Till June 5, 96 straight Tamil films have been released. Kollywood is all set for its 100th release of 2015. It will be the fastest hundred in the history of Tamil Cinema, in just six months.
Today, more than anything else, the release strategy has become an important factor in the success of a film. The number of screens and the opening of a film are becoming increasingly crucial at the box-office. This year’s big grossers, I and Kanchana-2 , were super hits due to release strategy. In Tamil Nadu, they were released in close to 450 screens, and the wide release helped garner the numbers at the box office.
Fast and Furious 7 , which released in English and Tamil in nearly 250 screens across Tamil Nadu, went on to register big numbers due to wide release. For the first time, a Hollywood film got such a wide release, and audiences also loved it. Now Jurrasic World is going to release big next week.
However Mukesh Mehta, distributor and producer of Snegithiye , warns: “A wide release alone cannot ensure box-office collections. The content or the star-director combination has to work with audiences. In the 1980s and 90s, a big film used to release only in 90 to 100 screens, which were release centres, and depending on the success in the A and the bigger B centres, the release used to percolate down to smaller B and C centres. Today, at one shot, the film gets released in 400-plus screens, and that is it, as there are no longer any shifting centres. In short, 90 to 95 per cent of a film’s total theatrical revenue comes from release stations alone.”
Take the case of the recent Massu , which could not cash in on a wide release in Tamil Nadu. The film carried mixed reports from day one, and by Monday, it fell steeply, as almost all screens were playing the film. In Chennai city alone, the film was screened in 30 screens, including multiple multiplex screens. At the same time, a Kanchana-2 worked big time due to its wide release and audience appreciation of its content and packaging. Says Shanmugham, a theatre booking agent in North Arcot, South Arcot and Chengalpet area: “When a film releases wide, audiences get split, as there will be a theatre screening the film in every three-to-five-kilometre radius. And if the film carries mixed reports, what happens is that by Monday the theatre reduces the number of shows or starts playing a proven Hollywood hit or brings back an earlier Tamil hit to fill the gap.”
K.E. Gnanavelraja, a leading producer and distributor, says: “I believe a big film has to have a wide release to reach across to the masses. The opening weekend holds the key to the film’s success. A wide release ensures that maximum number of people watch it over the weekend and also curbs piracy.” Gnanavelraja also said that producers should have a release strategy for their film, depending on content and reach of the star. Two big hits that he distributed this year, O Kadhal Kanmani and 36 Vayadhinile, had limited releases — less than 175 screens in Tamil Nadu — but became hits due to strong WOM (word-of- mouth). Once the WOM built up, the number of screens and shows were increased in the second week.
A limited release is often used to gauge the appeal of niche films. Hollywood has mastered the art of limited release for highly anticipated and critically acclaimed films in order to qualify them for an Academy Award nomination. These films often receive a wider release closer to the Academy award night or after the film wins a few Oscars.
Fox Star Studios, who are distributing the award-winning Kaaka Muttai — produced by Dhanush and Vetrimaran — went for a limited release strategy in Tamil Nadu. The film opened last Friday in 109 select screens with limited seating capacity (180 to 350 seats). The idea was to ride on overwhelming positive reviews and great feedback on social media, then gradually expand to more theatres as word-of-mouth spread and the marketing campaign gained momentum. It has worked big time for Kaaka Muttai . Buzz around the film was so good that by the night show on the opening day, many complexes shifted it from their small screen to big screen.
Vijay Singh, CEO Fox Star Studios, said: “The business of marketing and releasing a film is changing. Each film needs a release strategy depending on its star power or content. We were sure that we would go for a limited release for Kaaka Muttai , and expand later depending on word-of-mouth. For our next Vikram starrer, 10 Enradhukulla , a mass commercial movie, we have a different strategy. A very wide release is definitely on the cards.”
Tamil film producers should be careful about release strategy, as exhibitors in the state are waking up to the way the business is evolving. Ten years back, a new film used to release with four shows daily. Today, the number of shows has been reduced to accommodate more new releases. And it is becoming more like a T:20 situation, as theatres are expecting films to perform from the first show of the first day. If the film fails, it is removed mercilessly and replaced with content that is being appreciated.
A film has to decide on its release date during the shoot or after the first copy is ready. One month before Ramzan (Eid), the next big festival date for big star movies as per the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) release calendar, there is no clarity on the films that will release. The trade says that Kamal Haasan’s Papanasam, Dhanush’s Maari and Sivakarthikeyan’s Rajini Murugan are slated for release on July 17. However, the producers of these films are yet to officially announce their release date.
