Leading producer and exhibitor Daggubati Suresh Babu states that we shouldn’t be led to believe that there has been a dramatic increase in the theatre footfalls riding on the spike in numbers of cinegoers thanks to some recent hit films.
He states that they had a bad summer from April to June with flops, while August witnessed blockbusters like ‘Jailer’, ‘Gadar 2’ and 'OMG 2’ to make up for the theatres' losses.
In a chit chat with Deccan Chronicle, he bats for flexible ticket pricing for theatres with an upper limit cap allowing headroom for theatres to survive irrespective of the fate of the movies.
Q: It seems that the footfalls at theatres have shot up drastically, going by recent blockbusters?
A: Frankly, the rise in footfalls at theatres is just a myth since people are coming to theatres only to watch good films and thumbing down bad ones. We haven’t observed any marked rise in the percentage of footfalls as we keep track of such things every day. However, films like ‘Jailer’, ‘Gadar 2’ and 'OMG 2’ have rocked the box office in Telugu states and revived our hopes to make up for our losses in theatres after poor collections during summers this year.
Q: Again the audience has patronized star-studded movies like Jailer and Gadar 2 over thematic movies?
A: Of course, I also like to watch a star-studded film since a lot of money is spent on production, exotic locales and great songs but star charisma alone is unable to pull in crowds. For instance, Rajinikanth’s earlier movies didn’t do well but ‘Jailer’ rocked the box office. Similarly, Akshay Kumar had more flops before returning with a bang with ‘OMG 2’. On the other hand, small films like ‘Virupaksha’ and ‘Baby’ also minted gold at the box office, so content is the king for both small and big movies.
Q; Do you still believe that ticket rates have to be hiked?
A: This has been a debatable issue for quite some time. Personally, I think there should be an upper limit and flexibility be given to the theatres to alter rates over the week. For instance, we can sell a ticket for Rs 250 on weekends and are allowed to sell for Rs 150 or less on weekdays. People after a hard day's work, like to chill out in a theatre. They should be given the best of food, great film viewing experience and swanky ambience to help them to relax and enjoy. I would prefer viewers to choose their place and price.
Q: You seem to have slowed down on production. Are you planning any films with your sons Rana and Abhiram?
A: I have slowed production because I am unable to find novel and refreshing stories beckoning me. I am looking for exciting writers and directors so it is bound to take some time to commence production since we have a legacy to live up to. I am planning films with Rana and Abhiram and discussions are underway.
