Category: Movies

‘RRR’ brings tsunami at the box office, signalling normalcy in film business

Mumbai: Star filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s latest magnum opus “RRR” opened to a terrific response across 7,000 screens in India and globally on Friday. The fantasy-drama film recorded the highest opening numbers after “Baahubali: The Conclusion,” the filmmaker’s last outing. Trade pundits believe that it is the glowing word of mouth that helped “RRR” to become immensely popular amongst moviegoers within just three days of its release.

“RRR” is the first film after two continuous years of instability to have a 100 per cent opening in terms of occupancy. Reportedly, the film overtook “Baahubali 2” with the first day’s earnings and has earned Rs 580 crore till Sunday evening.

On its debut day, the film earned Rs 18 crore in the Hindi belt alone. On the second day, the film continued to rake in Rs 24 crore. On the global front, the film is doing well in Australia and USA as well. It earned Rs 223 crore worldwide. In India, the film earned Rs 156 crore, while in the USA, the film minted Rs 42 crore and in the non-US market, it nabbed Rs 25 crore, which takes the total to a solid Rs 223 crore.

Rajamouli’s marketing strategy did the magic for “RRR”

The marketing team of “RRR” has done a tremendous job to create a buzz around the film even before its release. While being a visual masterpiece, “RRR” has been in talks since 2018, when the shooting schedule was planned.

“RRR” was never meant to be a Tollywood film. As a pan India film, it targeted gen-Z and millennials by using social media applications like Snapchat.

Movie business returning to normalcy

Experts believe that full-year FY23 box office revenue should be in line with pre-Covid levels as of now. Even on a like-to-like basis – while comparing March 2019 too, there is a 30 per cent + growth in box office revenue for exhibitors, estimated by Elara Capitals before the release of “RRR.”

With back-to-back hits, including “RRR,” “The Kashmir Files,” “Gangubai Kathiawadi,” March 2022 has seen Hindi box office revenue growth of at least 30-35 per cent versus pre-pandemic levels of March 2019.

Elara Capital’s Taurani expects this momentum to accelerate from April 2022 onwards.

Bollywood business growth for 2022 is backed by promising content lineup

If we see the trend so far, the year opened with “Badhaai Do,” a comedy-drama crafted around the LGBTQI+ community and same-sex relationships.

Soon after, Bollywood saw two big historical films – “Gangubai Kathiawadi” and “The Kashmir Files.” The two films turned out to be a great surprise not just for the audience but for producers too by collecting Rs 150 crore and Rs 250 crore, respectively.

Along with the huge openings in the first quarter, big-budget films like “Jersey,” “Brahmastra,” “Heropanti 2,” “KGF 2,” “Tejas,” “Ram Setu” are also lined up for release in the next few months.

Looking at the content lineup for the next nine months of 2022, it can be said that the present growth will sustain and 2022 will manage to match pre-Covid levels leading to normalcy in the film business.

What is the story of “RRR”

Set in the 1920’s, “RRR” is based on the lives of Telugu freedom fighters, Alluri Sitarama Raju (played by Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR). Bankrolled by DVV Danayya, “RRR” was reportedly made on a massive budget of Rs 450 crore. Alongside the lead turn from Ram Charan and Jr NTR, the film also features Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt in extended cameos.

March 28, 2022
Multiplex giants PVR, Inox announce merger to combat OTT onslaught

Mumbai: Top multiplex chains PVR Ltd and Inox Leisure Ltd have announced a merger following a meeting of their board of directors on Sunday. The combined entity, called PVR Inox Ltd, will become the largest film exhibition company in India operating 1546 screens.

“The merged entity would be able to strongly counter the advent of various OTT platforms and the after effects of the pandemic,” the two companies said in an exchange filing.

The merger will be an all-stock amalgamation subject to approval of the shareholders of PVR and Inox respectively, stock exchanges, Sebi and such other regulatory as may be required.

Post the merger, the promoters of Inox will become the co-promoters in the merged entity along with existing promoters of PVR. The board of directors of the merged company will be reconstituted with a total board strength of ten members and both the promoter families having equal representation on the board with two seats each. PVR promoters will have 10.62 per cent stake while Inox promoters will have 16.66 per cent stake in the combined entity.

When the merger becomes effective, shareholders of Inox will receive shares of PVR in exchange of shares in Inox at the approved share swap ratio. Inox shareholders will receive three shares in PVR for ten shares of Inox.

It was also decided that PVR chairman Ajay Bijli will lead the combined entity as managing director and Sanjeev Kumar will be the executive director.

Inox Group chairman Pavan Kumar Jain will be named as non-executive chairman of the board, and Siddharth Jain will serve as non-executive non-independent director in the combined entity.

“This is a momentous occasion that brings together two companies with significantly complementary strengths,” said PVR’s Ajay Bijli. “The partnership of these two brands will put consumers at the center of its vision and deliver an unparalleled movie going experience to them. The film exhibition sector has been one of the worst impacted sectors on account of the pandemic and creating scale to achieve efficiencies is critical for the long-term survival of the business and fight the onslaught of digital OTT platforms.”

“Coming together of two iconic cinema brands, which are driven by passion, is certainly the most historic moment in the Indian cinema exhibition industry,” stated Inox Leisure director Siddharth Jain. “Both companies have set high service benchmarks in an endeavour to offer the best cinema experience in the world, to the most passionate moviegoers, and would continue to do so as a unified entity. As we head into the industry’s revival amidst headwinds, this decisive partnership would bring in enhanced productivity through scale, a deeper reach in newer markets and numerous cost optimisation opportunities, and continue to delight cinema fans with world-class experiences and landmark innovations.”

March 27, 2022
Filmmaker Shyam Benegal unveils poster of ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’

Mumbai: Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal has unveiled a poster of his latest directorial “Mujib – The Making of a Nation,” a biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, known as the father of the nation in Bangladesh. The film is being made under an audio-visual co-production agreement between the Republic of India and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and it was extensively shot in India and Bangladesh.

Benegal released the poster at National Film Development Corp (NFDC) Mumbai, on the occasion of the 102nd birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Speaking about the film, the director said that it has been a tough task for him to bring Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s towering life on the screen. “’Mujib – The Making of a Nation’ remains a very emotional film for me. To bring Bangabandhu’s towering life on the reel is a tough task. We have uncompromisingly portrayed his character. Mujib remained a great friend of India,” he shared.

“I am glad to be working on this feature film. It has always been a fruitful association working with NFDC since its inception and now collaborating with BFDC was a joyful experience,” he further said.

Written by Atul Tiwari and Shama Zaidi, the film features Arifin Shuvoo in the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The star cast includes Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Chanchal Chowdhury, and Nusraat Faria. “Fascinated to be playing the role of Mujib. This is a dream come true. I am honoured to be a part of this iconic project, and to be directed by the legend himself, Shyam Benegal,” said Shuvoo. “I felt the warmth and great hospitality during the production of the film in India. I hope that I have justified the role and the audiences will connect with me and love the film, the way they love Bangabandhu.”

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman provided the political leadership for the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. At the early stage of his political career, he met Mahatma Gandhi who was a great source of inspiration for him to empower the masses, and inspiration that remained throughout his life. The biopic celebrates Mujib’s life and takes viewers into the course of history to depict the great leader whose accomplishments live on.

“NFDC has pioneered films by legendary directors who are renowned the world over even today,” remarked NFDC managing director Ravinder Bhakar. “To be associated with Shyam Benegal ji once again for this project is a great pleasure for the Corporation. Mujib – The Making of a Nation shall be a landmark film in NFDC’s history. Indeed, it is a pleasure associating with BFDC for an iconic film.”

“I am overwhelmed to see the film witness the light of the day. ‘Mujib – The Making of a Nation’ is an emotion for us,” commented BFDC MD Nuzhat Yeasmin. “On behalf of BFDC, I would like to extend my congratulations to our counterparts (NFDC) who have stood with us for making this dream a reality. Bangladesh is eagerly anticipating to watch Shyam Benegal Ji’s version of Bangabandhu’s biopic. He is a legendary filmmaker, greatly admired by all of us.”

March 18, 2022
Makers of RRR team collaborates with Paytm, giving away tickets for Re. 1

The makers of RRR, the most-awaited film starring Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn have partnered with Paytm, India’s leading digital payments to give movie lovers a chance to watch the film by spending just one rupee. It is a first-of-its-kind campaign for a multi-starrer film.

The movie marketing techniques have touched a new high with this innovative promotional idea. RRR is certainly one of the most highly-anticipated and big-ticket releases of this year.

RRR team will join hands with Paytm on 14 March to ensure the film reaches every corner of the country by giving away tickets for Re. 1.

This new campaign from the makers in partnership with Paytm will offer a cinematic treat for RRR fans.

Post Baahubali’s success, SS Rajamouli became a nationwide household name, he has made another film on a grand scale and is set to break many records.

Jayantilal Gada (PEN) has bagged the theatrical distribution rights across North India and has also bought worldwide electronic rights for all languages. Pen Marudhar will be distributing the film in the North Territory.

The Telugu-language period action drama film is produced by D. V. V. Danayya of DVV Entertainments. RRR will release on 25 March 2022.

March 16, 2022
The Batman soars to a solid box office opening

Mumbai: Actor Robert Pattinson’s childhood dream of playing Batman turned into box office success and a dream-come-true for Warner Bros as “The Batman” packed a punch, exceeding expectations and grossing $128.5 million domestically in its opening weekend. It was the best opening weekend for a film since Sony Picture Entertainment’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” earned $260.1 million in its December debut, according to box office tracker, Comscore.

The opening also served as a signal light of hope that moviegoers are eager for a return to theatres. Warner Bros has reportedly committed to a 45-day window of exclusivity in theatres. Following that 45-day period, “The Batman” will hit HBO Max for streaming.
Internationally, “The Batman” loomed large collecting $120 million in box office receipts in 74 overseas markets. The film had the best turnout in the United Kingdom, where it earned $18.4 million, followed by Mexico, where it earned $12 million. Other top territories include Australia ($9.2 million), Brazil ($8.8 million), France ($8.5 million), Germany ($5.1 million) and Korea ($4.4 million). The Batman doesn’t open in China, which is currently the world’s biggest theatrical market, until 18 March. It won’t play at all in Russia after Warner Bros opted to pull its release following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

In India, “The Batman” opened on 4 March to enthusiastic audiences and, according to BoxOfficeIndia, the film has raked in Rs 7.5 crore net on the second day of its release. Now, the total collection of the film in India is Rs 14 crore. The film is doing well in the metro cities and with Maharashtra allowing cinema halls at 100 per cent occupancy, this has boosted the collections.

The dark take on the character, in which Batman investigates corruption in Gotham following the murders of several of the city’s prominent figures by the sadistic serial killer, the Riddler, has earned positive reviews. Variety’s Peter Debruge naming it a critic’s pick and writing that the “grounded, frequently brutal and nearly three-hour film noir registers among the best of the genre, even if, or more aptly because of its willingness to dismantle and interrogate the very concept of superheroes.”

Audiences are also being extremely receptive, with the film scoring an ‘A-‘ CinemaScore, indicating strong approval from general ticket buyers. In addition, critics have praised Robert Pattinson for his fresh/gritty interpretation of the character.

Pattinson, who rose to global fame with the Twilight movies, follows in the footsteps of Adam West, Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale and, more recently, Ben Affleck, among others, to play Bruce Wayne/Batman. Zoë Kravitz, who plays Catwoman was also singled out for critical commendation. Directed by Matt Reeves, “The Batman” also stars Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis and Paul Dano.

As reported in Variety, domestic audience demographics revealed a heavily male crowd for “The Batman” at 67 per cent, with the 18-34 crowd at 62 per cent, per PostTrak. Diversity draw was 41 per cent Caucasian, 26 per cent Latino and Hispanic, 17 per cent Black, and 16 per cent Asian/other.

Other CinemaScore audience diagnostics are showing males at 65 per cent, giving the movie an A-, females a B+ at 35 per cent. Those over 35 factored at 31 per cent of the crowd, while those over 50 showed up at 11 per cent. A- grades largely throughout all demos.

Prior to this weekend, Tom Holland’s video game adaptation “Uncharted” held the title for the biggest opening weekend of the year with $44 million in initial sales. Now in second place, the Sony Pictures film pocketed $11 million from 3,875 theaters between Friday and Sunday, pushing “Uncharted” past $100 million at the domestic box office. Overseas, the PG-13 “Uncharted” added another $17.4 million from 64 foreign markets. Those revenues take the film to $171.3 million internationally and $271.5 million globally.

Elsewhere, Channing Tatum’s canine adventure “Dog” landed in third position with $ six million from 3,507 theaters. The road-trip buddy comedy is somewhat of an anomaly because it has managed to entice audiences without involving superheroes or intense CG-action sequences. “Dog” continues to surprise at the box office, crossing $40 million in North America over the weekend.

Holdovers “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Death on the Nile” took spots four and five on domestic box office charts.

March 7, 2022
Superstar Xchange to launch NFT for Hindi film ‘Jhund’

Mumbai: US based Superstar Xchange in collaboration with Tezos India and TZ APAC are set to launch Bollywood industry’s first non-fungible token (NFT) ahead of the theatrical release of Hindi film “Jhund.”

Superstar Xchange will be dropping two NFTs representing two unique posters from the film “Jhund” on 3 and 4 March respectively and the worldwide NFT drops will happen on Superstar Xchange’s official website on both the days at 5 p.m IST. Each of the buyers of these two NFTs will own a piece of the movie via unique and exclusive movie posters, and these NFTs can then be traded in the secondary market and/or also be shared on social media platforms, said the statement.

Superstar Xchange is a NFT marketplace co-founded by Andrew Sternlight and renowned film producer Savita Raj Hiremath who has launched the film “Khosla Ka Ghosla.” The platform is dedicated to publishing NFTs on the Indian film industry. The Superstar Xchange platform has been built on top of the Tezos blockchain.

“We are super excited and honoured to launch premium NFTs on Superstar Xchange for a big-ticket movie like ‘Jhund’ starring the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. Given that film NFTs range from old to new films, both innovation and creativity are critical for this domain; and furthermore, the concept and uniqueness of a digital asset make NFTs stand out as an art form,” said Superstar Xchange founder Savita Raj Hiremath.

“Through Superstar Xchange, we are crafting new opportunities for fans to connect with, even to participate in, the inspiring stories that stir our imaginations and shape our lives,” said Superstar Xchange co-founder Andrew Sternlight. “From an investment perspective, we expect our new creative digital asset class to offer its collectors strong, diversified returns.”

“We are delighted and proud to join hands as a supporting partner with Superstar Xchange for the ‘Jhund’ NFT project,” said Tezos India resident Om Malviya. “We truly believe that green NFTs with low carbon footprint are the future, and Tezos is the leader in this space. Being the leading force in terms of promoting the Tezos ecosystem in India, we at Tezos India foresee a huge potential for Tezos-based NFTs in the Indian film industry in the years to come.”

The film is directed by Nagraj Manjule of “Sairat” fame and features Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. Produced by T-Series, Tandav Films Entertainment and Aatpat Films and distributed by Zee Studios, “Jhund” is slated for a worldwide release on 4 March. Inspired by a true story, the biographical film revolves around the life of a sports teacher Vijay Barse who took his slum soccer team to represent India in the Homeless World Cup held in Paris in 2015.

March 2, 2022
Cineline India acquires 27 additional screens, tally reaches 75

Mumbai: Cineline India on Wednesday announced its acquisition of 27 additional screens on a lease basis, taking its overall tally to 75. These include nine theatres in Uttar Pradesh, six in Rajasthan, five in Noida, five in Gujarat and two in Maharashtra. Together, they will have an aggregate seating capacity of more than 5,500 seats.

Cineline’s current footprint now extends to 75 screens, and over 16500 seats in 14 cities. The company will continue to grow its film exhibition business aggressively in due course of time by acquiring theatre properties Pan India.

Cineline India, part of MMRDA region-based real estate player Kanakia Group, re-entered the film exhibition business in December 2021.

The company was present in the film exhibition business through its Cinemax brand since 1997. In 2012, it sold the multiplex business along with the Cinemax brand to PVR Ltd under a non-compete clause that has ended. The business will be relaunched under a new brand in Q1 FY23.

“We are delighted to announce the tie-up of additional 27 screens Pan India. With this, we have tied up with 75 screens and over 16,500 seats in total,” said chairman Rakesh Kanakia. “We are seeing a huge opportunity for organised players to increase their foothold and plan to create a strong consumer-oriented brand in this segment.”

“Over the next few months, we will continue to acquire additional screens Pan India. There is a strong pipeline of movies coming up and we see a huge opportunity to grow exponentially in this space,” he further said.

February 9, 2022
Nominations for Oscars 2022 announced: Here is the full list

Los Angeles: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday announced nominations for the 94th annual Academy Awards which included films in a range of genres.

“The Power of the Dog” led among nominated films with 12 nods. The drama’s director, Jane Campion, made history by becoming the first woman to be nominated more than once for best director. The acclaimed New Zealand filmmaker was previously nominated for the 1993 drama, “The Piano” (Last year, “Nomadland” director Chloé Zhao became just the second woman to ever win the award.)

The nine other best picture contenders are “Belfast,” “Coda,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Drive My Car,” “Dune,” “King Richard,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Nightmare Alley,” and “West Side Story.”

Fellow directing nominee Steven Spielberg also set a new record. As the producer of “West Side Story,” which earned a total of seven nominations, Spielberg has now produced 11 films nominated for best picture, a new record for the Oscars.

Denzel Washington extended the record he already holds as the most nominated Black actor, earning his tenth Oscar nomination for his performance in “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” In addition, Will Smith scored his third lead actor Oscar nomination for “King Richard,” a portrait of tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams’s ambitious father. Smith was previously nominated for his roles in “Ali” and “The Pursuit of Happyness.”

The other performers recognised in the Best Actor category are Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”), Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”) and Andrew Garfield (“tick, tick…BOOM!”).

The contenders vying for the best actress statuette are Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”), Penélope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”), Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”) and Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”).

Netflix has conquered the world of streaming video but the company is still chasing Hollywood’s most coveted prize: The best picture award. However, the streaming giant has a good shot to win this year with “The Power of the Dog. “The company also distributed fellow best picture nominee “Don’t Look Up” as well as the Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed musical “tick, tick…BOOM!”

As the above-listed contenders woke up to some welcome news Tuesday morning, other hopefuls were not so fortunate. Notable Oscar snubs this year included:

Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” which failed to earn a Best Picture nod along with stars Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and supporting player Jared Leto who were all locked out of the acting races — potential casualties of the film’s mixed-to-negative reviews and so-so box-office performance.

“West Side Story” breakout star Rachel Zegler, who won a Golden Globe last month for her performance as María Vasquez, got shut out of the best actress category.

“Dune” director Denis Villeneuve, who was previously nominated for the sci-fi drama “Arrival” (2016), failed to pick up the best director nomination, although “Dune” racked up an impressive 10 nods.

Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” and Asghar Farhadi’s “A Hero” — three of the year’s most critically venerated films — walked away empty-handed. While Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim, the two young stars of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza” fell short of acting honors.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” shattered box office records but failed to earn a nod for the Best Picture category.

The Academy Awards ceremony is set to air live from Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on ABC Sunday, March 27. See the list of nominees below.

Best Picture

Belfast
CODA
Don’t Look Up
Drive My Car
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
Kristen Stewart, Spencer

Best Actor

Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick… Boom!
Will Smith, King Richard
Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Supporting Actress

Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter

Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Judi Dench, Belfast
Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

Best Supporting Actor

Ciarán Hinds, Belfast
Troy Kotsur, CODA
Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Best Director

Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car
Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

Best Adapted Screenplay

CODA
Drive My Car
Dune
The Lost Daughter
The Power of the Dog

Best Original Screenplay

Belfast
Don’t Look Up
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
The Worst Person in the World

Best Cinematography

Dune
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

Best Animated Film

Encanto
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Raya and the Last Dragon

Best Original Score

Don’t Look Up, Nicholas Britell
Dune, Hans Zimmer
Encanto, Germaine Franco
Parallel Mothers, Alberto Iglesias
The Power of the Dog, Jonny Greenwood

Best Original Song

“Be Alive” from King Richard, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson
“Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto, Lin-Manuel Miranda
“Down to Joy” from Belfast, Van Morrison
“No Time to Die” from No Time to Die, Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell
“Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days, Diane Warren

Best Costume Design

Cruella
Cyrano
Dune
Nightmare Alley
West Side Story

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Coming 2 America
Cruella
Dune
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
House of Gucci

Best Editing

Don’t Look Up
Dune
King Richard
The Power of the Dog
Tick, Tick… Boom!

Best Visual Effects

Dune
Free Guy
No Time to Die
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Spider-Man: No Way Home

Best Production Design

Dune
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

Best Sound

Belfast
Dune
No Time to Die
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story

Best International Film

Drive My Car
Flee
The Hand of God
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
The Worst Person in the World

Best Documentary

Ascension
Attica
Flee
Summer of Soul
Writing with Fire

Best Documentary Short Subject

Audible
Lead Me Home
The Queen of Basketball
Three Songs for Benazir
When We Were Bullies

Best Animated Short Film

Affairs of the Art
Bestia
Boxballet
Robin Robin
The Windshield Wiper

Best Live-Action Short Film

Ala Kachuu — Take and Run
The Dress
The Long Goodbye
On My Mind
Please Hold

February 9, 2022
Indian box office lost more than Rs 15,000 cr in 2020-21: Ormax Media

Mumbai: The Indian box office lost more than Rs 15,000 crore to the pandemic in the year 2020 and 2021, according to Ormax Media’s ‘The Ormax Box Office Report 2020-21’ released on Monday. The report looks at the Indian box office across languages, highlighting key trends in the theatrical sector. Because of theatres being shut for several months during the pandemic, Ormax Media has released a combined edition for the two pandemic-impacted years (2020 and 2021).

Footfalls came down from 103.0 crore in 2019 to 22.5 crore and 42.7 crore in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Among other findings, the Telugu language industry commanded a maximum share at the box office at 29 per cent. Hindi’s share fell from 44 per cent to 27 per cent.

Compared to the gross box office of almost Rs 11,000 crore in 2019, the cumulative revenue across 2020 and 2021 put together stood at only Rs 5,757 crore (an annual average of less than Rs 2,900 crore). If 2019 is taken as the benchmark, the Indian film industry lost at least Rs 15,000 crore at the box office because of the pandemic.

“The pandemic has severely impacted the Indian box office, with five out of the eight quarters in 2020 and 2021 having zero or negligible business because of theatres being shut in all or most parts of India,” said Ormax Media founder and CEO Shailesh Kapoor. “The good news is that the last quarter of 2021 (Oct-Dec) saw an excellent recovery, registering gross box office of more than Rs 2,000 crore, which reaffirms that the theatrical business is very much here to say.”

The pandemic years also saw significant changes in the share of different language industries within the Indian film industry. With 29 per cent share of the box office (2020 and 2021 cumulative), the Telugu language industry took the top position, ahead of Hindi, whose share declined from 44 per cent to 27 per cent.

Four Telugu films (“Pushpa,” “Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo,” “Sarileru Neekevvaru,” and “Vakeel Saab”) feature in the top 10 films across the two years, compared to only three Hindi films (“Tanhaji,” “Sooryavanshi” and “83”). “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (Hollywood), “Master” and “Darbar” (both Tamil) complete the top 10 list.

Speaking about Southern languages’ growing share of box office partner – Ormax Media Gautam Jain stated, “The cumulative share of the four South languages went up from 36 per cent in 2019 to 59 per cent in 2020 & 2021, highlighting how these industries managed to navigate through the pandemic with more relative success than Hindi films. While we can expect Hindi cinema to stage a recovery in 2022, the rise of South cinema is a story to watch out for.”

February 8, 2022
UFO Moviez reports consolidated revenue of Rs 521 mn in Q3’FY22

Mumbai: In-cinema advertising platform UFO Moviez on Friday announced its financial results for the quarter ended 31 December 2021. The media company has reported consolidated revenue and PAT of Rs 521 million (Q3FY21 – Rs 274 million), and minus (-) Rs 130 million (Q3FY21– Rs 282 million), respectively, for the quarter.

Theatrical revenues have witnessed a steady uptick from November 2021 onwards led by release of Bollywood movies. Advertisement revenues, however, continued to remain subdued.

Towards the end of December 2021, major metropolitan cities in India were under the grip of the third wave of Covid-19, led by the Omicron variant. Because of this surge and ensuing restrictions, theatres in Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, Tripura and Himachal were once again fully closed while certain other states re-imposed seating restrictions.

“During the quarter under review, the financial performance of the company witnessed recovery led by steady release of movies across genres and languages,” said UFO Moviez joint managing director Kapil Agarwal. “The release and success of ‘Sooryavanshi’ in November was a defining moment as it restored everyone’s conviction in Cinema as a social entertainment avenue. Other releases like ‘Annaathe,’ ‘Spiderman,’ ‘Eternals,’ ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ and ‘83’ also performed extremely well at the box office.”

“The impact of the third wave of Covid-19 felt towards the end of December 2021 is expected to be short-lived as the majority of India’s population is vaccinated, cases have also begun to decline, and restrictions are being eased in various states. In light of easing restrictions and the release slate being extremely robust, we expect big movies to start releasing in theatres soon, thus resuming the Industry’s full recovery,” he added.

In a recent announcement, theatres in Delhi are allowed to re-open and operate with 50 per cent occupancy. Theatres in Haryana and Tripura have also opened up.

February 4, 2022