Business of cinema

Generally,the fate of the film is attributed to the kind of business it does at the box-office,irrespective of whether it...

Generally,the fate of the film is attributed to the kind of business it does at the box-office,irrespective of whether it is a single -screen theatre or a multiplex. The kind of business a film does depends on its subject matter. There are films like Delhi Belly,Bheja Fry 2 and others that appear to cater to the multiplex audience and others like that are considered a perfect fit for the single theatres. Well-known distributor Shyam Shroff affirms that it depends on the film but points out that the real hit is the one that is patronised by both the single-screen as well as the mutliplex. According to Prakhar Joshi,Head Content,PVR Cinemas,the film itself has to have an appeal. It does not matter whether it caters to the single-screen audience or the multiplex. Singham,which was released last week,is performing well at both kinds of theatres though it is ruling at the single-screens. However,the contribution of the multiplex is still high in every case, he states adding that sometime back there was a clear divide between the two.However the gap is bridging now and films like Singham,Wanted,Ready,Dabangg,with a touch of rural element to it or even Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara ZNMD catering to all kinds of audience. This is because of the sensibilities with which the films have been made. There is not a wide divide as far as the audiences taste is concerned, he says,explaining that ZNMD did very well at the single-screens in places like Lucknow,Indore and Aurangabad while Ready and Dabangg shone at the multiplexes there.

However,if not for its good content,ZNMD would not be doing well in its second week. It is basically the gripping tale that helps the film take off. Of course,there will always be good cinema and there will be bad cinema. Joshi says.

However,trade analyst Vinod Mirani begs to differ,There is not much difference in both. And it is the myth that intellectual films are made for the multiplexes. However today with so many single-screen theatres shutting down in town Mumbai and with just a handful that are open,every film has to depend on the multiplex. Ghajini and Dabangg were both accepted universally. Singham is doing better in single-screens in Mumbai while in U.P. and some places in the North,it is running to packed houses in the multiplexes, points out Mirani,ruing that not all places have multiplexes.

Talking about the differentiation between a single-screen film or a multiplex film,Shroff states,This one is a new term. Earlier it was called class film or mass film. Class film audience would go to balcony and mass film audience would take stalls. He even added that the ratio between a single- screen theatre audience or a multiplex audience in small towns when compared to metros is 90:10. Joshi says that in the last two to three years,there have been some smart moves as far as films are concerned. There have been some very good experimental films. This has only helped both.

Joshi goes on to say that Wanted was a film that did very well not only in single-screens but also in the multiplexes with Dabanng,Singham and Double Dhamaal helping to bridge the gap. Agreeing to this,Mirani points out that though Wanted did well universally,and also has a repeat audience when shown on TV,ZNMD has mostly the elite crowd coming to the theatres.

Joshi is of the opinion that irrespective of the vast difference in the ticket rates,people dont mind watching a good film. July is the blockbuster month,what with so many good films releasing during this period, he said. While July 1 saw Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap,Delhi Belly andTransformers,Chillar Party,Murder 2,5sters andLarry Crowne came on July 8. This was followed by Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 2 on July 15. Singham was the solo big release on July 22 which came with The Tree Of Life,Chutanki and Jaws Returns. Earlier films like Stanley Ka Dabba and Murder 2 also did good business in multiplexes, says Joshi.

Talking of a repeat audience to a film,Joshi cites an example. Youngsters and college students came to watch ZNMD with their friends during the release week. And in the second week,we saw them getting the families along to the theatres. That is quite encouraging. But Shroff does not agree and says,The concept of repeat audience has vanished.

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When asked which actor is a multiplex star and who is popular among the single -theatre audiences,Mirani said,It is not the actor who makes a mark. It is the film that does good or bad business. Earlier Govinda catered to all kinds of audience and then came Salman Khan. But if it is a film like 3 Idiots,even a Aamir Khan can cater to the masses.