No Audience, No Show

The ‘Houseful’ sign is now a thing of the past, much like nostalgic memories of old films and songs that resurface today only as social media reels. The dry spell at theatres continues, even though film producers may want audiences to believe otherwise. As creatives and PR announcements claim crores in collections, the dark interiors of theatres tell a very different story.

Shahid Kapoor’s recent O’Romeo opened to not-so-positive reviews and less than 30 percent occupancy in theatres. However, box office figures proclaim that the film has made Rs 70 crore and is growing on strong positive word of mouth — this, even after booking site BookMyShow turned off the rating icon.

“The first week was dull. These days, people upload their comments while watching the movies. Reviews cannot be trusted since many are bought, and the seasoned critics sadly get called out for being biased. We had to cancel a few shows due to low turnout. Though the occupancy improved marginally in a few days, it was not enough to change the fortunes of the film. It’s still a flop”, says an exhibitor in Delhi.

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha called box office numbers “good gossip.” “I hope the audience doesn’t take these numbers seriously, they don’t know that the producer gets less than 50 percent of the reported figure. All these numbers of Rs 400, 700 crores are aspirational figures”, he said, adding that whatever the fate of his film, he won’t announce numbers.

The Sanjay L Bhansali-backed Do Dewwane Shehr Mein, starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Mrunal Thakur, opened to mixed reviews recently, and audience turnout has been less than average.

Flogging a dead template

“I believe romance is dead, and I don’t know why Bollywood keeps trying the same template. Saiyaara worked, so it gave hope, but most people don’t relate to rom-coms these days,” says Deepak Sharma, Managing Director, Cineport Cinemas, Gurugram. On the other hand, Taapsee Pannu’s hard-hitting courtroom drama opted for limited screens, well aware that such a film caters to a niche audience. The actor feels that if audiences do not come out to watch these films, they will eventually stop getting made.

The story repeats itself across industries

The recent debacles are not restricted to Bollywood. Telugu cinema has witnessed several big films turning into no-shows at theatres. Prabhas’ Raja Saab, Ram Charan’s Game Changer, Pawan Kalyan’s Hari Sara Veera Mallu and Vijay Deverakonda’s Kingdom were major box office failures.

From reduced screenings to cancelled shows, the mood remains grim across industries, especially for exhibitors. To draw audiences in, theatres have rolled out ‘Buy One Get One’ schemes, with tickets priced as low as Rs 99.

Cinema owners reeling

“Our profits are under serious pressure. Each screen is generating 25 to 30 percent less business than before. While weekends remain busy, weekday footfall is very low; only 12 to 15 percent of seats are filled, forcing us to cancel 8 to 10 percent of shows simply to manage costs. On top of that, customers are spending 15 percent less on food and drinks. So, while our overall revenue figures may look healthy on the surface, cinema owners are actually bleeding. Only blockbusters like Dhurandhar have given us some relief.” says Deepak Kumar Sharma.

Need of the hour – a realistic game plan

Trade analyst Ramesh Bala points out that movies today release across 1000 screens or more, but movie-going habits have drastically changed. “People watch films over the weekends. Major blockbusters such as Dhurandhar manage to attract audiences during weekdays, with nearly 70 percent occupancy, while the so-called hits have just a 30 percent turnout on weekdays. Also, due to widespread releases, it’s not uncommon to see single digit or less than 20 people in theatres for the under-performers. The losses add up, whether its cancelled shows or low turnout. If the income is less than distribution costs, it’s a loss. The lesson is — if it’s not a big star film, release it on lesser screens and avoid shows on weekdays. And make better movies.”

Inflated profits

The gap between reported box office figures and what is actually playing out inside theatres is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Film analyst Girish Wankhede, who has been closely studying the phenomenon, says there is always a group of producers who, when faced with low box office occupancy for a film made on a considerable budget, try to mask that failure by amplifying numbers.

“They inflate figures to present a rosy picture so they can negotiate better terms for OTT and satellite rights, and sometimes generate PR stories claiming success. Some even create videos and hire agencies to send crowds to screenings in order to fabricate occupancy. These tactics can only briefly boost reported performance. DCRs or Daily Collection Reports are transparent, and such strategies rarely hold up beyond three to seven days, after which the true market response becomes apparent, and damages a producer’s credibility with distributors, platforms and audiences.”