Till a little over a year ago, Hollywood films contributed to merely four to five per cent of box office collections across India. But in 2009, business doubled. Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince, Hangover, X-Men Origins – Wolverine, 2012 and Avatar, to name a few have set the cash registers ringing.
In comparison, apna Bollywood is lagging behind with only Raaz – The Mystery Continues, New York, Love Aaj Kal, Wanted, All The Best, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Paa and 3 Idiots getting the thumbs up at the ticket windows.
One reason for the turnaround could be the second season of the Indian Premiere League followed by the multiplex strike earlier this year, informs Vinod Mirani, managing editor, Box Office India, a weekly trade magazine.
He points out that with big films on hold, small budget Hindi movies and Hollywood films made merry at the ‘plexes. “The demand for English films, including those dubbed in Hindi, has gone up considerably,” he adds. “At one time, there would be only one print for Mumbai and one for Delhi. But recently, Avatar released with over 450 prints and grossed Rs 20 crore in the first week itself.”
Hemant Panchammiya, managing director, E-Square, attributes Hollywood’s success to big banners and marketing strategy. “Only a big film promoted well works,” he reasons. “2012 has done fantastic business all over. Avatar, in comparison, hasn’t cracked with a section of the audience and its business is restricted to 3D screens in the multiplexes. Many English films still don’t get a good chain of cinemas that still give precedence to Bollywood.” According to a trade source, Hollywood distributors aren’t half as aggressive as their Bollywood counterparts and go with whichever theatres and show timings they get. Panchammiya agrees, “Hollywood continues to have a niche audience in limited pockets. For it to extend its reach, it will have to go digital. That will also combat the menace of piracy.”
Devang Sampat, vice-president, Cinemax, argues that there’s no competition per se from Hollywood. “If a Hangover packed in full houses during the weekends, it was largely due to the lesser number of shows as compared to a Kambakkht Ishq that was playing as many as 28 shows at our multiplex daily. More occupancy doesn’t necessarily mean more numbers. Collections for such films are still largely under 10 per cent of the national gross figures,” he asserts. But Shyam Shroff of Shringar Films is optimistic that the future is bright for the western imports. “With good theatres are coming up across the country, there’s a growing market for such films. People in smaller towns have developed a taste for good action and a gripping storyline,” he says. Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani theatre in Purnia, Bihar, endorses Shroff’s opinion: “Though it’s not doing as well as 2012, Avatar has found a market in territories like Bihar, UP and Bengal and is working better than some of our so-called Bollywood biggies. Five years ago, audiences here didn’t care for James Bond but the last Bond movie, Casino Royale, found plenty of takers. And Twilight drew full houses for the first three days even though people in Bihar don’t understand the concept of vampires and werewolves.” Mirani attributes the success of these Hollywood films to the hype it generated in the media. “Television has created more awareness of the world around us. Even parents in small towns want to send their children to English medium schools and somewhere, that has contributed to the growth of an audience for Hollywood movies,” he elaborates.
Chauhan agrees, “Distributors were offering Minimum Guarantee for 2012 at a time when most Hindi movies didn’t get MG. I’ve already started getting enquiries for Spiderman 4 and the next Iron Man movie. In the coming years, I see Hollywood emerging as a strong competitor for Bollywood. Romances and arty films like Inglourious Basterds won’t pull in the crowds though. It’ll be the disaster and superhero flicks with exciting visual effects that will hit bukll’s eye. Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible series will, any day, work better than a Valkyrie.”
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