FAILURE OF STAR-STADDED
FILMS WORRIES EXHIBITORS

The TOA president also said that exhibitors who released films on a commission basis earlier were now forced to release it on MG (minimum guarantee), since the demand and supply equation had changed and there was stiff competition amongst exhibitors to acquire films for their theatres.

On being asked what he felt about the initiative takers by some exhibitors who were all out to renovate their theatres and create a new ambience for the theatre-going audience, he said that he was not sure about the business of these theatres in the long run. “It will be beneficial only for those exhibitors who also have a strong distribution business going, so that they can release the films they are distributing in their own theatres,” he said, obviously referring to Shringar Films. He, however, added that even these theatres would have been badly affected had it not been for Titanic. Titanic has been the saving grace for these theatres,” he said. Interestingly, Thadani has himself taken up Ashish cinema in Chembur for renovation which he is planning to convert in t0 a hi-tech theatre. “We took the decision over a period of time looking at the other theatres in the Chembur area. It was a cautious decision,” Thadani justified.

On being asked whether the recent industry status accorded by the I&B ministry, would make a difference to the exhibition sector, the TOA president said that it would definitely help reduce the electric tariff. “At the moment exhibitors are paying an electric tariff of Rs 3.75 per unit, per theatre which works out to approximately Rs 30,000-40,000 per month. We are expecting the government to reduce the tariff atleast by Rs 1 per unit, apart from a reduction in property tax.” But he had his own doubts how the streamlining process of film production would benefit the exhibitors. “Films may be very well be planned in a specified period of time, but the actual delivery invariably takes place later, knowing the unpredictability factor in filmmaking,” he said.

Last week, Thadani released the Salman-Twinkle starrer Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai which he is also distributing in Mumbai. “But I’d rather keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best instead of trying to guage the business the film is likely to do,” he said.