Beyond The Blockbuster: What's the future of non-tentpole films in theatres in India

It바카라�s been a little over two weeks since Reema Kagti바카라�s Superboys of Malegaon released in theatres on February 28. Despite stellar reviews and excellent word-of-mouth, the film has made Rs 3.7 Crore (as per trade website Bollywood Hungama) till date. Showing 3-4 shows per multiplex in its first week, the film바카라�s shows have whittled down to 1-2 shows per multiplex by its second week바카라�prompting speculation about a less-than-satisfactory run in theatres. Originally meant to be a straight-to-streaming film commissioned by Amazon Prime, the film had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September last year, only to be recalibrated as a theatrical release. Like Kagti바카라�s film, even Sohum Shah-starrer Crazxy has entered its third week, and has been stubbornly chipping away at its Rs 8.5-crore budget.

With no tentpole releases in sight till Salman Khan-starrer Sikandar on March 28, both films are expected to have some momentum for another week and a half at least. Also, while lazy blockbusters (like Baby John, Sky Force) are criticised for taking audiences for granted and failing to bring the audiences back to theatres, it surely is a matter of concern for multiplexes that the audience isn바카라�t coming back for acclaimed films. The non-performance usually means that the small, mid-budget films are often swept away by the next tentpole release. For example, Chhaava, in its fifth week, continues to have more screens (4-6 per multiplex) than both Superboys and Crazxy put together. What does this mean for the future of the 바카라�non-event바카라� films in theatres바카라�i.e. any film that doesn바카라�t promise a minimum of Rs 150-200 crores at the box office?

According to writer Sumit Purohit, who wrote the Rajkummar Rao-starrer, Srikanth (2024), 바카라�It바카라�s a complex issue with multiple factors at play.바카라� Purohit recognises that the system is skewed in favour of the tentpole film, where an unremarkable big film has a better chance of driving more footfalls than a 바카라�very good바카라� small film. He suggests that multiplexes will have to bet on a diverse set of films, hoping that the audience's taste evolves over time, which can only benefit exhibitors in the long run. 바카라�We need to find a way to give smaller films a fair chance to reach audiences.바카라�

Purohit바카라�s suggestion might seem idealistic at a time when the theatrical exhibition business is bleeding money. PVR INOX Ltd, the biggest multiplex chain in the country, has witnessed a 31.68% drop in its share price in the last six months. The pressure on the bottom-line is immense. Therefore, the process to weed out underperforming films is understandably clinical and ruthless. 바카라�The state of affairs is such that the audiences are also not willing to go into theatres for a certain kind of film because they have the option of watching it on OTT in a few weeks바카라� time,바카라� said an industry insider. 바카라�A multiplex chain doesn't see it as their responsibility to champion a certain kind of cinema. They바카라�re making decisions based on the occupancy data.바카라�

PVR INOX바카라�which released the 2025 Oscars hopefuls like The Brutalist (2024), A Complete Unknown (2024), Flow (2024) and Emilia Perez (2024) on the weekend before the awards night (Feb 28)바카라�is still struggling to entice the audience back to theatres in a post-pandemic world. It바카라�s most certainly the reason behind the deluge of re-releases, the latest one being around Aamir Khan바카라�s 60th birthday. 바카라�A lot of the thinking behind re-releases is that if there isn바카라�t a strong film in between for three-four weeks, the screens will be operating at a 5-7% occupancy, as against if some of the re-releases do well then it can go up to 15-20%,바카라� observed the industry insider. It might be worth noting that a chain like PVR INOX operates nearly 20% of the screens in the country, making it a near-monopolistic presence in parts of India. 

Distributor Suniel Wadhwa (of Karmic Films) 바카라�who oversaw the release of Three of Us and All India Rank바카라�breaks down the costs with respect to a screening that multiplexes need to keep in mind. 바카라�There바카라�s a Virtual Print Fee (VPF) and the Content Delivery Charges (CDC) which comes to Rs 9000 per screening. So, a multiplex has to sell tickets amounting to Rs 20,000 to recoup this cost. If we consider the average ticket price to be around Rs 200, then the multiplex needs to sell 100 tickets to recover that cost.바카라�

It can be a tall task in the current circumstances, especially considering the prohibitive prices of tickets and confectioneries in most multiplexes. 바카라�F&B prices need to be looked at, popcorn at Rs 380 or 450 is definitely on the higher side.바카라� Wadhwa has a simple response to why people didn바카라�t turn up for Superboys or Craxzy바카라�바카라�They exhausted their spending power with Chhaava.바카라�

Many independent filmmakers have alleged that even if they do miraculously manage a theatrical release, the timings and the locations are often so obscure that they never stand a chance to register the required footfalls. A senior studio executive dismissed the charge saying that it depends on the dynamic between the distributor and the exhibitor. 바카라�On our films, we got the centres and the timings we wanted.바카라�

The insider empathises with multiplexes trying to optimise occupancy to the best of their ability, by noting that they need to be conscious of their revenues like any for-profit concern. 바카라�Otherwise it stops being a business and tips over into public service.바카라� This often means that in lean periods like the last year or so, tentpole films occupy up to 75% of the screens in any multiplex, leaving the other 25% to be divided for the smaller, older, regional films. The industry insider notes that Hindi cinema is sporadically throwing up blockbusters, while Hollywood is practically dead in India, with the latest phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe registering very little enthusiasm. Captain America: Brave New World made an approximate Rs 16.29 Cr at the end of its first week바카라�making it one of the lowest-grossing Marvel films in India.

Both the studio executive and the industry insider believe that while multiplexes get painted as the villain in the disappearance of the small, mid-budget films from theatres, it바카라�s also the audience who have to take onus here. 바카라�If the audience shows up for a film, the shows will automatically increase. If the film works, the commercial infrastructure will rally around it to give it that additional push. But there needs to be a sign,바카라� notes the insider. A film with a 10% occupancy can바카라�t merely be given more shows with the hope that numbers will magically increase.

Amit Sharma, Managing Director of Miraj Cinemas, noted how they measure the 바카라�buzz바카라� around a film and take a call on the fate of a film in its second week: 바카라�We look at the views on its trailer, and we also have about three million people on our social media handles바카라�it gives us an idea about the inclination towards the film after its first week.바카라�

The studio executive mentions that even though it바카라�s never happened to them, they바카라�ve heard from peers about small films being programmed into large auditoriums. 바카라�So even if it sells some tickets, the theatre still looks empty. It바카라�s not the best experience,바카라� they note. 바카라�Rather put them in small auditoriums. That will ensure the film isn바카라�t chucked out in the first week itself.바카라�

A lot many things have to align for the small, mid-budget film to survive in theatres in the near future. 바카라�We need to find a way to make the film within Rs 3-4 crore. Every rupee saved is a rupee earned,바카라� the executive observes. 바카라�For this, we need to be made privy to some kind of state funding support, subsidies, tax rebates, which is absolutely not happening at the moment.바카라� It바카라�s worth noting that the last few films to receive any kind of state subsidy have been films like Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, The Kerala Story, The Kashmir Files. More recently, Chhaava has been declared tax-free in Madhya Pradesh and Goa, with some reports suggesting Maharashtra will follow. It's not particularly hard to see a pattern here: how all theses films seem to bow to a majoritarian ideology or narrative. Therefore, it further discourages indie filmmakers to hope for support from the establishment.

Along with this, a good amount of the audience needs to trade the comfort of watching the film on an OTT service with showing up at the theatre. The multiplexes need to find a way to make tickets and confectioneries affordable for the consumer바카라�so they aren바카라�t put off by the idea of visiting a multiplex chain. If all this happens, we might have a shot at a silver lining.

Purohit (like the rest) talks about the exceptions바카라�Vidhu Vinod Chopra바카라�s 12th Fail (2023), Kunal Kemmu바카라�s Madgaon Express (2024), and Tushar Hiranandani바카라�s Srikanth. All films started slow, but were allowed to organically grow through generous word-of-mouth. 바카라�Producers made a smart choice바카라�finding a clean release window and taking the risk of a theatrical release instead of assuming these should go directly to OTT,바카라� observes Purohit. 바카라�There바카라�s perhaps a lesson in that.바카라�