it takes 8-12 months to make a regional film, whereas a mid-sized Hindi film takes 1-2 years."
In recent years, mid-sized Hindi films have been taking longer to complete production as actors associated with them are committed to web series, endorsements and events, too. Due to this, producers said, these actors have not reduced their remuneration even after their films have failed in the box-office, making the economics of mid-budget films unfavourable. As per producers, regional films are a more viable proposition. A regional film can be made for Rs. 2.5-15 crore, whereas a mid-sized Hindi film would require Rs. 15-30 crore. Also, regional films require a considerably low investment of Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 2 crore for promotion and advertising. For mid-sized Hindi films, this would be Rs. 5-15 crore.
Performance of regional films in recent years has also been encouraging, thanks to their engaging and rooted-in-culture stories. According to media and entertainment research firm Ormax Media, in the January-February 2025 period, regional films accounted for 52% of the total box office of Indian films, while Hindi films accounted for 45%.
Producer Anand Pandit, known for regional films in Marathi and Gujarati, said, "Today, viewers have a greater connection with regional films, as these films are largely based on original stories. A Hindi film which does an average business has an occupancy rate of 10-15% in theatres. But a regional film which does an average business has an occupancy rate of more than 25%."
Another aspect which works in favour of regional films is intellectual property (IP). Producers shared that it is easier to create IP in regional films given their sharp and defined demographics.
Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director of Karmic Films, said, "A prominent Hindi production house enhances the production value of a regional film. But recovery of investments (sale of satellite and digital rights) will depend purely on the quality of storytelling and unique content."
Old Hindi movies earn big bucks as Gen-Z buys into the cult craze
9:39 AM
Exhibitors re-releasing older titles which are outperforming some fresh releases & earning better than initial runs
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; February 17, 2025)
Indian exhibitors are cashing in on re-releasing Hindi films, with older titles like Tumbbad (2018) and Sanam Teri Kasam (2016) outperforming some fresh theatrical releases and eclipsing their original box-office performances, industry data shows.
Once-dormant films, many of which didn't perform during initial runs, are drawing robust audiences - particularly Gen-Z viewers - on streaming platforms, TV and in theatres. Sanam Teri Kasam raked in nearly Rs. 28 crore in eight days during its re-release, beating competition from three new films: rom-com Loveyapa, action thriller Sky Force, and historical drama Chhaava.
Exhibitors' move of re-releasing Hindi films with a cult following or strong viewership on television and streaming platforms is proving successful, as these films have outperformed their original runs and held ground against new releases, yielding significant returns.
Given the strong response, analysts predict that Sanam Teri Kasam will maintain its box-office momentum and easily surpass Rs. 50 crore in the coming days, a significant jump from its original Rs. 9.11 crore collection at release.
Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director of Karmic Films, said, "Today, re-releases are not just about filling a gap in the absence of fresh big-budget films. The catalog is carefully planned, selecting films that have gained a cult following or strong viewership on social media platforms, streaming services, and television."
"Additionally, affordable tickets, nostalgia, and great music are driving footfalls. A large number of Gen-Z audiences want to experience re-watching films in theaters. There are also those who are flocking to theaters for fear of missing out on an experience their peers are having," he added.
Producers also attribute the success of re-releases to two critical factors. One is that these films, which were largely mid- and small-budget, did not receive adequate screens in theaters at the time of their original release, which they are now getting. The other critical factor is that films appealing to the younger generation are rarely made today.
Naveen Chandra, founder of 91 Film Studios, a company that produces, finances, and distributes regional films, said, "Today, high-dopamine and high-adrenaline rush films have found huge acceptance. Chhaava, which is a terrific film, is another example of a high-adrenaline rush and high-dopamine film released on Valentine's Day. So, where are the films that appeal to young audiences and their tastes?"
He added, "These films are available on streaming platforms and television channels, yet the younger generation is coming to theaters largely because such films are not made today."
Increasingly, a large number of highly aggressive action films have dominated the box office in recent years. Films such as Animal (2023), Kill (2024), and Marco (2024), which feature high levels of gore, are a few examples. In this context, it has been observed that a significant segment of the younger audience is discovering and enjoying romantic films in regional languages. For multiplexes, these re-releases make strong business sense, as reflected in increased footfalls and spending.
Devang Sampat, managing director at Cinepolis India, said, "The transaction size, which is the number of people coming to theaters and spending, for a fresh film is generally 2.5. But for re-releases, it is four. This shows the difference."
He added, "We keep asking young audiences on social media platforms about old films they want to watch and plan our schedule accordingly."
The latest re-release exhibitors plan to screen is Andaz Apna Apna (1994)-a cult comedy that did not perform well during its original release. It is set to re-release in April.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)