The Release Date Is All Important Today
By FNN | April 13, 2011, 11:55am IST
The release date has always been significant but the importance of it is getting greater with every passing year. There was a time when smash hits like Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Mohabbatein and Gadar were unaffected by films releasing in the next 10 or even 15 weeks but today when a smash hit like Dabangg has competition for the first time in its fourth week the collections come crashing down.
The importance of release date can also be seen by the business of recent films like Band Baaja Baaraat, No One Killed Jessica and Tanu Weds Manu. All three films have had good and similar appreciation from the same section of the movie going audience but their final business was determined by their respective release dates.
Band Baaja Baaraat grossed around 23 crore nett, No One Killed Jessica around 29 crore nett and Tanu Weds Manu around 39 crore nett but if Band Baaja Baraaat or No one Killed Jessica came on Tanu Weds Manu release date then their business would have also been like Tanu Weds Manu and vice versa. The gap between Band Baaja Baaraat and Tanu weds Manu is a huge 70% in terns of business but that is the difference a release date can make even though two films have similar appreciation.
Band Baaja Baaraat had the toughest run out of the three with a release on the same day as No Problem and Tees Maar Khan to contend with two weeks later. Next was No One Killed Jessica as it had Yamla Pagla Deewana coming a week after it while Tanu Weds Manu got the clear run and it shows in its business.
Until a few years back, the final box office number showed the appreciation of the film by the audience but today the final number has more to with the release date and the competition faced in its run. Majority of the film industry has a thinking that things like cricket, exams and Ramadan have a huge affect on business and they do but not to the extent most believe. The biggest threat to the business of any film today is competition from other films. It has been seen we have no releases for certain periods in the year and then everything comes in a clutter when it is this clutter which is biggest danger to business.
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