Exclusive: Will Baahubali slay Sarkar 3, Meri Pyaari Bindu?

Even after two weeks, the Baahubali 2: The Conclusion craze is refusing to subside at the box-office. With that, the jubilant exhibitors who have witnessed a windfall of collections are reluctant to vacate their screens for the two big Hindi films releasing on Friday. The Amitabh Bachchan starrer Sarkar 3 and Parineeti Chopra starrer Meri Pyaari Bindu are in waiting. Apparently, Yashraj Films had already booked certain screens for Meri Pyaari Bindu well in advance, leaving Sarkar 3, at the receiving end, with exhibitors in no mood to relent.

Veteran distributor and exhibitor Ramesh Sippy, who controls the prominent Chitra cinema in Mumbai and the top 3 multiplexes in Saurashtra, has decided to forego the Hindi films at Chitra and allot only a few shows to them in his multiplex. “It is not a matter of choice. It is a compelling decision to screen Baahubali for all shows at my single screen theatre. The film has been booked for an open and indefinite run at a majority of single screen theatres. It is not binding on the exhibitors, but here, both the distributor and the exhibitors are eager to continue with the film,” he says.

Multiplex and theatrical business consultant, Sanjay Dalia, Founder and CEO of Thrive Consulting, says, “Baahubali is still running with 80 percent occupancy on weekdays and 95 percent occupancy on weekends. Also, the film has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for cinema owners after being starved of collections in the past three months. They have an agreement with the Baahubali distributor for an open run,” explains Dalia.

Conditions apply
Another reason why single screens don’t want to accommodate other films is a pre-condition set by Baahubali distributors that they would have to forego the film if they divide and allot shows to other films. This could prove to be a risky proposition for them. Veteran Delhi exhibitor, Joginder Kumar Mahajan of Mahajan International, who owns three single-screen theatres in Delhi, says, “Most single screen exhibitors across the country are reluctant to allot screens for other films because the BB2 distributors have made it clear that they will have to let go of the film if they divide shows in their screens. So, no exhibitor is willing to let go.”

Mahajan adds that the Baahubali distributor himself postponed the release of his upcoming movie, Hindi Medium, anticipating its record run at the box-office. “He did not want his other film to suffer, and it was postponed to May 19 instead of its earlier release on May 12. The audience is in no mood to watch any other film at the moment. The exhibition trade is full of buzz that both films will be sacrificed at the box-office,” he says.

All in the game
Even multiplexes, which have allotted screens for the two releases, have ensured that the existing shows for Baahubali do not get affected. According to Rajender Singh Jyala, Vice-President, Programming and Distribution, INOX, “Since Baahubali is doing so well, it will continue to be the main attraction even though we are releasing the two other films.”

The ill-logical logic
Veteran distributor and writer and former President of Film Federation of India, J.P. Choksey, has the last word, “The reason why exhibitors are refusing to let go of Baahubali is because they don’t have confidence in the forthcoming releases. At least if they starred one of the three Khans or Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar, exhibitors would have still made way for them. Let us not forget that our industry is a hero-oriented industry,” Choksey says, sidelining the fact that Big B also had a major draw at the box-office. But he is cynical of Baahubali’s success, “I don’t deny that Baahubali  has revived the box-office, but the makers are selling mythology packaged with special effects. There is no logic in the film but it has worked and that’s what matters,” he quips.