Should multiplexes be blamed for postponement of Aiyaary?

There is no official confirmation yet on when Aiyaary will release. But it seems, filmmaker Neeraj Pandey’s defence drama, which features top-notch actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Manoj Bajpayee and young turk, Sidharth Malhotra in the lead, will be pushed by a week. A trade source says, “It may now release on February 16, instead of February 9.’’

Apparently, there are several reasons behind this shift. Firstly, it was said that Aiyaary was reportedly stuck at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which was a bit shocking. The espionage thriller, which was originally slated to release on January 26, moved two weeks ahead to avoid a clash with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat. “That the film didn’t get a certificate on time from the CBFC despite having two weeks extra on hand is indeed shocking. Filmmakers are being put through a lot of unnecessary harassment,’’ says a trade source.

Secondly, the word put out on the street was that as the film has an Army backdrop, officials from the Ministry of Defence had expressed a desire to watch it before it was given certification. Again, this sounds a little lame because it was known from the start that Aiyaary was about the armed forces. Why didn’t the concerned “departments’’ wake up in time to express their desire to see the film and allow its smooth passage is a point worth thinking about.

The third, and the most recent reason, according to grapevine is that multiplexes are trying to jeopardise Aiyaary’s release. The much-delayed Padmaavat is a runaway hit. Though this Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh-Shahid Kapoor-starrer is going strong, multiplexes wish to continue giving them more shows because it’s still getting patronage.

R Balki’s Pad Man, starring Akshay Kumar and Sonam Kapoor, which releases on February 9, is already a much-hyped film. As the Bollywood superstar comes with a certain brand equity and the studio backing him has already locked over 3,000-odd screens from the start, it’s hard for multiplexes to deny this social drama its due.

“Unfortunately, Aiyaary is getting lesser shows. And somewhere those who are backing this film feel it is prudent for them to move it by a week, so that they can increase its visibility and the movie gets its due at the box office,’’ says an insider.

As we said, multiplexes are the new bosses in Bollywood. They are the ones who dictate release-day patterns by simply not being co-operative. Producer-distributor-exhibitor N R Pachisia says, “Multiplex owners are at liberty to decide which movie or star should get how many shows. Their programming departments are aware of the box office value and compulsions. They put a lot of thought into the release plan.’’

Pachisia continues, “Theatre owners are not wrong in the way they think. After all, they have a business to run. They decide the number of shows each movie should get because their end game is to ensure continuous footfalls.’’

Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi says, “There has been talk of Aiyaary getting postponed to February 16. It is because the Indian Army has raised some concerns about the film, which is legitimate as it deals with corruption and the Army is an institution of India’s pride. I just wish it was done earlier and didn’t hamper the release date because right from the time the trailer was released, it was clear that it was based on the defence forces.”

Rathi also put his forward his view on certain films not getting the required number of shows. He adds, “It is purely based on the law of demand and supply. If there is enough anticipation for a movie, it will automatically get more shows. There have been instances when a film, which initially had less number of shows, got more mid-way through the week because people were asking for it. It’s all part of business.”