A big Bollywood film has failed. Shamshera was the latest Hindi film to fail and made theatre owners nervous.
In some cases, there were no audiences at all at the theaters where the film was shown.
The first-day shows of the film were canceled. Shows were canceled in Agra and Bhopal. People didn't show up in big centres. Komal Nahta is a film analyst.
Samrat Prithviraj, which was released on June 2 and saw many shows canceled, had a first-day collection of Rs 10 crores.
Expectations were high and everyone was hoping that Shamshera would bring Bollywood back to it's former glory.
Occupancy in his cinemas was in the range of 20-40 percent during the weekend but fell to 10 percent on July 25. During its first weekend in Saroj Screens, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 had houseful shows that brought in over Rs 180 cr in India.
No one was willing to take the job.
Shamshera was a flop in cinemas, according to the MD of Miraj Cinemas. The Hindi film segment contributes up to 70% of the box office business.
Hindi films are the bread and butter of the industry in the north.
Weak performances of Hindi films are worrying the theatre business. Mainstream Hindi films need to perform better for the exhibition sector to grow.
Samrat Prithviraj, made on a budget of Rs 200 cr, made about Rs 68 cr, and Heropanti 2, made on a budget of Rs 100 cr, made about Rs 24 cr.
The collections were below expectation. The collections of rocketry and Shabaash Mithu were dismal.
The health of the exhibition sector is affected by Bollywood numbers.
In the second quarter of FY23, Hindi box office collections are expected to decline 15 percent from the second quarter of FY20 due to the release of big-budget films such as Covid.
Laal Singh Chaddha is scheduled to release in August, while Brahmastra is set to release in September.
Despite the release of a few large- ticket films in the quarter, the Hindi box office is estimated to decline in Q2 of FY23 as small and medium budget films continue to report dismal performance The Hindi box office is estimated to decline on a normalised base for the first time since Q1 of FY 18.
Bollywood's weak performance is causing panic among producers and directors.
The cinemas are in a bad state. Films are being pulled out in two to three days. After a long time, they are still waiting for audiences to come. Nahta said it was due to bad content.
There are alternative choices.
A single-screen exhibitor in Bihar said that some small cinemas are going to close down.
“Small cinemas get films on rentals and they are not getting back what they have spent,” he said. The theatre owner added that the upcoming line-up is not strong enough to boost the confidence of exhibitors.Nahta said that many businesses are considering alternatives.
I don't think any Hindi film is a blockbuster. The industry needs a line of successful films. He doesn't know if five to six films will be above average.
Regional and Hollywood films continue to do well at the box office, according to experts.
With its current collections of about Rs 83 crore, the movie is expected to cross the Rs 100 cr mark. Doctor Strange has made over 120 million dollars.
Bollywood doesn't have a single film this year which is exciting for theater goers. The films are not exciting in terms of strong opening day numbers because they are all word-of-mouth films.
I am already getting inquiries on when the film is going to come in theatres, and that they want to see it on the opening day, because the trailer is out and I am already getting inquiries. I haven't heard of any Bollywood films this year.
An official of a top multiplex chain said it's too early to write off Bollywood.
“Movies will start performing in the second half, which has a strong line-up. People are stepping out to watch films. There is a supply of films and there is demand. As long as this is happening, there is nothing to worry about,” the official added.
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