Latest news with #AmeyaNaik
Economic Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Big banner films still fail to deliver bang for the buck
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The disappointing performance of big-budget and multilingual films War 2 and Coolie on their opening weekend, especially after the unexpected and extraordinary success of the low-budget Saiyaara, has reignited concerns about the box office revival, said producers, exhibitors and 2, the sixth offering of the Yash Raj Spy Universe , released across more than half of India's total screens (including IMAX), recorded the lowest opening of ₹29 crore for the Hindi version in the Spy Universe, according to data from Sacnilk. Similarly, Coolie recorded a 45.8% drop in its collection across languages on Monday, compared to that on Sunday, the data in the first four days, War 2 and Coolie collected ₹165 crore and ₹195 crore respectively in India. Both films were made with a budget of ₹350-450 crore each."The disappointing performance of War 2 and Coolie is a reminder that hype and stars cannot guarantee longevity to films," said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director, Karmic Films. "This tendency to create pan-India offerings through stars merely provides a high opening day collection. But sustained success is dictated only by content."Industry executives said one of the factors responsible for the progressive decline in collection on the opening weekend was the lack of freshness and entertaining elements in the scripts of both films."I cannot differentiate one film from the other in the six films of the Yash Raj Spy Universe. It is the same story which is repeated with different stars. Dialogues are dull. There is no thrill or engaging quality to the confrontation between the two central characters in War 2," said Ameya Naik, founder, Fantasy Films, an event management company. "Coolie has benefited considerably from Rajnikanth's stardom. Though Coolie may be better than War 2, its screenplay falters and it does not entertain you."Audiences and distributors also mentioned the glaring lack of visual richness, especially in War 2, as another disappointing factor."A large portion of War 2's budget is invested in actors' fees. The film's visual effects do not justify its budget at all. This makes the viewing experience even more dull as the story lacks freshness and conviction. The film has benefited more from the holiday period," said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade on the other hand, said they were concerned about the increasing tendency among producers to treat films as "projects"."These films would recover investments. In recent years, things have become so formulaic. Makers are making 'projects'. "We have lost our model of success. Today, big producers with large distribution networks are interested in recovering money through sale of rights and other assets," said Yusuf Shaikh, CEO and founder, Janta Cinema, an exhibitor which showcases films at affordable prices."Producers will recover their money as the formula is working. But the audience is disappointed."
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Big banner films still fail to deliver bang for the buck
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The disappointing performance of big-budget and multilingual films War 2 and Coolie on their opening weekend, especially after the unexpected and extraordinary success of the low-budget Saiyaara, has reignited concerns about the box office revival, said producers, exhibitors and 2, the sixth offering of the Yash Raj Spy Universe , released across more than half of India's total screens (including IMAX), recorded the lowest opening of ₹29 crore for the Hindi version in the Spy Universe, according to data from Sacnilk. Similarly, Coolie recorded a 45.8% drop in its collection across languages on Monday, compared to that on Sunday, the data in the first four days, War 2 and Coolie collected ₹165 crore and ₹195 crore respectively in India. Both films were made with a budget of ₹350-450 crore each."The disappointing performance of War 2 and Coolie is a reminder that hype and stars cannot guarantee longevity to films," said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director, Karmic Films. "This tendency to create pan-India offerings through stars merely provides a high opening day collection. But sustained success is dictated only by content."Industry executives said one of the factors responsible for the progressive decline in collection on the opening weekend was the lack of freshness and entertaining elements in the scripts of both films."I cannot differentiate one film from the other in the six films of the Yash Raj Spy Universe. It is the same story which is repeated with different stars. Dialogues are dull. There is no thrill or engaging quality to the confrontation between the two central characters in War 2," said Ameya Naik, founder, Fantasy Films, an event management company. "Coolie has benefited considerably from Rajnikanth's stardom. Though Coolie may be better than War 2, its screenplay falters and it does not entertain you."Audiences and distributors also mentioned the glaring lack of visual richness, especially in War 2, as another disappointing factor."A large portion of War 2's budget is invested in actors' fees. The film's visual effects do not justify its budget at all. This makes the viewing experience even more dull as the story lacks freshness and conviction. The film has benefited more from the holiday period," said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade on the other hand, said they were concerned about the increasing tendency among producers to treat films as "projects"."These films would recover investments. In recent years, things have become so formulaic. Makers are making 'projects'. "We have lost our model of success. Today, big producers with large distribution networks are interested in recovering money through sale of rights and other assets," said Yusuf Shaikh, CEO and founder, Janta Cinema, an exhibitor which showcases films at affordable prices."Producers will recover their money as the formula is working. But the audience is disappointed."
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bollywood turns cold on new directors: Fewer debut filmmakers in theatres
Hindi film producers have grown increasingly risk-averse over the past three-and-a-half years, betting on familiar names and proven formulae while pulling back on support for debut filmmakers , amid a wave of box-office flops even by seasoned directors. The number of debut filmmakers breaking into Hindi cinema fell to 32 in 2024 from 39 in 2022, according to the data shared by veteran trade analysts. So far in 2025, only 15 first-time Hindi filmmakers have had theatrical releases. This decline has come despite an increase in the total number of Hindi film releases to 221 in 2024 from 194 in 2022. The share of debut directors dropped to 14.5% from 20.1% during this period. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mi Piace Così | Quanto costa perdere peso? Mi Piace Così Undo "Today, producers want to minimise the margin of error," said Ameya Naik, producer and founder of the event management company Fantasy Films. "Gone are the days when a filmmaker could afford to make his or her 'best' film after a few films. Today, a filmmaker's debut film must be his or her 'best' film, as audiences have become more unforgiving than ever," he said. Post-pandemic, producers across geographies have been facing the fundamental challenge of increasing unpredictability in box-office outcomes, with the success ratio of films falling to about 3.2% in 2024. Gross box office collection declined to ₹11,833 crore in 2024 from ₹12,226 crore in 2023, according to Ormax Media, a media and entertainment research firm. Live Events Amid this unpredictability and rising talent costs, Hindi film producers have become averse to backing new stories and directors, industry insiders said. Producers are more interested in exploiting intellectual properties (IPs) of already successful films even as conglomerates, private equity players and asset management companies have acquired high or controlling stakes in entertainment companies across the world. "They are driven more by numbers than creativity. So, they invest in successful IPs by making sequels or remaking them, as they believe familiarity with IPs brings audiences to theatres," said a producer requesting anonymity. This strategy seems to be working. The top three Hindi grossers of 2024 were all franchises and sequels: Stree 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, and Singham Again. In this context, a Bain & Company Global M&A 2025 report noted that owning quality IPs has been a key factor behind recent mergers and acquisitions in the global media and entertainment industry. In this scenario, producers say it is easier for debut filmmakers in Hindi to find opportunities on streaming platforms than making theatrical debut. "I think for debut filmmakers, the challenges involved in making a theatrical film are higher than those involved in making films for streaming platforms," said Naveen Chandra, founder and CEO of 91 Film Studios, a studio for regional films. This is in stark contrast to what is transpiring in regional cinema where several debut directors are making noteworthy content-driven films.
