Box Office: The release crisis; exhibition sector suffers from lack of frequent releases across industries

A lot has changed in the movie-watching experience in India over the past few years. Across the country, we now experience only two or three films a year that truly stand out, whether in terms of public reception or box office performance. The rest of the year is filled with back-to-back average grossers, outright failures, and the occasional mid-sized hit.

This is a stark contrast to the scenario in the 1990s or 2000s, a period we often look back on with nostalgia. Pick any year from that era, and you’ll find numerous classics spanning a variety of genres. A look at box office records from those times reveals that the majority of these films were either big hits or record-breaking successes. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Let’s explore why.

Lack of exciting releases

The years we’re comparing to from the past were marked by a unique excitement, every actor and actress, whether a veteran, a superstar, or a fresh debutant, received the hype and attention they deserved. A wide range of films, both small and big, consistently filled up cinema halls. Moreover, these films were marketed effectively to the ground-level audience through various means. As a result, the majority of them turned out to be decent earners.

In contrast, today's scenario is quite different. Only films led by major superstars or those that are part of popular franchises manage to gain significant traction like the currently running Ajay Devgn's Raid 2 or the upcoming Housefull 5 led by Akshay Kumar. One key reason is that their producers invest heavily in promotion. On the other hand, low-budget films not featuring big stars are often overlooked, even by their own production teams. If the creators themselves don't promote the film, why would the audience feel compelled to pay to watch it? A considerable number of filmmakers today simply do not market their films as they deserve to be.

Due to limited promotional efforts, these films are released in a minimal number of theaters without generating any public awareness. As a result, they often turn into loss-making ventures. Regardless of their potential, which remains untapped, the films disappear from public conversation. This approach to releasing movies leaves exhibitors powerless, as they face near-empty theaters due to the poor decisions made by the film's marketing and distribution teams.

When such films do make it to the big screen, they often play to empty audiences and are pulled down within the first week. This leads to a situation where multiple uninteresting films and a single mildly interesting one are running simultaneously in theaters. The audience is then left with the choice of watching the least boring option, or simply staying at home and watching whatever they want from around the world on an OTT platform.

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