Theatrical window — the period for which a film is exhibited in a theatre before its release on streaming platforms — has once again emerged as a point of friction between exhibitors and producers.

In Tamil Nadu, in the past few days, producers and exhibitors are on opposite sides about increasing the theatrical window of Tamil films to eight weeks from four. Consequently, producers have said that no new Tamil film will be released in theatres in Tamil Nadu from September 1. They also said film shootings and post-production works for existing films will stop from September 1.

But film trade analysts and industry veterans in the state are hopeful that an amicable solution is likely to emerge in the next week.

A consensus is steadily developing within the state that producers and exhibitors may agree for an eight-week theatrical window for new Tamil films that have not locked streaming deals, Chennai-based film trade analysts and industry veterans said.

"I am hopeful that this issue will be resolved. There are more than 30,000 daily film workers working in the state. So, there is a labour issue also. I am hoping that both parties agree to an eight-week window for fresh films which have not locked OTT deals," said Ramesh Bala, a Chennai-based entertainment sector analyst.

According to box office research firm Ormax Media, between January and July 2026, Tamil films contributed 13% to India’s box office collection.

In the past five years, southern film industries have been following a four-week theatrical window. In contrast with this, the theatrical window in the Hindi film industry has been eight weeks.

Of late, exhibitors in Tamil Nadu have been demanding assurance from producers to increase their theatrical window to eight weeks from four. They argued that their business was being impacted on two counts. One is a lower theatrical window reduces the business potential of a film to only four weeks. And the other is the pre-release streaming platforms deals of producers. Since audiences know before a film’s theatrical release its streaming release, they postpone their visit to theatres, exhibitors said.

But producers pointed out that increasing theatrical window impacts prices at which they sell digital rights to streamers. "A long theatrical window means streamers pay lower prices for films and producers lose money in the bargain," said film producer S R Prabhu. Producers have been recovering either full or a large part of their investments from the sale of digital rights of their films to streamers.

Producers also said exhibitors cannot guarantee them a full eight week run for films in theatres if their films do not perform well.

The discrepancy in the practice of theatrical window for southern and Hindi films has been another concern for producers who make pan-India films.

"The wider issue is that holdback periods are not uniform across languages. A pan-India film can end up with two different holdback windows. One is around 28 days for the original southern language. And the other is 56 days for the dubbed Hindi version under the understanding between the multiplex association and Hindi producer bodies," pointed out Anushree Rauta, equity partner, head, media & entertainment practice, at law firm ANM Global.

To deal with this challenge, producers skip the Hindi theatrical release entirely. So, they give up box office revenue to protect a streaming platform deal.

An industry veteran shared that in a meeting with exhibitors a proposal was made for making the eight-week rule effective from January 1, 2027, for films that begin production after that date. But the suggestion was rejected.

Just six months ago, Bollywood was staring at another uncertain year. Today, the mood is noticeably brighter. Driven by the record-smashing success of Dhurandhar The Revenge, strong performances from the war action film Border 2, followed by the horror comedy Bhooth Bangla, and now the sleeper hit Main Vaapas Aaunga, the Hindi film industry finally has something it has lacked for years: momentum.

Yet beneath the celebrations lies a reality check. While a handful of films have soared, many others have struggled to survive, making 2026 a story so far, one of spectacular highs and equally visible lows. As trade analyst Taran Adarsh puts it, "It has been a case of kam khushi zyada gham. We've had successes, but very few that you can count on your fingertips."

If the first half of 2026 proved anything, it is that Bollywood's audience has become more discerning than ever. Films that connected emotionally and generated strong word-of-mouth continued to grow beyond their opening weekend. Films that relied solely on star value found the road much tougher.

"The biggest trend in the first half of 2026 was the power of word-of-mouth," says trade analyst Ramesh Bala. "Films like Main Vaapas Aaunga, Border 2, Bhooth Bangla, and Dhurandhar The Revenge sustained because audiences connected with them."

Akkshay Rathie, Director - Ashirwad Theatres Pvt Ltd, adds, "To see Main Vaapas Aaunga open small but grow day by day purely on the merits of word-of-mouth is extremely encouraging.”

One of the clearest shifts this year has been the audience's appetite for fresh storytelling. "I don't think audiences are rewarding the repetition of a genre or style that has worked before. What people really appreciate is novelty and bravery from filmmakers. The repetition and herd mentality of trying to replicate success is something that we should put well behind us and we should have filmmakers staying true to their conviction to the stories that they really want to tell and to genres that come very naturally to them. And the more we see that happening, the more successful we'll be as an industry at the box office," says Rathi.

The biggest winner of the year was undoubtedly Dhurandhar The Revenge, which shattered box-office records and redefined the upper ceiling of Hindi cinema's theatrical potential.

Rathi shares, "One movie that really towers above every other movie in the last six months is of course Dhurandhar The Revenge. The box-office collections that we witnessed were truly historic. We realized that the glass ceiling we thought existed at the Rs. 500-600 crore benchmark has been shattered. The potential of the Hindi-speaking market is humongous."

He adds, "I hope more films attempt to build the intrinsic value that allows them to go closer to those numbers."

While the industry celebrates its winners, films like O'Romeo, which was highly anticipated due to the reunion of Kaminey duo Shahid Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj, and Chand Mera Dil starring Ananya Panday and Lakshya that looked promising didn’t quite shine at the box office.

While Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai may have recovered its budget, the film's poor reviews and underwhelming box office performance have left a lingering sense of disappointment. Do Deewane Seher Mein, won appreciation from critics and the audience, but the film couldn’t draw in the crowds. Ikkis, Ek Din and Pati Patni Aur Woh Do also failed to attract the kind of audience they were expected to.

"The gap between films that work and films that don't has become very evident," says Taran Adarsh. Ramesh Bala echoes the concern. "Audiences have become far more selective, making it difficult for average films to survive."

The industry now turns its attention to a packed second-half slate. From King and Toxic, Dhamaal 4 and Ramayana, the coming months are loaded with franchise titles, star vehicles and large-scale spectacles.

"With the kind of movies lined up in the second half, 2026 is well on its way to being an iconic year," says Rathi.

Bala adds, "If these films live up to expectations, the second half could be even stronger than the first."

Mumbai: A dispute between single-screen theatre owners and producers in Telangana over revenue sharing has exposed the growing financial stress in India’s theatrical business, with exhibitors saying weak box-office collections and rising operating costs have made the current fixed-rental model unsustainable.

The Telangana Exhibitors Association has instead proposed a percentage-based revenue-sharing model, which has received support from some producers while others have yet to formally communicate their acceptance.

“It is an existential crisis for single-screen theatre owners,” said Vishek Chauhan, CEO of Roopbani Cinema, a single-screen theatre in Bihar. “On the one hand, they pay a fixed fee to distributors irrespective of the performance of films. On the other hand, they do not have a say in the choice of films they want to showcase or even in the number of shows,” he explained.

“Exhibitors that are part of national chains have more favourable terms, as they follow the percentage model to the hilt,” Chauhan added.

India has close to 5,000 single screens, of which 70% are in South India, according to trade analysts. Telangana accounts for 10-11% of the single-screen capacity in South India.

In a fixed-fee business model, a single-screen theatre owner must pay a fixed amount to distributors irrespective of a film’s performance. Given the high fixed costs of running theatres and the uneven box-office performance of films, theatre owners are facing significant losses.

Trade analysts said the Telangana Exhibitors Association has proposed a staggered revenue-sharing model, offering distributors 60% of the box-office collections in the first week, 50% in the second and 40% in the third week of a film’s run.

In 2025, the Indian film industry shut 124 screens, mostly single screens, even as 225 screens were added mostly in multiplexes, according to the Ficci-EY 2026 Media and Entertainment report. “Industry discussions indicate that in Hindi-speaking states, some towns now open screens only for a few days a week or when there are major film releases,” it noted.

Meanwhile, producers are also under pressure from soaring star remunerations and fewer releases from top actors due to pan-India ambitions, industry analysts said.

“A key reason for weak box-office revenues in the Telugu and Kannada markets is the pan-India ambitions of stars and filmmakers in these industries,” said Ramesh Bala, a movie trade analyst based in Chennai. “As a result, stars have not only reduced the number of films they release each year but have also increased their fees. These developments have put producers in a vulnerable position.”

The FICCI-EY report noted that pan-India films will increase pressure on regional content to scale up in both narrative and production values. “Large-scale, multilingual releases are increasingly dominating screens, often compressing theatrical windows for mid-budget and regional-language films,” it said.

The gross box office of southern films fell to Rs. 6,000 crore in 2025 from Rs. 7,000 crore in 2024, according to the report.

Analysts said even though single-screen theatre owners have promised not to raise ticket prices, they are threatening to shut down if their proposal is not considered seriously.

Producers have also pointed to the timing of the proposal, which coincides with the release of the big-budget pan-India Telugu film Peddi early next month.

Mumbai: Mid-budget southern films lacking any established stars have not only been increasingly successful over the past two years but also generated superior return on investment (RoI) than high-budget superstar-led projects, marking a sharp shift toward content-driven productions.

This segment is emerging as a reliable business model, especially at a time when big-budget star-studded films are frequently delivering thin margins, said producers, film trade analysts and content deal syndicators.

Many films made within an estimated budget of Rs 10 crore – such as Little Hearts and Anaganaga Oka Raju (Telugu), Tourist Family and Youth (Tamil), Su From So and Love Mocktail 3 (Kannada) and Premalu, Kishkindha Kaandam and Vaazha - Biopic Of A Billion Boys (Malayalam) – generated box office collection of Rs 40-140 crore, said trade analysts.

For instance, the latest Malayalam sequel Vaazha 2 - Biopic Of A Billion Bros, has grossed Rs 100 crore on a budget of Rs 10 crore, indicating a staggering RoI of 900%.

“The biggest disruption in the southern cinema today is not scale but efficiency of returns. Mid-budget films made for less than Rs 10 crore are generating five to ten times returns,” said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director, Karmic Films. “This makes mid-budget films one of the most efficient and scalable opportunities for producers and distributors.”

Stars no longer guarantee business in southern films, with the result that the role of the script has become paramount for makers, according to analysts.

“Today, script is king. A bad film of a southern star loses the audience’s interest right after the morning or noon show through strong word-of-mouth communication on social media,” said Sreedhar Pillai, a veteran trade analyst.

“Historically, Malayalam cinema has always been known for non-star content-oriented films. But, today, we are seeing similar trends in other languages in the south too.”

The youth and family audiences have a large role to play in the success of the non-star films.

“Unlike star-studded films, these mid-budget films open slowly. But their collections grow so well organically that in the long run they beat even big-budget films in returns. Today’s youth—late teens to 34 years—is not awed by stars. Content—its novelty and freshness—drives the youth to theatres,” said Chennai-based entertainment sector analyst Ramesh Bala.

“Family audiences are drawn to these mid-budget films largely because they deal with highly relatable universal themes and values. Also, since the stakes are low, makers experiment a lot in these films by blending and innovating with genres through conviction-based storytelling," he added.

Bala cited the Tamil film Youth, for instance, which appealed both to the youth and family audiences. The film focuses on a school student’s journey to becoming a mature and responsible person.

Significantly, the rise of well-scripted mid-budget southern films can partly be attributed to streamers and broadcasters.

“Streamers and broadcasters have become selective in buying films. So, makers are focusing on good scripts which perform well in theatres and fetch them high valuations from streamers and broadcasters after their successful theatrical innings,” said Arun Kumar, a Chennai-based content deal syndicator.

Producers said they welcomed the success of mid-budget non-star films because it allowed them to invest effectively in stories and other cinematic elements, unlike in big-budget star-studded films, where much of the budget goes to actor fees.

Overseas distributors of Indian films are changing their business model to reduce risks of loss amid the West Asia war even as they continue to buy films from Indian producers, producers, overseas distributors and film trade analysts told ET.

"Broadly, business is still moving in the overseas markets including the Middle East, but the mood is more cautious rather than frozen," said Adi Tiwary, an Australia-based producer, consultant and a former international distribution partner.

To deal with the uncertainty in revenues, overseas distributors are increasingly opting for refundable advances, where the producer must repay the difference in case the film's net collection falls below the advance payment along with the distribution commission and expenses incurred in obtaining a film, experts said.

Historically, overseas distributors have been paying minimum guarantees (MGs), which are non-refundable, to producers to secure distribution rights for films expected to perform well in box-office.

They are also becoming more selective in buying films to deal with the uncertainty.

"Overseas distributors are focusing on films which do not have nationalist themes as they appeal to larger audiences," said a distributor requesting anonymity.

The Gulf countries, which are among the most impacted in the ongoing war, contribute 15-20% to the total overseas collections of most Hindi films, trade analysts said. But the share is at least 10% higher for most southern films, making them more vulnerable.

In fact, Malayalam films derive over 80% of their international business from the region, producers said. "Many South Indian films are pre-sold overseas on minimum guarantee deals. If uncertainty sustains in the Middle East, then distributors may push for refundable advances than MGs for upcoming southern films," said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director at Karmic Films.

However, there is no change in release schedule for southern films, experts said.

"I think producers and overseas distributors are ready to take a hit," said Chennai-based entertainment sector analyst Ramesh Bala.

Trade analysts said overseas distributors are now increasing focus on markets other than West Asia. "This is a sound strategy to make up for potential revenue losses from the Middle east region," said Girish Johar, producer and industry expert.

Also, distributors can release films in West Asia much later than other territories, a veteran distributor noted.

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.

Festival releases often translate into a box-office clash. With Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari and Kantara: Chapter 1, however, the war has begun even before they hit the theatres on October 2. The two releases are engaged in a screen war, which started when the distributors of the Rishab Shetty-starrer asked that the mythological action drama be allotted all single-screen theatres across the country and a dominant share of prime shows in multiplexes. This sparked a backlash from the makers of Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, who have now insisted on equal screen division across key territories.

Even as the two movies’ advance booking has opened, exhibitors fear being the worst hit as they will end up disappointing at least one major distributor no matter what they decide. Single-screen owners, especially in Tier-2 and -3 towns, are said to be under intense pressure from each party to increase the respective film’s shows.

The ongoing clash has left the trade on edge. Delhi-based screen owner Gurmeet Seble told mid-day, “Such clashes hurt everyone — producers, exhibitors, and sometimes even the audience, who may find their choice of film unavailable at their nearest theatre.”

Ramesh Bala, a leading trade analyst, noted that while Kantara: Chapter 1 is expected to dominate screens in South India, the Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor-starrer will benefit in the northern region. 

“In the past, Kantara commanded the maximum share of screens in the South. In the North, the division of screens depends on advance bookings, with multiplex chains adjusting their show counts closer to release based on early demand. Dharma Productions has influence in the North, especially in multiplex circuits. That gives Sunny Sanskari... a negotiating edge in those markets,” he analysed.

Bala pointed out that the two films belong to different genres, and hence, will target different sections of the audience. “A middle ground will have to be found before the release weekend. By the Monday after the release, word-of-mouth will decide the hold.”

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh revealed that there isn’t a neat 50-50 division across Mumbai screens. “In most multiplexes here, Kantara is getting more screens. The buzz is based on the euphoria of the last part [Kantara, 2022]. Sunny Sanskari... is a happy family film with a wedding backdrop and will pull crowds in the North sector.”

On May 4, US President Donald Trump announced a 100 per cent tariff on movies produced outside the country, believing that the move would boost the number of films made in America. The result was chaos and confusion within Hollywood as well as film industries around the world, as Trump did not provide details on how the tariffs would be implemented. Even as the President softened his stance on May 5 and stated that a decision would be made only after he met with members of Hollywood, the news has sparked concern in the Indian film industry. After all, the US is a key overseas market that contributes significantly to the box-office revenue of major Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil films.

As mid-day reached out to producers and trade experts, they unanimously noted the ambiguity of the current situation as it is unclear whether the tariff would apply to payments made to acquire distribution rights of foreign films for their US release. There is also a lack of clarity whether tariffs would apply to movies on streamers as well.

Trade expert Ramesh Bala pointed out, “Many American films are shot in Canada, Europe, and elsewhere to lower production costs. If the tariff applies to any part of the film made outside US borders, then many Hollywood films would technically qualify as foreign.”

Bala agreed that the move, if implemented, would be detrimental for Indian films. “The US market is crucial for Indian theatrical releases, especially because of the sizeable South Asian diaspora,” he stated, pointing to blockbusters like RRR (2022) and Jawan (2023) that earned significantly from their US market.

“High price points due to tariffs will dissuade distributors, reduce the number of films reaching theatres, and ultimately limit consumer choice. Small or medium-budget movies will likely skip theatrical release in the US entirely, missing out on a potentially lucrative market. The governments of affected countries, including India, will need to step in and engage in dialogue with the US administration to either seek exemptions or negotiate a more balanced trade approach,” he stated.

Trade analyst Akshaye Rathi said it was too early to respond to Trump’s announcement “with assumptions”. He, however, said that this could serve as a trigger to fortify our own ecosystem. Citing the example of Russia, he said, “After the Ukraine conflict, Hollywood studios stopped releasing films in Russia, cutting off nearly 95 per cent of their box-office content overnight. The Russian government actively invested in its local film industry boosting both volume and quality. Within two-three years, they’ve managed to nearly return to pre-war box office numbers. The Indian film industry is still operating at a fraction of its potential.”

Housefull 5 will be one of the first big Bollywood releases in the wake of the announcement. With Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh leading it, the laugh riot is targeted as much at the Indian audience as at the diaspora. Diljit Dosanjh’s Sardaar Ji 3, slated for June 27 release, too is aimed at the diaspora.

Bala assumed the films would go unscathed, reasoning, “The proposal is under consideration and is part of a broader USTR [United States Trade Representative] investigation. There is no final rollout date. This gives a buffer, but later films will have to review [their distribution plans].”

An executive from Jio Studios, who did not wish to be named, dialled down the fear with facts. “The US market contributes only around four per cent to the total box-office earnings of an average Indian film. So, the overall damage is limited. If the tariff doesn’t apply to OTT platforms, it might even benefit producers, as they can sell their films directly to streaming services.”

Supriya Yarlagadda, executive director, Annapurna Studios, which backed the Telugu film franchise, Goodachari, admitted that the policy will hurt not only Hindi films, but also their South counterpart. “US is a large distribution territory for various Indian language films. While the latest news is of concern, we will have to wait for the policy details to emerge before panicking,” she said.

A question on the mind of many is: Can China or Japan replace the US? Bala said a hard no. “China’s annual foreign film quota [around 10 titles under revenue-sharing rules] makes it an unreliable replacement for the US. Other regions like Australia and Southeast Asia are much smaller. The US remains the only overseas market with scale, infrastructure, and a sizeable diaspora audience.”

Mumbai: South Indian films generated as much as a quarter of their revenue by selling streaming and satellite rights of their dubbed versions in 2024, compared with less than 10% seven years ago, according to distributors and industry analysts.

Streaming giant Netflix paid Rs. 175 crore for the Hindi dubbed version of the recently released multilingual blockbuster Kalki 2898 AD, trade analysts said. The film's dubbed rights in southern languages were sold to Amazon Prime for Rs. 200 crore, they said. India's largest blockbuster film, Pushpa 2 – The Rule, recently sold the streaming rights of all languages for Rs. 275 crore, according to box office research firm Sacnilk.

"Among the various languages a pan-India southern hit is dubbed, it is the Hindi dubbed version which fetches the highest revenue to a producer given its reach," said Ramesh Bala, an entertainment sector analyst based in Chennai. A southern film can sell streaming and satellite rights separately for each dubbed language. For instance, the satellite and digital rights of a film originally made in Telugu and dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam can be sold separately to television channels and streaming platforms.

G Dhananjeyan, cofounder of Tamil Nadu-based production house Creative Entertainers & Distributors, said the 2017 movie, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, opened the eyes of southern producers to an additional source of revenue: theatre release of a dubbed version in Hindi.

Over the past seven years, southern films such as KGF - Chapter 2 (2022), Kantara (2022), RRR (2022) and Kalki 2898 AD (2024), which have succeeded on a pan-India level, have consciously followed this strategy. The dubbed Hindi version of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion recorded lifetime box-office collections of Rs. 510.90 crore. The satellite rights of the Hindi dubbed version were sold to Sony TV Network for Rs. 51 crore, while its digital rights were sold to Netflix for Rs. 25.5 crore.

A large part of the success of these southern films can be traced back to the early acceptance of dubbed southern films on television.

Ameya Naik, a producer and founder of event management company Fantasy Films, said: "Pan-India channels such as Zee TV laid the foundation for a pan-India southern hit. The channel bought dubbed southern films as there was a potential audience for them. Then, the emergence of YouTube channels such as Goldmines Telefilms fuelled the interest of North Indian audiences in dubbed southern films."

This increasing acceptance in the North also led to a new trend: southern films featuring Bollywood stars. Examples include Ajay Devgn (RRR), Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon (KGF - Chapter 2) and Amitabh Bachchan (Kalki 2898 AD).

Box-office domination is not the only objective of Pushpa 2 – The Rule. The Allu Arjun-starrer, which has earned the distinction of becoming the biggest opener in Indian cinema, is now aiming bigger. Sources tell us that the makers of the Sukumar-directed venture are planning a massive marketing campaign in the United States, targeting both commercial success and a potential push for Oscars 2025. We’ve heard that Mythri Movie Makers, which has backed the action drama, is planning to independently submit the film for the 97th Academy Awards, vying for a spot in the Best International Feature Film nominations.

A trade source reveals, “The marketing campaign will be along the lines of RRR [2022], where the makers took the film to the Academy independently and generated significant pre-Oscars buzz. In two weeks, Pushpa 2 will employ an aggressive lobbying strategy in Hollywood by hosting special screenings, press events, and influencer campaigns.”

Arjun and the team will apparently head out on a 10-city tour that includes Los Angeles, New York, and Boston. Another source adds, “Academy is not the only goal, they also want to contribute to the growing trend of Indian cinema exploring international markets. It will also ensure that Pushpa 3: The Rampage has a larger global pull.”

When mid-day reached out to trade expert Ramesh Bala, he said it was too early to know if the film’s team is campaigning for the Academy Awards that will be held in March. “The litmus test will be the Netflix release eight weeks later. RRR was watched widely because of its story. Pushpa 2 has a long shot [at the Academy], but it’s a shot worth taking. They will show it to critics in LA, but the real challenge will be to capture the interest of the American audience,” he said.

How much would you spend to watch Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule? The makers and exhibitors seem confident of the fans’ love for the sequel, which would explain the exorbitant ticket prices of the December 5 release. In some premium theatres in Mumbai and Delhi, the prices range from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,400. In other multiplexes, they have been reportedly hiked up by 10-15 per cent. This aggressive pricing strategy has ignited a discussion within the trade circles.

A section believes that the steep charges are a means to maximize the opening collection of Sukumar’s directorial venture, which is said to be mounted on a Rs 500 crore budget. But critics argue that it could alienate audiences. “Films like Pushpa 2 are meant to unite audiences across socio-economic strata, but pricing this high risks alienating key demographics,” says Gurmeet Singh Seble, who runs cinemas in Delhi.

He adds, “In single screens in Delhi, the film is priced between Rs 235 and Rs 250, and all eight shows are full. In contrast, PVR Plaza has been able to sell only 10 per cent of tickets. Some multiplexes are keeping it as high as Rs 2,500! PVR will kill the movie business like this. Rates need to be corrected,” he rues, adding that the inflated prices were needless for the franchise that has such a wide fan base.

With the ticket prices surging in the south and the Telangana government approving extra shows at higher costs, fans—who were eager to see the next chapter of the Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil-starrer—have expressed their displeasure online. Trade expert Ramesh Bala says it’s a gamble on part of the makers.

“The ticket prices are high in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It’s a risk because people should like it in one viewing, or it could be a deterrent. Most people will watch it on the first day because of the hype. This is cashing in on people’s expectations. If the word of mouth is good, then [exhibitors] will continue with these prices,” he states.

Come Christmas weekend, there might be a battle of the beasts with actor Prabhas’ Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire expected to clash with actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki. While the official word is awaited, trade insiders feel Salaar, helmed by Prashanth Neel, will release on December 22, a slot already reserved by director Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki.

Trade expert Taran Adarsh feels clashes aren’t healthy: “These are big projects with big stars. If Salaar makers go ahead with this clash, it will be cause for concern for the exhibitors and distribution fraternity by dividing the audience.”

There is a three-way clash with the sequel of superhero film Aquaman also releasing around the same time. “Prabhas’s Project K is announced for January 2024. You can’t have two Prabhas films releasing back-to-back,” says trade expert-producer Girish Johar.

The calls to avoid the clash are also backed by the high ticket prices, with trade experts saying that families won’t watch two films in a week, as it would hurt their budget. Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi notes that a clash puts a dent in each projects’ revenue by at least Rs. 100 crore: “They deserve the widest possible release across the country, which won’t happen if they clash. For single screens, more prevalent in the South, it will be a question of choosing one over the other.”

Devang Sampat, CEO, Cinepolis, feels that having more than two big films releasing on the same day isn’t a good idea. “India is an under-screened country and having three blockbusters will eat into each other’s pie, increasing the potential to hamper a good box-office business report card,” he notes.

This isn’t the first time that producer Vijay Kiragandur’s company will release an action project alongside SRK’s film. In 2018, KGF - Chapter 1 had a box-office clash with Khan’s Zero. The former, featuring actor Yash, emerged as the clear winner, with the film amassing more than Rs. 204 crore at the domestic box office. Zero, on the other hand, didn’t do well.

Given Shah Rukh Khan’s run so far in 2023, many are confident about Dunki. Trade expert Atul Mohan says, “Shah Rukh will be the first preference of the exhibitors because Prabhas gave back-to-back flops with Radhe Shyam (2022) and Adipurush. SRK has also found a new fan base in the South after Jawan, which is likely to work in his favour.”

After back-to-back flops, Prabhas has his hopes pinned on Salaar to reclaim his heydays as an actor. Trade expert Ramesh Bala feels he has nothing to fear: “Dunki is expected to be a feel-good drama with social commentary, while Salaar is an out-and-out action film. Prabhas has an edge with big makers backing the film. Dunki may not work in the South.”

Days after reports of Jawan recording a whopping Rs 65.5 crore domestic opening figure hit the headlines, comes the news that the film has challenged previous records with its opening weekend number. Jawan has become the first Bollywood film to enter the Rs 500 crore club within four days of its release by registering Rs 520.79 crores (worldwide) at the box office.

The Hindi version of Shah Rukh Khan’s latest offering that released on Thursday has amassed Rs 252.08 crores in India. On Sunday, this version also set another record by earning Rs 71.63 crores (domestic), the highest number for a film in this language, in a single day.

Trade analyst and critic Taran Adarsh says the Atlee-directed film has “shown the potential of Hindi cinema”. “[A single-day collection figure of] 70 can become 80 in the future, which could then become 90, and then 100! You never know. The market is expanding. We need to focus on content. Desi entertainers never go out of fashion. Happy days are here again. We are seeing a return of the ’70s, when we witnessed back-to-back hits,” he says of the film that has collected Rs 34.08 crores in Tamil and Telugu-speaking markets.

Trade expert Ramesh Bala says Jawan has benefited from the “marriage of talent from the north and south”. “Nowadays, the word blockbuster is abused because it is used for any film. But Jawan is an actual blockbuster. It got the biggest hero from the north and the biggest heroine from the south,” he says, referring to leading lady Nayanthara when highlighting why the film has been doing “exceptional business in both territories”. 

“Bollywood filmmakers should capitalize on this combination if they can, organically. We see Sanjay Dutt in so many south movies too.”

Adarsh seconds this opinion and says Jawan’s success will open the doors for similar cross-over films. “War 2 has already been announced with Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR. What a start that film will have!” he makes a case for himself.”

Adarsh refers to the ‘Shah Rukh Khan phenomenon’ when discussing the film’s success, overseas. “He is the reason behind the [success] overseas. Also, people are liking Jawan more than his last release, Pathaan. He is essentially competing with himself,” he signs off. 

Given that it marks his first pan-India screen outing, Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, it was expected, would draw large crowds. Unsurprisingly, the Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions of the film have opened to approximately Rs 8 crores, making it the first Hindi film to breach this figure in this region.

Chennai-based box-office tracker Ramesh Bala says the film’s appreciable collections could also be attributed to the fact that it has been helmed by Tamil director Atlee. “Atlee and his team have smartly designed the film as a proper Tamil masala outing. It caters to the south Indian market and appears like a Tamil masala film starring a Hindi movie star,” he says.

That it also features south stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi has further drawn masses from this region, he adds. An industry source shares that the performance of Jawan in this market may propel male stars to look for collaborations with south filmmakers. “Atlee made a Tamil film with the biggest Bollywood star without compromising on his style. Many actors may [follow suit].”

However, calling Jawan a model film is still far-fetched, says Bala. “It is not a benchmark yet. It’s an exception. We will have to see how upcoming Bollywood films perform in the region,” he says.

The release of actor Prabhas’s Salaar has been pushed from September 28 to November, which has left the fans wondering what could have caused it.

Trade expert-producer Girish Johar says, “The movie will not only release in India, but also overseas, which is a huge market. And for that, you have to meet the requirements for the censor boards there. So, if the makers were not happy, it’s good they pushed the release.”

A source close to the production adds that director Prashanth Neel “is sitting on the editing table himself and wants everything to be exactly like it was planned”.

However, trade analyst Atul Mohan feels actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan may have something to do with Salaar’s delay: “Jawan will be the talk of the town for at least a month, so the point of getting overshadowed does arise.”

Another speculation that’s doing the rounds is Prabhas’ involvement in the decision to delay the film. But trade expert Ramesh Bala says it’s not true. “He does his job and moves on to the next film,” shares Bala, adding, “Advance bookings for Salaar were on in the US and the movie had collected more than half a million dollars, which the makers are refunding now due to the postponement. There was a lot of deliberation over it (delaying the film).”

Rajinikanth – led Jailer, Sunny Deol – starrer Gadar 2, Akshay Kumar – starrer OMG 2 and Chiranjeevi’s Bhola Shankar – the four big releases of the weekend propelled the Indian box office to reach record breaking numbers this weekend.

On Monday, the Producers Guild of India (PGI) and Multiplex Association of India announced that the August 11-13 weekend frame was the busiest single weekend after the re-opening of theatres post the pandemic. Furthermore, just in three days, the ticket sales of the four movies combined was Rs. 390 crores plus, a ‘new all-time theatrical gross box office record for Indian cinema in its 100+ year’s history’. The statement mentioned, Indian theatres witnessed over 2.1 crore admissions, the biggest number of the past decade.

“It's absolutely historical,” Akshaye Rathi, film exhibitor. He adds, “What’s more important is the cumulative figure of the movies daily. That actually shows the consumption appetite of our country, if we serve them the right content. All those notions about people don't have money for theatres or the future of theatres being bleak, are busted. It is proven that the movies that were released earlier were substandard and were not worthy of people's time and money.”

Movie industry tracker Ramesh Bala says, "The entire country's theatres have come alive, because of Gadar 2 and Jailer. The content has spread from North to South. Both the movies have their territories and they are dominating in their belts respectively."

OMG 2’s producer Ashwin Varde admits “it is a great feeling to be a part” of the feat. “We have seen audiences storming the cinemas in a big way,” he says. Gadar 2’s producer, Shariq Patel, CEO, Zee Studios admits they are all “ecstatic”. “The biggest glimmer of joy is how smaller tiers; single screens and the crowd are thronging for these movies. It shows the potential of box office is much larger than what we anticipate, if we provide content that resonates with the majority of people.”

It won’t be an understatement that the industry is rejoicing. Shibashish Sarkar, President, PGI, shares the exuberance of the industry: “Celebration or excitement in the industry is coming from the situation that after almost 3 years of underwhelming exhibition business, this is something that can be seen as an indicator of a turn around. 2019 was one of the highest earning years for Indian cinema and even globally. However, the next two years were a struggle owing to the pandemic. Since the last one and a half years, we have been seeing sporadic success. The industry cannot run or perform with 5-8 successes over a year. This brings a significant boast to the moral of different segment of overall media.”

Gadar 2 and OMG 2’s box office clash was widely reported, a few even claiming that it would eat each other’s business. “Clashes are an overrated concept. History is witness that when two good films have come together, both have worked. Dil-Ghayal, Lagaan-Gadar and there are so many others. Films work because of the content; not because they’re clashing with each other,” says Ashwin.

Akshaye, on the other hand, believes clashes could be important for business. “Every single week can accommodate two films coming together. The only thing one needs to ensure is that the two films cater to different demographics. Gadar 2 was for single screen while OMG 2 is for more evolved audience. They complemented each other and in no way cannibalized each other's business,” Akshaye elaborates.

“That myth that single screen doesn't contribute to business, is also busted. We are seeing unprecedented revenues coming out of the single screens," claims Akshaye. Acknowledging the same, Ramesh shares an estimated division of collection between single screens and multiplexes: "South is predominantly single screens. So, I can say for Jailer it is 65% revenue from single screens and 35% from multiplex. Gadar 2 is 40% multiplex and 60% single screen, for OMG 2 - 45% single screens and 55% multiplex."

Shariq believes makers “have become very radical” and the “unprecedented footfalls” should be a reminder for makers.

“This has been an eye opener for me. We need to create more cinema that's entertaining and celebrating and not cerebral. Cinema has become very elitist. It was made by the elite for the elite. There wasn’t any cinema that attracts people from smaller towns. We looked down on that kind of cinema. But that is a celebration cinema. We need movies that connect with our Bharat,” claims Shariq.

“There is a certain level of confidence that the makers have got. The audience is ready for tentpole films. What is important is to see if the audience is ready to come back for medium-sized films. We need to have cautious exuberance and excitement,” Shibashish ends.

The Kerala Story hit headlines days before its May 5 release, with many sections of the population questioning its controversial theme. The box office, however, is telling a different story. The Adah Sharma-starrer has reportedly earned Rs 45.75 crore in four days. This has left the trade jubilant as Bollywood has not witnessed a big hit this year since Shah Rukh Khan’s January release, Pathaan. 

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, “The Kerala Story has been made on an approximate budget of Rs. 28-30 crores. It’s not fair to compare it with Pathaan, or any other star project. It has made humongous money despite not having a massive star cast. The collections are growing rapidly because of positive word of mouth.”

Sudipto Sen’s directorial venture, which claims to be based on true stories, narrates the ordeal of three women from Kerala who are converted to Islam and trafficked to the ISIS camps. The movie received pushback from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying that the trailer positioned “an uncompromisingly secular land like Kerala as a hotbed of terrorists”. On Monday, the West Bengal government banned its screening to avoid “any incident of hatred and violence”.

Ramesh Bala, trade analyst in the south, says, “In Tamil Nadu, the movie played only on Saturday and Sunday, after which the state’s multiplex association withdrew it. The first two days’ response was average. In Bengaluru and Hyderabad multiplexes, the film did well, while the performance was muted in Kerala. The reason why it is not catching on more strongly in the south is because it’s essentially a Hindi film. If it were dubbed in local languages, there was more scope of it doing well.”

Meanwhile, Adarsh notes that the heartland has lapped up the offering. Yesterday, the Uttar Pradesh government made it tax free, the second state to do so after Madhya Pradesh. Adarsh says that The Kerala Story is doing brisk business in Maharashtra and Rajasthan as well.

“A film of this budget usually does a lifetime business of Rs. 7-10 crores. But its lifetime collection will easily touch Rs. 100 crores. This is a ray of hope for distributors because Bholaa, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Selfiee and Shehzada were all under-performers.”

Ashoke Pandit, president, Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA), expressed disapproval of the West Bengal government’s decision to ban The Kerala Story.

The IFTDA released a statement that read, “We stand by the filmmaker and his film the way we stood by films like Udta Punjab and Padmaavat. The film, which has been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification, cannot be banned. We, therefore, appeal to the state government to revert their decision of banning the film.”

The makers have moved the Supreme Court, seeking the removal of the movie’s ban in West Bengal.

Diwali releases are synonymous with starry offerings that generate tremendous hype and heavy footfall, thus bringing in much box-office cheer. Even in the difficult year that was 2021, Rohit Shetty and Akshay Kumar’s Diwali offering Sooryavanshi brought hope to Bollywood. This year, all eyes have been on Kumar’s Ram Setu and Ajay Devgn-Sidharth Malhotra’s Thank God in the hope that the two festival releases may bring a wave of success in an otherwise underwhelming year for Hindi cinema.

The two-day collection of Ram Setu, which opened in about 2,900 screens, stands at Rs 26.65 crores, after it earned Rs 15.25 crores on Tuesday, following it up with Rs 11.40 crores on Wednesday. As per early projections, Abhishek Sharma’s directorial venture may earn close to Rs 10 crores on its third day. The film, also starring Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha, may well see an uptick in the figures over the coming weekend.

Malhotra’s comedy Thank God started off relatively slower across 2,500 screens, with an opening of Rs 8.10 crores, before going on to add another Rs 6 crores to its tally on Wednesday.

Manoj Desai, executive director, G7 cinemas, says that while both movies are steadily making money at the box office, the figures aren’t on par with big-ticket festival offerings. “Ram Setu and Thank God are [almost] on equal footing right now. Neither of them is having house-full shows, which is why I feel [each of] their lifetime numbers won’t cross the Rs 100-crore mark. The problem is that the advance booking for single screens started only on Monday evening [while multiplexes opened last week]. People forget that single screens are major contributors [to the collections of] such films. Both movies recorded 70 per cent occupancy on the holidays,” he states, before adding that on Thursday, the occupancy could have dropped to 40-50 per cent.

The surprise winner this week was the Kannada film, Kantara, which continued the trend of south films dominating the box office. The thriller, which hit the marquee on September 30, has of late found a new audience in Hindi cine-goers, thanks to its strong word of mouth. Trade analyst Ramesh Bala says, “The Hindi version has earned Rs 30 crores. They are increasing the screen count on Friday. In Karnataka alone, Kantara has made Rs. 125 crores. The film may make an additional Rs 100 crore, if it sustains for three weeks in other languages.”

After making waves at the box office, the Hindi version of Pushpa: The Rise (2021) recently set a new milestone by breaking the Rs. 100-crore barrier. As a slew of pan-Indian productions prepare to hit theatres, questions about whether multilingual films will compete with Hindi films have resurfaced. 

Manish Shah, who holds the Hindi rights of the Allu Arjun starrer says, “South films are going to pose a big threat to Hindi films. The former has been doing much better than Hindi films on satellite. An extension of that is now being reflected in the box office.”

Producer of Ajith-starrer Valimai, Boney Kapoor says, “Their films are high on heroism laced with action, drama and comedy. This helps them reach out to masses.”

Trade analyst Ramesh Bala agrees: “In the last few years, Bollywood has moved towards niche films. Very few movies are made for tier two and three cities, barring the ones headlined by (actors) Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn. While (actor) Aamir Khan makes films for the multiplex audience, (actors) Taapsee Pannu, Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmann Khurrana have a limited reach and their films won’t collect ₹300 crore.”

He adds, “Films like KGF, the Baahubali series, and now Pushpa struck a chord with the Hindi belt as they catered to the mass audience.”

Actor Shruti Haasan says it’s about time “South cinema is accepted as part of the business” and adds, “I saw my dad’s (actor-politician Kamal Haasan) film Indian (1996) and (actor) Rajinikanth sir’s Robot (2010) cut across [borders].”

Bollywood is abuzz with activity ahead of cinemas in Maharashtra reopening on October 22. Relieved filmmakers have started lining up their movies for their big-screen date, resulting in four to five releases each month. Despite the encouraging signs, trade analysts predict that theatres will face multiple challenges in the coming months. With the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cinemas in the state still unclear, it is heard that movie halls will initially open only for the fully vaccinated at 50 per cent occupancy.

Buzz in the trade circles is that the bigger hurdle will be reviving the consumers’ habit of going to cinemas, given the shift in behaviour pattern and the reduced spending power post the pandemic. On that count, all eyes are on Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi, which will be the litmus test to determine the audiences’ attitude.

Trade analyst Ramesh Bala explains, “Currently, releasing on the big screen is a matter of prestige rather than money. Producers [taking] the OTT route get a fixed profit, but with theatres, it’s a gamble. For the next three months, consumers won’t go for a movie every week. But there’s a big film every Friday. Some good movies will be affected. Films won’t be able to run for multiple weeks because of the [backlog]. After all these odds, one can’t be certain that the audience will show up.”

Sooryavanshi’s release will be followed by countless big-ticket movies, including  Bunty Aur Babli 2, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, 83 and Jersey. Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi believes overcrowding isn’t a problem. “The only thing is that similar films shouldn’t clash. The Matrix [Resurrections] and '83 belong to different genres, so their clash is [not a cause of concern]. But Raksha Bandhan and Adipurush should avoid locking horns at the box-office.”

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While No Time to Die opened in theatres across India last Friday, Maharashtra cinemas will have a date with James Bond on October 22. Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi says, “One would assume that the film will lose its charm three weeks later, but it’s tracking unusually high. Daniel Craig has amped up the action in his final film of the franchise, and people will flock to cinemas to watch it.”