Owing to Covid-19 curbs, Bollywood has been struggling to be back in form, battling the twin onslaught of post-lockdown blues and the rise of OTT for a year now. While many producers are taking the easy way out and selling films to digital platforms, the more-talked-about projects are naturally expected to bail out a box office that is trying hard to woo back the audience.
April to August is traditionally a hectic phase for the film exhibition business, with summer vacations followed by the festive weekends of Eid and Independence Day, among others. The big screen experience is set to return with Bollywood star likes Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh announcing release dates for their upcoming films, almost after a year now.
Read: Bollywood Release Calendar Shapes Up as ‘Bellbottom’, ’83’, ‘Jhund’ Set for Theatrical Debut
Leading the pack is Kumar, who has three anticipated films this year. First up for the actor is Bellbottom, an espionage thriller, which is scheduled to release on May 28. Kumar, 53, will also appear in a special role in filmmaker Aanand L Rai’s Atrangi Re, co-starring Sara Ali Khan and Dhanush. The movie will release on August 6. The superstar’s third project is Prithviraj, backed by Yash Raj Films. The movie has locked the November 5 release date.
The much-awaited cop drama Sooryavanshi, is also expected to release this year, however, the makers are yet to announce a release date. Bachchan, on the other hand, announced that his sports film “Jhund” will open on June 18. Also, Ranveer Singh’s 83, about the Indian cricket team’s 1983 World Cup win, will also see the light of the day as the film will now release on June 4.
Apart from these, Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor-starrer Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (March 19); Bunty Aur Babli 2 (April 23), Ranbir Kapoor’s Shamshera (June 25); Vicky Kaushal’s Shershaah (July 2); Ayushmann Khurrana’s Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (July 9), Jayeshbhai Jordaar, starring Ranveer Singh, (August 27) are also up for theatrical release.
However, the burning question remains unanswered, will these big-budget releases thrive theaters?
Producer Anand Pandit, who has the Amitabh Bachchan-Emraan Hashmi starrer Chehre lined up feels big budget releases with 100% occupancy of cinema halls will instil confidence among the makers to plan pan-India release.
“Whether the audiences will return in big numbers will depends on if they can be tempted back by blockbusters. The revision in seating capacity will encourage big-ticket films to return to theatres. Producers can now aim at a blockbuster, pan India release. I would also love to see my film ‘Chehre’ hit the silver screen in the near future,” he told IANS.
Speaking to News18, film producer and trade analyst Girish Johar in an earlier interaction said that big releases are the only hope for box office revivals. “Akshay Kumar is a big and established star who comes with different kind of films and has a lot of traction at the box office. Before the pandemic, he used to come 3-4 times a year and all his films had sufficient buzz among the audience. So, if his films could definitely be a crowd puller for theaters,” he told us when Kumar’s Laxmmi headed for OTT release.
It’s no secret that during the time when cinema halls were shut, streaming services, whether subscription or on demand, filled a huge gap for film fans looking for new content. While at-home options will continue to compete with theaters, few believe that they are a death-knell for theaters. By and large, studios are not looking to abandon the theatrical model, even if some priorities have shifted to streaming.
Cinemas account for the biggest chunk of earnings for movies and have taken a substantial hit during the pandemic and multiplexes are pulling out the stops to ensure audiences return after theatres open.
Will these releases help the audience overcome the fear of catching COVID-19 and return to theaters? We’ll get our answers soon.
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