Small films face outright rejection in 2017

The audience across the country is making their intent crystal clear with each passing disaster at the box office. Films worthy of a big-screen experience are outperforming, while low budget films – even those with acceptable content, are facing outright rejection.

When ‘Sarkar Raj’ released in theatres back it 2008, it actually opened very well at the box office – collecting Rs 5.1 crore on Day 1. Ghajini opened to 9.5 crore on the first day, Singh Is Kingg collected 7.2 crore, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi opened at 6.75 crore and Golmaal Returns took a start of around 6 crore. So a Sarkar Raj opening to 5.1 crore compared well to some of the biggest films of 2008.

But the third film in the series has collected less than Rs 2.5 crore on Day 1, when big films are now crossing the 40 crore mark on a single-day.

The story is similar for the other release this week, Meri Pyaari Bindu. There was hardly any interest to watch the film, even though the promos promised an unusual looking romantic comedy.

The fate of other small or niche films have been no different this year – Begum Jaan with an acclaimed actor like Vidya Balan evoked no interest. Phillauri featuring one of the industry’s top female stars didn’t do well either. Rangoon, which had three talented actors, couldn’t even recover its marketing costs from theatrical business. Ok Jaanu opened poorly and failed. All of these films had face-value, but what they completely lacked was scale, substance and universal appeal.

The era of niche multiplex films is coming to an end. Unless the films are outstanding - like a ‘Piku’, ‘Pink’ or ‘Kapoor & Sons’ – the audience isn’t interested anymore. But even those films aren’t collections much more than 70 crore at the box office.

The only films that have worked this year – not including the Telugu film ‘Bahubali 2’ – were all star driven. ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’ featured two of the most promising young actors in the industry and the dependable Akshay Kumar carried ‘Jolly LLB 2’ through. The other films to get to a respectable total, even though they were under-performers, were ‘Raees’ and ‘Kaabil’.

Online streaming websites like Netflix could also be affecting the business of small films. When a monthly subscription of Netflix costs Rs 500 with unlimited streaming of films and tv-series, along with various other entertainment options both on the internet and television – why would the audience spend on theatre outings, which cost no less than Rs 1000 for a couple or Rs 2000 for a family of 4?

Advertisements

25 Comments

  • When dangal released- no effect of demonetisation n when Bahubali released no effect of jio or netflix clearly show the audience wait only for selective event film n rest films r shared b/w jio n netflix n other source of entertainment. Scale with contents is the only option left to bring audiences to theatres without major star to run d film.

  • The last line were u mentioned about Netflix is the main reason for such movies being affected… even now Amazon Prime videos is on the way…

    For me spending 1k for watching such movies in theatre is better to spend 500 and enjoy whole month that to having lot of options what to watch and what to not..

    Unless a movie is huge on content I wont watch a small bidget movie in theatres now

  • Sad time for Bollywood but it is necessary. Its sad that a mass actor Akshay is keep making only multiplex oriented films. He should do mass entertainers too.
    I hope all the film makers and actors specially for young generation will do a universal movie because 4-5 metro audience kind of film took Bollywood downwards. Big hope from Tubelight, Golmaal again, TZH, Dutt biopic, Padmawati. Srk’s Rehnuma will hurt big by Toilet otherwise that films could also be huge.

  • So what do you want to say indicine?? That makers should stop making low budget niche movies?? Every movie can’t be a big screen experience like Baahubali. Every movie can’t have a big star like Salman. Every movie can’t be of high budget and every movie can’t be a commercial potboiler.

    The movies that you mentioned didn’t work coz of bad content. It was always the case with niche movies. If a niche movie doesn’t gets a good WOM, then it never becomes successful. So the makers just have to focus on the content. The target audience of niche movies will come to watch it in theatres if the content is good.

  • Baahubali was show no matter of Festival or open week.
    If people want to watch they will at any cost. no matter how high the ticket prices are.

  • Bollywood is an industry and it only focuses on what sells in the market. People doesn’t want to change the thinking way because they are okay with this Love, Fights and Dancing Drama

  • Why dont they launch Anushka Shetty on Bollywood?
    She is 10000times more beautiful, sexy and taleneted then these squalid actresses in Hindi cinema!!!

  • In Myanmar, bollywood movie release only selected one those features superstar like Salman, Amir, srk, HR, Akki, Ajay and Ranbir. In fact, jolly llb not release but Badri ki dulhaniya release. Biggest surprise is PK not release in Myanmar. Last year Ajay’s shivaay run 3 weeks, Salman’s sultan 5 weeks, srk’s fan only one weeks and ADHM 2 weeks.

  • Some Reasons to Go Theatre.in my opinion
    1. To see their fvt actors on screen
    2. GooD Story well shoot
    3. Larger than life Cinematic Scenes
    4. Megastar Stars with Super action scenes.
    5.Little bit help of Chartbuster Songs
    6. Best Inspirational movies

  • Couldnt agree more.

    I only watch big ticket movies n will never watch small niche type films which imo should just roll straight to tv n not the theatre.

  • Honestly these films were very disappointing in terms of content . I think people are fed up of watching routine ROM Com which we have seen with Befikre, Tum Bin 2, OK Jaanu, Phillauri and Meri Pyari Bindu . Rangoon did not generate any kind of interest after the trailer launch . Begum Jaan was a nice movie but the release date was horrible . Why will people watch a women oriented film based on the backdrop of partition against Fast 8 ? Till Tubelight only HG and Sachin : A Billion Dreams has a chance of emerging successful . Raabta, Behen Hogi Teri, Dobaara, Guest Iin London and Bank Chor will have a tough time and most probably all these movies will bite the dust .

  • Thats really good news these fantom productions or white slate productions should be banned or release there movies on youtube not theatres even a minions like hollywood movie watching on tv is 100times entertaining than watching kashyap type movies in theatre for example movie like trapped wasn’t even movie still released in theatre what a rip off

  • Very good analysis. They are like straight to DVDs movies. Why to spend 1000 on a slow paced boring movies? I have watched Bahubali 6 times in theaters, not because I didn’t understand it or I had nothing to do….but because Bahubali was so captivating that I literally felt I was in a place called Mahismati.

  • vfx improvement big budget movies
    in modern times requirements
    but time also requires star like. SRK
    Salman Aamir

  • male star power is much much
    higher than female star power
    such like SRK Aamir Salman
    from above name SRK and Aamir
    will never disappointed you

  • Your article will be rejected next week with release of Hindi medium, keep listening to your half girlfriend songs indicine !!

  • Hard truth –

    Parineeti with YRF – 3 superhits…….overhyped marketing on content and talent.

    Parineeti without YRF – all flops – reality is, low content, and not great talent.

    Such a shame that she is busy trying to win PR battle with Shraddha Kapoor on paid newspaper articles.

    Her cousin sister is now rocking Hollywood, without a damn help from any top production house……Priyanka Chopra…..now that’s real talent.

    A movie with big and reputed production companies like YRF and Dharma will give a good outing for a movie…..that does not mean the actors are the reason, cuz the roles are superglossed to look the actor brilliant, but with others it may not be the case, that is when the survival becomes a challenge.

  • pathetic article. dissapoinyed. ppl watch mvz bcz of content not bcz of budget or scale. a pink queen kns will still work like they did till last year. stop drawing silly judgments & behaving like boi

Leave a Comment