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Mint
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Old hits and IPL screenings offer buzz, but not cash for cinemas
As the Bollywood pipeline ran dry, cinemas had turned to re-releases of older hits and screenings of live events like cricket matches to draw footfall. However, their contribution to overall revenues of movie theatres remained marginal. While these strategies help boost audience engagement and drive food and beverage (F&B) sales, these are more stopgap measures than sustainable revenue streams even as a couple of films did better than original theatrical runs. 'We don't see a great amount of revenue coming from these alternate streams. Their overall earnings are quite miniscule compared to a new blockbuster such as Chhaava that made up 75% of all box office in the January to March quarter," Rahul Puri, managing director, Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas said. In lean quarters, the share of re-released films may appear inflated, but the model isn't viable in the long run, he added, even though some level of experimentation will continue. To be sure, for Indian cinema, tapping into nostalgia has become the latest gamble to lure audiences back to theatres. Re-releases of beloved hits like Rockstar, Tumbbad, and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani have struck gold at the box office. Movies that had barely found any draw during their initial run, are being rediscovered by audiences. Sanam Teri Kasam, a romantic drama, is currently one of the highest grossing re-releases in India, having made over ₹35 crore in box-office collections against ₹9.11 crore garnered in 2016. Laila Majnu earned over ₹11 crore last year, surpassing its original box-office takings of ₹2-3 crore when released in 2018. Also Read: Re-released romantic films capture the hearts of young, nostalgic viewers Evolving destinations Multiplex chains like PVR Inox have also experimented with live screenings of IPL matches across 30-plus cities, pitching cinemas as evolving 'multi-faceted entertainment destinations." These initiatives have picked up pace in recent months amid a dearth of big-ticket Hindi releases. 'These streams cannot be seen as a stable source of revenue in the digital age (where all the films and sports tournaments stream on OTT platforms)," independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said. 'It is a one-off thing primarily driven by the fact that the supply chain (of new movies) isn't fulfilling audience demand well enough." Even among the re-releases, it's a case of hit and trial, he added. While some titles, such as Sanam Teri Kasam, have done better than even new films, others, such as Andaz Apna Apna, Karan Arjun and Ghatak, barely found any draw. Similarly, sports tournaments such as the IPL or live screening of the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony were seen more as space fillers than big revenue generators. 'Cinemas are meant for movies and new titles primarily drive admissions," said Amit Sharma, former managing director, Miraj Entertainment, which operates multiplex theatres. 'While theatres will bring re-releases back whenever there is an opportunity, these can't make a big difference to the numbers," added Sharma, who stepped down from his role last week. The release calendar is more evenly spread this year as compared to 2024, making for lesser scope for re-releases and other initiatives over time. Also Read: Single-screen cinemas hold off on property conversion offers even as theatrical business declines
Mint
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Pricey Hollywood tickets deter Indian moviegoers, dent box office in 2024
NEW DELHI : Hollywood films commanded a big premium at Indian box office in 2024, with average ticket prices soaring to ₹245, significantly outpacing local language cinema, said the latest Ficci-EY media and entertainment report. However, theatre owners are pushing back against this high-pricing strategy, warning that it is discouraging footfalls, particularly in small towns, contributing to one of Hollywood's weakest box-office performances in the country in nearly a decade. The average Hollywood ticket price of ₹245 towers over the all-India average of ₹134 and handily beats local languages like Hindi ( ₹203), the report said. Theatre owners emphasise that despite dubbing efforts, Hollywood's insistence on high ticket prices in India is alienating a significant portion of the movie-going population at a time when fewer films are achieving commercial success. With footfalls at 38 million and a 17% decline in box office, 2024 marked one of Hollywood's weakest years in India in the last decade, according to media consulting firm Ormax. This was the first time since 2015 that the industry failed to surpass the ₹1,000-crore mark in annual box office collection, excluding the pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021. Also read | Smalltown content creators can now play in the big leagues. All they need is AI. 'The high price floor set for Hollywood films is a struggle for smaller towns and markets like ours that are very price-sensitive. You're basically outpricing a large section of the population," Bihar-based exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said. In such cases, films tend to be extremely front-loaded, making most of their revenue over the first weekend and are unable to expand beyond the core fan base, Chauhan added. The latest Marvel film, Captain America: Brave New World, for instance, made ₹9.25 crore out of the total ₹18.45 crore box office earnings over the first weekend. In 2024, Deadpool & Wolverine, too, had clocked in ₹64.55 crore over the opening weekend alone, before going on to make ₹128.40 crore in total. Clear on targets Trade experts like Chauhan said Hollywood studios are quite clear about targeting only a specific, upmarket audience for their films, and therefore stick to high-pricing strategy. Besides, they tend to think of ticket rates in India in dollar equivalents, which may not seem unreasonable to them. 'At a time that big franchise films are anyway not coming and Hollywood content no longer working like it used to, higher prices only compound and aggravate the problem," Chauhan said. Also read | A.R. Rahman copyright case revives a frequent clash Pranav Garg, managing director at Maya Palace, a two-screen cinema in Muzaffarnagar, said there are other reasons for the prices of Hollywood films remaining higher than other languages. In case of American movies, VPF (virtual print fee), which is a cost usually borne by producers to show their films using digital projectors and technology supplied by digital service providers (DSPs) such as UFO Moviez and Qube Cinemas, is paid for by theatres. Plus, there is the expense for equipment such as 3D glasses, common for Hollywood movies. Making up with hikes Cinemas try and make up for these extra charges by hiking ticket rates. 'Also, it is uncommon for Hollywood films to get pirated and leaked like Indian titles do, so there is more incentive to come to theatres. That said, with so many films not working lately, exhibitors are taking off their DCI projectors," Garg said. As a rule, American studios only take their films to DCI (digital cinema initiative)-compliant theatres in India. DCI is a joint venture of several film studios, including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, Walt Disney Co., and Warner Bros, to set up a common set of requirements that ensure a high and uniform standard of digital cinema viewing. Also read | Amazon Prime Video to start ads from 17 June; will offer paid ad-free options 'The average Hollywood film generally appeals to a higher socio-economic market and often makes it to more premium properties because the studios know who they are catering to. But given that Hollywood is now in the same boat as other languages, with no real blockbusters, especially over the last 18 months, the pricing may need to be kept in mind," Rahul Puri, managing director, Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas, said.
