2023
has been a year of celebration not just for cinema lovers but for those involved in the entertainment business as well. A report by an online ticketing platform revealed that the Independence day weekend saw 10.9 million people in
Indian theatres
. 2.8 million tickets were sold breaking the record for the highest number of tickets sold in a single day.
The Shah Rukh Khan,
Deepika Padukone
and
John Abraham
starrer Pathaan that released in January, ensured that the year began on a fabulous note. The film minted a total of 543.05 crore in India. This was followed by films like Tu Jhooti Main Makkaar (March) Rocky Aur
Rani
Kii Prem Kahaani (July) Gadar 2 and Jailer (August) Leo (October) Tiger 3 (November) and Animal (December) among others that ensured the theatre going audience kept returning through the year.
Box office top hits
Pathaan
Cost of production- Rs 270 crore approx
Shows on opening weekend- 24, 000
Box office collection (India)- Rs 543.22 crore
Theatrical run- 11 weeks
Jailer
Cost of production-200 crore
Shows on opening weekend- 6000
Box office collection (India)-350 crore
Theatrical run- 8 weeks
Jawan
Cost of production-300 crore
Shows on opening weekend- 94, 888
Box office collection (India)- 644.10 crore
Theatrical run- 10 weeks
Gadar 2
Cost of production-80 crore
Shows on opening weekend- 50, 808
Box office collection (India)-525.45 crore
Theatrical run- 12 weeks
Animal
Cost of production- Undisclosed
Shows on opening weekend- 42000
Box office collection (India)-519.64 (till the time of going to press)
Theatrical run-Still in theatres
FILMS CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN FOCUS FOR THEATRES
2022 set the tone for reviving cinematic successes with releases like RRR and Drishyam 2 and 2023 only escalated it. Multiplexes have diversified into screening cricket matches and concerts besides films but Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX says films are still the main focus. He says, "The recovery of our industry post the pandemic was slower, but it's been better than most industries. Films like RRR and Drishyam 2 last year, while this year Jawan, Pathaan, Jailer, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani and Gadar 2 have helped multiplexes bounce back post the pandemic. Going forward there is more optimism In the past we have screened cricket matches, the
BTS
and
Taylor Swift
concert that were successes, we have also added Japanese anime films to our list, so overall multiplexes are doing very well.”
SURPRISE SUCESSES
It was not just the star driven films that got the audience to the theatres this year, but the underdogs met with a positive response too, setting the cash registers ringing. Rajesh Thadani, director at Indian motion picture distributors association says, “The last quarter (June-September) was amazing for the film industry. The big films like Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani worked very well this year but even the smaller movies like The Kerala story, Fukrey 3 and 12th fail did better business than expected, this response shows that cinemas are still relevant despite competition from mediums like OTT. We are very excited with star-studded lineup of films in January 2024.”
MASSY ENTERTAINERS SET CASH REGISTERS RINGING
Be it Gadar 2, Pathaan, Jawan or Jailer, it were the action packed, massy entertainers that had the audience flocking theatres. Gadar 2 director Anil Sharma says recognising the pulse of the audience, beyond metro cities is the key to success. He says, “The problem with the industry is people think that India is between Bandra and Andheri. People in other cities and small town had been asking me when Gadar 2 would be made since the last 20 years. We did not have a huge production budget unlike other films and despite clashing with OMG 2, I’m happy that both films did well. I’m happy that a lot of single screens were revived due to our film’s success and ultimately the film industry benefiting is what matters.”
SUCCESS BEYOND METROS
Abrar Esak Memon, exhibitor at Victory theatre and Vasant Cinepro in Pune says it was not just the metros but even the smaller centres that saw audiences flocking to the theatres. He says, “People thought that OTT would end the theatre business but that wasn't true at all. Even today people prefer to visit cinemas with their families to enjoy the big screen experience. Filmmakers sell their film to OTT platforms for 100 crore but a theatrical run can make 1000 crore. Gadar 2 performed exceptionally well even in the small centres and gave our cinemas new life whereas films like Pathaan and Jawan performed well in the metros.”
English (US) ·