Gadar 2, OMG 2 and Animal to clash at the box office on August 11: Experts says this three-way clash is not a good move

Films clashing at the box office is no big deal, and there have been ample instances where both the releases have worked well, or, at times, one overshadowed the other. And Independence Day weekend this year already seems to be quite exciting already with three big films — Gadar 2, OMG 2 and Animal — locking horns on August 11. However, experts in the film fraternity wonder if this is an ideal scenario, especially after the pandemic when there’s already so much of backlog of films to be cleared.Also, because of the dismaying revival of the big screen business, this three-way clash isn’t being looked at as a good move.

“This three-way clash is only an overkill,” exclaims film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi with disappointment, adding, “The 15th August weekend is lucrative date for a lot of people, but since we are just emerging from the damages inflicted upon the industry during the pandemic, it’s important that we space out the releases in a way that every week we have enough content.”

Rathi also points that besides these Hindi releases, there might be other language movies coming out, too, including one project starring Rajinikanth. “There will be maragiri. The fraternity needs to be more pragmatic and make sure that they space out with every tent-pole project and have a gap of at least one week. We can serve ourselves by being in sync with each other,” he explains.

Echoing the same sentiment, trade expert Taran Adarsh feels the common man doesn’t have the time or the money or the inclination to watch three big films in one weekend.

“It’s not a healthy trend. Everyone has budget constraints. In fact, exhibitors and distributors will also be fighting among themselves to get enough screen and the shows. Everyone has a right to think of the release date, but they also need to look at the bigger picture at the moment,” he opines.

When it comes to 2023 film releases, only a handful of projects including Pathaan, The Kerala Story, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, have managed to rake in some money. Industry experts feel there’s a need to inculcate the habit of regular cinema going, which will only be deterred by such clashes.

Producer and trade expert Girish Johar weighs in and stresses that when the box office numbers aren’t comign in and audience is already dwindling with each film, such a huge clash will only lead to chaos.

“We had summer months — May and June, with no big release, and now three good films will come out together. It is not a good sign because eventually the fraternity will lose. Someone who probably could have made a bit more, will lose out because of the competition,” he notes.

Stating that three films clashing is a “suicide”, Manoj Desai, Executive Director of G7 multiplex and Maratha Mandir Cinema, adds in agreement: “After the pandemic, people prefer to go out of town during such weekends. So, they need to change their mindset while planning the release calendar. They need to focus on revving the business, and move accordingly.”

Given that theatre going audience has significantly reduced in the post-pandemic era, many feel such clashes will further divide the footfall and nobody would benefit.

“We need to space out to give everyone a chance at recovery. And people also don’t have such a budget to watch more than one film in a weekend, considering the prices of the tickets,” says Zara Hatke Zara Bachke director Laxman Utekar.

Producer Ramesh Taurani, too, believes that this clash should be avoided, and is hoping one of the films gets pushed. “This year, we don’t have many big projects, or the next year, so we need to avoid clashes and space out so that everyone has a chance to make money,” he says.

Shedding light from the viewpoint of cinema halls, Devang Sampat, CEO, Cinepolis, shares a different perspective and says that the biggest weekend from an exhibitor point of view has always been where you have multiple releases. “That has been the strength of Indian film industry. And we hope it continues to be. It is not clashing with the audience getting more options. We have screens to accommodate. It is good and not bad for us. And when it comes to a film working, it is not about paying capacity, but good content. If a film is good, it will work,” he asserts.