Ronnie Screwvala, who has 12 films in pipeline, predicts cinema halls won’t run to full capacity till there’s a vaccine; says industry looking at tough 18 months ahead
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 19, 2020)

Do you think the appetite for films will change in the post-Coronavirus era, with a clear demarcation between the big screen and small screen cinema?
I think it’s all about the storytelling and not screen size. At the moment, we’re battling the virus and 18 months away from the post-Covid era. For the next year or year-and-a-half, people will be wary of risking their health for a cinematic experience. But films will not go away and neither will theatres. It’s a strong window, but things will change and we will have to work 10 times harder on the creative content, storytelling and scale to bring the audience into the cinema halls again.

Does that mean smaller films will find it difficult to get screens?
No, if you have a gem of a story, it’s a big film already. People go to theatres because they don’t want to wait eight weeks. It has never been cinema v/s OTT as each one augments a market and grows.

When do you expect cinema halls to open and a constant flow of big releases?
Mumbai and Delhi, which account for 65 per cent of the box-office, are the worst-hit cities right now. Until they open up, nobody will want a release in only Pune, Nagpur and Kanpur. Makers of big films will wait to see if people are coming back to the cinemas. I don’t see some of them arriving this year. I don’t see theatres opening till October and even when they do, they won’t run to full capacity until the vaccine arrives. Entertainment will be the last priority for people. Next year, one will feel the pinch because there will be a drought of releases as few new films will roll for the next six-seven months, so there won’t be any more fights for the weekends. There aren’t too many films in the waiting, and you will see the gap over the next 18 months.

Do you think this is the right time to renegotiate on ticket rates, VPF (Virtual Print Fee) and other issues with theatre owners?
I have strong views on this, that’s why I got into the Competition Commission. Unfortunately, there is no unanimity.

You have backed films like Rang De Basanti, Khosla Ka Ghosla, A Wednesday and Aamir which were way ahead of their time. What gave you the courage and conviction?
Rang De Basanti was one of the first films we made, it could have been before its time, but it was not. Jodhaa Akbar was an expensive film, but again it broke the mould. People thought Aamir, A Wednesday and Khosla Ka Ghosla were small, but they worked big time. Anurag Basu narrated just 40 lines of the Barfi! script to me, look how the film turned out to be. Of all our films, only Swades was before its time, but it was a gem of a film.

Next up: The Immortal Ashwatthama with Vicky Kaushal, a fantasy trilogy based on the Mahabharata. Tell us about that…
The way forward for the millennial audience is not in retelling history, but in the way it is told. You need to romanticise history, let imagination take flight and put it in the context of the future. Our problem is that we don’t think big. I am sick and tired of everyone saying this film earned Rs 100-Rs 200 crore over the last 10 years. They should now cross Rs 500 crore, otherwise there’s no reason to make films. Baahubali showed us the potential of our market. It was a scaled-up film, but at heart, it had a strong story.

The Immortal Ashwatthama will reunite you with Uri: The Surgical Strike director Aditya Dhar and lead Vicky Kaushal. Any pressure?
We will have a blast. Aditya has such clarity of vision and Vicky is a stupendous, versatile actor. And I have the ability to look at things three years from now. The film is in prep now and will roll next year.

You also team up with Kangana Ranaut on Tejas, set against the backdrop of the Indian Air Force.
We wanted to make a film on the army so Uri happened. Tejas is not a sequel to Uri, because that was a true story and this isn’t. But it is on the same lines and on the same scale.

Will Taapsee Pannu’s sports drama, Rashmi Rocket, lose money due to the delay in production?
Prep cost is never a waste, we will be more ready when we start. Safety is the priority now.

Abhishek Chaubey is writing the biopic on hockey legend Dhyan Chand…
(Cuts in) We have 12 films in planning right now, we’ll discuss them at the right time.

Any change in your outlook as a producer in the post-Covid era?
I will be more aggressive now.

As told to Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 15, 2020)

From the youthful, energetic, give-it-all Ishaan of Kai Po Che! to an endearing, soulful performance as Mansoor in Kedarnath and a gritty, engaging role in Sonchiriya... Sushant’s journey showcased different roles and myriad emotions. Kai Po Che! was a memorable experience because Sushant was at his bindass best - super confident and super talented. He gave his all to the role and his energy on screen showed that a star was born. He showed versatility in everything he has done ever since.

Like me, he cherished memories and even during the release of Kedarnath, as excited as he was about this role, we spoke more about Kai Po Che! with him, as always, reflecting on his past and his highs. We met again during Sonchiriya’s release and he confided that this was by far his toughest role till date. In recent times, our discussions revolved around his love for science and astronomy.

He had no regrets. Rest in peace Sushant, may you find the peace you were looking for.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; January 11, 2020)

Last year, Uri: The Surgical Strike released in the theatres on January 11. The film bagged many popular awards and also won four National Awards. Celebrating the first anniversary of its release, and marking the start of their next project, Ashwatthama, the film’s team — producer Ronnie Screwvala, director Aditya Dhar and actors Vicky Kaushal and Yami Gautam chat with BT about how the film impacted their lives and their plans ahead. Excerpts:

Today, a year after the release of Uri: The Surgical Strike, how’s the josh?
Aditya: Very high! (laughs with the rest of the team!)
Yami: We had our first screening on January 9, 2019. After the Delhi promotions, we landed in Mumbai for it. We had booked five screens and were surprised to see that they were all packed, and more people were waiting. So, we had to book two more shows. Also, the film changed so much for me. Uri gave me that chance to display the depth that I can bring to a character.
Ronnie: I had the highest level of confidence among all of us because I sort of knew where we were headed with this, and a year later, the josh is even higher. The response to this film was tremendous, and war films have a different definition now. Uri impacted people and inspired many youngsters to join the Armed Forces. That is where a movie gets out of the skin of being a mere film.
Vicky: I had seen the film during the edit, but I didn’t know if I liked it because I was in it, or because it had those sentiments. I always asked Aditya, ‘Yaar, log dekhne toh aayenge na?’ I hoped they would come, the rest depended on destiny. We were not prepared for the overwhelming response that Uri got. People just took the film home.

Aditya, you had mentioned that the film faced hurdles, including budget issues. Today, it has bagged many awards, including four National Awards. Have all the struggles been worth it?
Ronnie: That was just to keep everyone on their toes. With our next, Ashwatthama, they will have to dig their heels in and no puns intended here. Yes, Uri was an ambitious project and the team came around incredibly well. Passion overtook everything else.
Aditya: The pressure from Ronnie made us think of ingenious things that we would not have thought about otherwise. It taught me to make things look grand in a tight budget. We prepared a book with pictures of how a scene would look, and we made extensive and detailed storyboards. That knowledge will come in handy now, when we start working on Ashwatthama.

While Aditya was making his debut as a director with the film, Ronnie, you were returning to the film business after a seven-year hiatus. Would you say the risk paid off?
Aditya: I don’t think anyone can ask for a better debut than this. The response to the film made me understand that I have immense responsibility on my shoulders. Uri has given me the confidence to attempt a challenging project like Ashwatthama.
Ronnie: I had stepped out of media for seven years and this was a comeback of sorts. If you stick to your convictions, you will get around fine. It was life-changing to get the reaffirmation from the public we cater to. Uri was a precursor to something bigger that we have been planning.

After Uri, the three of you (Vicky, Aditya and Ronnie) are collaborating on another ambitious project, Ashwatthama. Are you ready for the challenge?
Vicky: As an actor, if the script affects me, I plunge into it and give it my best. What a film can do for my career is not in my hands. Uri was a good film, and so people felt that I could shoulder a movie on my own. This happens when a film hits a home run. I’m very excited to start work on Ashwatthama. It’s a great script and it’s scaring me in a good way.
Aditya: We start the pre-production on our ambitious superhero film Ashwathtama today. We’ve taken an Indian story and are attempting to give it a global appeal, so that people around the world can enjoy it. It’s more than a straight-jacketed superhero outing. It takes a leaf out of Ashwatthama’s character from Mahabharat. We will start shooting in 2021.
Ronnie: Launching a satellite may seem possible by just pressing a button after the countdown. However, the real effort goes into creating the platform, rocket and mechanism, so that it can reach its destination. That takes time and a lot of meticulous planning. That’s how we see Ashwatthama shaping up and that’s the reason it will roll out only when the groundwork is completely done.

BOMBAY TIMES (March 26, 2019)

BT reached out to Ronnie Screwvala for his side of the story. He said, “Firstly, I want to clarify that five serious matters will be under investigation with the CCI and are sub judice. So, I will not want to comment on them.” However, the producer answered our specific questions, from a personal point of view.

There are many large studios and producers doing many more movies than you. You have gone on record to say RSVP is a passion project and hobby, so why have you done this on your own ?
It’s about right and wrong. It’s about the theatre owners acting in collusion and the content industry is unfortunately not united. So, I had no choice but to act on my own rather than seek any form of consensus. Directors sell to producers, producers sell to financiers or studios and studios use sub-distributors. So, the accountability on these levied by theatres is just not understood. For me, it was the only way. And secondly, as a hobby, I have nothing to lose. I have learnt as an entrepreneur that the formidable opponent you can have is someone who has nothing to lose.

Normally, people file complaints before the CCI anonymously. Why did you decide to front it?
The five charges I have brought about are very serious and need a final solution, even if that means a face-off. The matter is now sub judice and so, I cannot comment more on it. But it would be a cop-out to not take full accountability for what you think needs to change.

Inox banned your movie because you fronted the CCI complaint. Do you feel victimised?
It’s all too petty. Inox has shown their high-handedness and I have nothing to comment on that. However, look at the double standard of an Inox — they will ban one of our new movies, but continue to run our URI in their theatres? Why? Because they are very clear that the movie has made them a ton of money and made their Quarter 4 look good, so they will not mess with it. Same way, they will not mess with Hollywood studios and continue with their discriminatory behaviour, which is at the core of my complaint.

What’s the financial impact for content creators and theatre owners?
For theatre owners, it’s clearly a reversal of a free lunch they have been enjoying for many years when it comes to VPF. It’s also a call to ban advertising in theatres, as it’s anti-consumer. The consumer has paid a ticket price to watch a movie and he/she is being subjected to a massive 15 minutes or more of advertising thereby driving him/her away from coming to the theatre. This has to stop. And for me, the theatre owner is a service provider — who would have nothing to show if the content creators did not take the primary risk to make movies and give it to them to run for a limited period and for a revenue share, which again needs to be corrected to a more equal footing. For content creators, they can save Rs 2 crore to Rs 8 crore per movie release — last week, Kesari released with 4,000 prints and so, at Rs 20,000 per print, that is a massive Rs 8 crore that Zee Studios would have saved on one movie. You can do the maths on what that would mean for the year. Also, no advertisements would mean shorter viewing experience for audiences and so more footfalls plus shorter intervals would mean more shows, too. If there is a balanced and long-term view taken by both sides, there is a win-win, but the content sector cannot suffer and pay for the growth of theatre owners when they are the higher risk takers in the value chain, creating the content in the first place. I hope better sense will prevail over high-handed approach to all issues.

So, you see the content creators coming out to support you?
I don’t know. What I do know is, they all have more to lose than I do personally. For me, all eyes are on Disney — they have always been clear there is no VPF to be paid and they did not pay on Dangal. And so, in the new avatar of all movies from Fox/Star inside the Disney umbrella, they would also not be allowed to pay any VPF. And that will be the beginning of the end of VPF. So let’s see what Disney does.

So, are you committed to see this through even with low support from your fellow content creators?
The writing is on the wall. The charges are serious and costly on both sides. This is a face-off that needs to be settled properly. I do want to add that I did make efforts to talk to the owners and management of the theatre owners, but got no coherent answer other than to say that they needed to hold on to their VPF fees and their high advertising due to their need to build more screens. Not one of them replied to my query as to why in India, Hollywood movies were given favourable treatment against Marathi, Hindi and regional language cinema. It’s totally anti-Indian and anti-consumer.

Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; February 10, 2018)

Given that news about him venturing into alternate fields — including tech education, health and sports — garnered interest over the past few years, reports of Ronnie Screwvala turning his attention to entertainment by launching an array of debutante directors raised many eyebrows.

Speculation around the reason behind his decision to back new talent was quick to be made. But the entrepreneur dismisses suggestions by reflecting on his own journey in Bollywood. “I’m backing new artistes because, for most part of my journey, I felt like an outsider in Bollywood,” he says alluding to the opportunities he can give those who find themselves in his place.

Screwvala isn’t a harsh critic of the quality of content being churned out by industry bigwigs. His desire to support debutante filmmakers has little to do with such assumed apathy, he says. “Of course, we’re trying to encourage better storylines, but that doesn’t mean I am not working with the big players in the industry. The new league of directors has simply come to me with great stories. So, why would I not support them,” he questions.

The first venture from this assortment, Anand Tiwari’s romance-comedy, Love Per Square Foot, is gearing up for a Netflix release later this month. Attribute it to Tiwari’s vast experience in the industry, or the skills he displayed as director on the set, but Screwvala makes his trust in him evident. Directors, suggests the producer, can decide the fate of a film with their prowess. “When Anurag [Basu] came to me with the script of Barfi!, he gave me a 15 minute narration. That’s it! I asked him about it, and he said, ‘Well, that’s all I have because the actor can’t speak.’ But, he made the film [as successful as it is] due to his vision and visual storytelling ability.”

He doesn’t negate the fact that there is scope for improvement in the scripts being greenlit by filmmakers, but is quick to add that it is a “work in progress”. “We’re getting there,” he shrugs. For now, Screwvala celebrates the fact that the depleting obsession with stars is becoming increasingly evident. The biggest testimony of this trend, he says, is the recognition received by unconventional actors at a recently concluded awards gala. “[This show] usually harboured a love for stars, but it celebrated works by artistes like Rajkummar Rao, Konkona Sen Sharma and Irrfan Khan this year.”

While films featuring A-listers receive attention, they form only a small part of the work being done in Bollywood, he says. “Such films [ featuring stars] comprise only 20 per cent of the releases. There’s another 80 per cent, which is also being consumed in abundance by viewers.”