BackLow Bollywood output to affect film, theatre business in 2021
The long pause in film shoots due to covid-19 this year has delayed projects by six to seven months, with most movies, though not all, slated to restart work only in December.
PremiumNEW DELHI : Film theatres in India that are yet to see any signs of normalcy, should brace themselves for an even tougher 2021 as the Hindi film industry’s total output is expected tobe down by 50% owing to pandemic-induced disruption in shooting and production timelines and budgets, said trade experts.
The long pause in film shoots due to covid-19 this year has delayed projects by six to seven months, with most movies, though not all, slated to restart work only in December.
Many actors and directors are still wary of returning to sets and the producers remain apprehensive too. The slow and cautious shoots coupled with another 5-6 months of post-production will cause severe paucity of content April onwards. In fact, films that may have finished shooting by February will not be available for release before July.
Titles like Taapsee Pannu’s sports drama Rashmi Rocket, John Abraham-starrer Satyameva Jayate 2, Karan Johar’s untitled production starring Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Pandey are some films that were slated to go on the floors earlier.
According to a KPMG report, the film segment will contract by 67% over FY21, registering revenues of ₹6,100 crore versus ₹18,300 crore the previous year.
“It takes anything between four to nine months to be ready to release and monetize a film that has been shot. That means films that are ready today were shot at least nine months ago. Given that no shoots took place for much of this year post March, the lag will be felt March 2021 onwards," explained Siddharth Anand Kumar, vice-president, films and television, Saregama India.
Producer Anand Pandit agreed the pandemic has taken a toll on shooting and production schedules, exhibition dates and budgets.
“Shoots have begun but they are slow-paced and few in number. Many artistes have misgivings about joining work. Plus, given the uncertainty surrounding safety protocols in cinema halls, perhaps more filmmakers will have OTT premieres even after their finished movies can technically go to theatres. It will be a long way before cinemas see a flood of freshly minted blockbusters," Pandit said.
Pravin Chalikwar, a director at Priti Cinemas, a single-screen theatre in Parbhani, Maharashtra is one of the many exhibitors who have drastically altered their expectations for the year ahead. Compared to the 30 plus releases it is common for cinemas to see across languages per week, Chalikwar said he would be happy even if he gets two new offerings per week post April when he expects audiences to start trickling in. Overall, the business would greatly benefit if there are around six big-budget spectacles like Tanhaji-The Unsung Warrior in 2021. “I’m not looking at any profits or real earnings, just keeping the business alive," Chalikwar said.
“There will no longer be that mad rush in theatres, at least for the next one year," Atul Mohan, editor of trade magazine Complete Cinema said.
The real benefit of this lag could be availed by small-budget or regional films with unfamiliar faces that would ordinarily not find wide showcasing in mainstream multiplexes, Kumar said. Saregama that runs a boutique studio called Yoodlee Films has a Marathi and Tamil film that it says would be ready around March.
“It’s time for a fighting chance for these really small projects that they are usually denied and for them to leverage better deals," Kumar added.
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