The upcoming Independence Day weekend, which is crucial for the ailing film industry, is rife with multiple releases, making theater owners nervous. While the horror comedy street 2 It is likely to grab half of all screens given its established fan base, it will compete with the Akshay Kumar-starrer film. Khel Khel Mein and of John Abraham ban. A separate list of films that includes Double iSmart (Telugu) and Thangalaan (Tamil) is launching in the South, joining the competition.
Exhibitors say theatres that were almost empty due to lack of content for two months during the Lok Sabha elections are now having to deal with a mess, leading to exhibition problems. The festive weekend comes at a time when the business is struggling with audiences finding little value in titles released in the last few weeks, making it crucial for new films to find traction.
“Exhibitors prefer two big films for a festive weekend and a third release usually leads to cannibalisation in terms of screens and exhibition. In case there is a third release, there is usually lower occupancy, whereas the holiday period can hold up well if two or even one film performs,” said Amit Sharma, CEO of Miraj Entertainment, a multiplex operator.
Given that street 2 It has already made its mark with its trailer and songs and the first part has also been successful at the box office, so there is really no point in the other two films trying to compete, said independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan.
“They could have benefited from better presentation and traction if they had launched at a different time,” Chauhan said. street 2 “If the film takes off as expected, theatres will adjust shows accordingly,” he added. Given the number of options available to moviegoers this week, Chauhan hopes street 2 to manage an opening day of around ₹25 crores and the other two Hindi films could fetch anywhere between ₹7 crores and ₹10 crores each. Had it been a solo release, the horror comedy could have grossed up to ₹40 crore on the first day, he said.
There is likely to be a clear advantage
“In the north, street 2 It is expected to have a clear advantage. This advantage is due to the franchise’s established popularity among audiences, as the original film, Streetwas a significant success. The recent trend of horror comedies, exemplified by hits such as Lightning“It has further cemented the appeal of this genre in the northern market,” said Devang Sampat, managing director, Cinepolis India.
In the South, the scenario is slightly different, he added, with films aimed at specific language markets. Thangalaan It is expected to dominate the Tamil market while Double iSmart is poised to perform exceptionally well in the Telugu market, leveraging its appeal through engaging content tailored to regional tastes.
Without a doubt, the Independence Day weekend has historically been a blockbuster period for the film industry, consistently drawing huge audiences and delivering impressive box office returns, industry experts said.
Strengthening trend
This trend has continued to strengthen after the pandemic, as evidenced by the success of Bridge 2which raised more than ₹Last year, cinemas recorded sales of Rs 500 crore. These results underline the growing importance of festive weekends for the industry as they not only offer a boost in viewership but also help revive and sustain the momentum of cinema culture. “Weekends are always crucial for business as they account for 60% of footfalls in a week, and this year is no exception. Given the current state of the industry where recovery and growth are paramount, a strong weekend performance is more important than ever. In fact, exhibitors are pinning their hopes on weekends to generate substantial foot traffic and revenues,” Sampat added.
This year’s Independence Day weekend is shaping up to be a crucial time for the film industry, agreed Ashish Saksena, COO, Theatres, BookMyShow. “A successful run of upcoming releases can revive business, restore confidence and set a positive momentum for the rest of the year. Films like street 2 and Double iSmart “The events are expected to lead in advance bookings due to strong public enthusiasm,” Saksena said.
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