The month of March is dreaded by the Tamil film industry because the bulk of movie audiences are either writing exams or watching Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (or the cricket world cup this year).
It is only logical to think producers would be wary of the likely reduction in footfalls but, this year, Tamil film producers have decided to take a big risk with a slew of releases.
Actor Siddharth’s Ennakul Oruvan , Sivakarthikeyan’s Kakki Sattai , Karthi’s Komban and Vijay Sethupathy’s Idam Porul Eval are all ready for release one weekend after the other. Some producers agree that it makes little business sense, but they say that they are left with no choice. “What do we do? We can’t compete with big movies which are slated for release during April or May. We have to release our films when we get a window,” says C.V. Kumar, producer of Ennakul Oruvan , which is ready for release on March 6.
With the digital revolution reducing the production costs, there has been an exponential increase in the number of films being produced. Last year alone, more than 200 Tamil films were released. With supply exceeding demand, producers are finding it tough to find more screens for release.
But, the situation is not so dire, says trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai. While he agrees that it is certainly a risk to go for a March release, he argues that a film with great content will still bring in the crowd. “March is the new season for releases. With 200 films releasing, the four weekends in March cannot be missed. There is no other way. The audience will appreciate a good film. If they don’t release the film quickly, they might not get a later date in summer and their interest rates will go up,” he points out.
While the producers hope that the number of movies under production will come down, ultimately easing the demand for more screens, theatre owners don’t seem to be complaining.
In an effort to work within this trend, producers like Mr. Kumar, along with others active in the circuit, have floated an independent distribution company called ‘Dream Factory’, through which they distribute movies produced by them without much hassle. “We provide movies to theatres on a regular basis and therefore, we are given preference. Otherwise, an independent producer would find it difficult to seek out distributors and sell the film,” he says.
For now, the producers are still hoping that people would come out in good numbers to watch movies.
Despite exams and cricket fever, movies are being released as demand for screens is high
Some analysts though feel that good content will prevail
