With the January to March quarter having remained mostly dull so far and unlikely to spring up any pleasant surprises going ahead, film exhibitors and trade experts are now pinning hopes on the summer to do the trick for the movie business. The cumulative box office for the first three months of 2024 stood at ₹2,590 crore, and cinema owners are expecting similar, or 5-10% higher figures, this year, given that this is traditionally a time of school and college examinations and cold weather in most of the country.
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This year, the only outlier in Hindi cinema has been the period drama Chhaava starring Vicky Kaushal, which was nearing the ₹500 crore mark at last count. However, other releases such as Sky Force ( ₹131.20 crore), Deva ( ₹31.94 crore) and Emergency ( ₹16.52 crore) have performed below par, with a few regional language releases such as Sankranti Vasthunam and Thandel in Telugu, Rekhachitram in Malayalam and Umbarro in Gujarati, saving the day.
“The quarter is progressing in line with our expectations. The Sankranti or Pongal period saw strong audience reception for regional releases like Sankranti Vasthunam, Game Changer, and Daaku Maharaaj. Bollywood, however, began on a quieter note, with titles like Emergency, Azaad, Loveyapa, Fateh, Deva, and Sky Force underperforming,” Devang Sampat, managing director of Cinepolis India, said. Interestingly, re-releases outshone several new releases, with Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Sanam Teri Kasam delivering impressive results, he added.
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To be sure, despite surprises such as Chhaava and Sanam Teri Kasam, industry experts point out that overall, business hasn’t given much reason to cheer since films like Sky Force relied more on discounted ticket schemes than real audience draws. Moreover, theatres need a big movie at least once in two weeks to sustain well and older hits being re-released are only gap fillers that help to an extent with food and beverage sales and cinema advertising.
Re-release magic
Calling Sanam Teri Kasam, a 2016 romantic drama that earned over ₹35 crore in its re-release, an anomaly, Rahul Puri, managing director of Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas, said the January to March quarter is traditionally slow. “It’s been a stable quarter, but nothing has captured the imagination of audiences. A few films have helped provide the boost we needed given the dry run since Pushpa 2 in December, but nothing overall to make up for the lull pre-Pushpa,” Puri added.
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Agreeing that it’s been business as usual, Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, executive director of PVR INOX Ltd, said there’s a big line-up for audiences this summer, starting with Salman Khan-starrer Sikandar and Hollywood film Snow White besides an Oscar film festival March comprising nominees like Dune: Part Two, Wicked, Inside Out 2, The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez.
“The cinematic horizon is thriving with potential as several highly anticipated releases gear up to captivate audiences. Salman Khan’s much-awaited Sikandar (Hindi) is already generating immense excitement, and Pawan Kalyan has a big release with Hari Hara Veera Mallu (Telugu) that’s slated to release at the end of the financial year. Adding to the buzz, there is Kesari Veer (Hindi) and Snow White (English),” said Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer—cinemas, BookMyShow.
