Report Card 2015: Industry losses @500 crore!
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53 noteworthy and an equal number of random films hit the screens in 2015. If you look at the brighter side, content-driven films (with or without stars) fared well at the box-office. But there’s more bad news than good. The industry witnessed a fairly below average performance, with losses amounting to the tune of Rs. 500 crore (modest estimate).
The year enjoyed only 14 hits (barring Bajirao Mastani and Dilwale, which are still running in cinemas) – Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Badlapur, NH10, Gabbar Is Back, Piku, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, ABCD 2, Baahubali, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Drishyam, Kis Kis Ko Pyaar Karu, Talvar, Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 and Hate Story 3. Some of the remaining films scraped through to just about the break-even point, while most gave up even before that.
Image Source: Manav Manglani
Filmmaker Kabir Khan, who gave one of the year’s biggest hits Bajrangi Bhaijaan, is quick to acknowledge that number-wise, this year hasn’t been as good as the previous one. “If you talk pure statistics, 2015 was not as good as 2014. But the fact that different kinds of films have worked should be acknowledged as well. The year has seen more focus on content,” he says.
Image Source: boxofficeindia
T-Series head honcho Bhushan Kumar, who backed some of the biggest films this year, blames the losses on the callous budgets. “We have to be very realistic with the budgets. All the producers and even the guild members are working towards that. The budget of a film has to be cost-effective,” he asserts.
Image Source: facebook/Brothers2015
If you’re wondering why certain films like Brothers, despite their near Rs 100-crore returns have not ascertained their position in the list of hits, we have an answer to that too. In a typical case, if a ticket for a film costs Rs 100, Rs 20 is deducted as taxes. From the rest, Rs 40 goes to the exhibitor and the remaining is distributed between a distributor and a producer, with usually a heavier percentage being pocketed by the distributor. So, a film like Brothers- despite a promising box-office performance-- barely helped its producers scrape through.
Image Source: filmstreaming-hd
Image Source: yepmovie
Rakesh Upadhyay, the creative producer of films like Khiladi 786 and The Expose, and also a partner with a Canadian distribution company, White Hill Productions explains, “When the corporate studios entered the market as producers, a lot of money was pumped in. But now, perhaps, even they have understood that the returns aren’t easy. 2015 has proved that a film with a smaller landing cost has worked far better than a film with a hefty landing cost.”
Image Source: facebook/aliiff.ifm
Leading distributor Rajesh Thadani points out that big-ticket films like Bombay Velvet, Tamasha and Shaandaar were box-office turkeys. He seconds Upadhyay, saying, “Costs have to be realistic. Tamasha would easily have become a hit had Corsica not been a cost incurred.”
Image Source: facebook/ShaandaarMovie
Another issue plaguing the industry at large is the fancy for a festival release or a long weekend. For instance, both Bajirao Mastani and Dilwale opened on December 18 – even though both seem to be sailing with over Rs. 100-crore collections, no one can deny that their businesses could have been far better had they come on different weekends.
Image Source: twitter/amarbutala
Amar Butala, the CEO of Salman Khan Films, says, “The dependency on certain festival release windows continues, and moving forward it’s more likely that we see more than one big film release on a given festival. This is going to mean a lot more pressure on opening weekend numbers. And since we are limited by the screens, it will lead to the vicious cycle of more marketing spends.”
The urge to release a big film on a big, festival weekend has opened doors for foreign competition, to not only enter the market but also, on a few occasions, take it over completely. Avengers: The Age of Ultron and Fast And Furious 7 ran like a dream at the box office, which gave Indian producers the shivers.
Says leading trade analyst and independent distributor Amod Mehra, “Unfortunately, our industry has limited itself to Republic day, Independence Day, Eid, Diwali and Christmas to release its big-ticket products. But Hollywood studios don’t care. Look at the money their films are raking in,” he rues.
Conclusively, 2015 was a mixed bag with plenty for the industry to learn. Director-turned-producer Mohit Suri says, “I was happy that content was being weighed much higher than before. But the business of it has to be cleverly managed.”
The less vocal director of the Tanu Weds Manu franchise, Aanand L Rai has the last word. “The industry worked hard. Agreed, we had better numbers last year but we were more gutsy and passionate this year. And let’s just continue with that,” he ends.
Thumbnail Image Source: hd99 & facebook/ShaandaarMovie
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