Bollywood reporty card: Small vs Big

The first half of the year may have had its three big budget films — Agneepath, Housefull 2, Rowdy Rathore — do business of Rs100 crore plus, but considering the high number of small to mid-budget hits, trade observers insist that the first six months actually belonged to these small budget films. In contrast, the second half of the year ahead will completely be ruled by the big ticket movies. Industry analysts are even quick to point out the rise in the number of mid-big budget films over the years.

“Usually, the Diwali, Eid and Christmas time would be ideal for the release of a mega-budget film, as filmmakers get to tap the festive crowds, so the best were always saved for these dates, but this year the B-Town calendar’s choc-a-bloc with back-to-back big projects,” says trade analyst Vajir Singh. Trade analyst Komal Nahta adds that each month has almost three to four big releases ahead. “This is certainly high in comparison to the previous years,” he shares. Talking about the months so far, Nahta agrees that the roost was ruled by small to mid-budget flicks, even though there were three `100 crore blockbusters.

While a section of the industry feels that it can largely be attributed to the fact that many big budget films kept away due to the cricket season, there are others who feel that business would’ve not been affected with or without the season. “A good film would do well irrespective of its release date, while a bad one would flop even if it’s released in the peak time,” says director Sujoy Ghosh (Kahaani fame). Nahta adds, “Not just in terms of money, even if we were to consider the impact factor, the smaller films were undoubtedly the talk of the town. Films like Kahaani, Shanghai, Vicky Donor, Jannat 2, Ishaqzaade have all been small to mid-budget flicks and all have done well. So, it’s safe to say the first six months belong to the small films.”

Similarly filmmakers and B-Town alike are gearing up to let the big budget flicks take over the reins. “It’s looking to be very exciting ahead. There are big monies riding, big stars involved and almost every hero has a release too. The buzz on them is positive already, so that’s like half the battle won,” says Vajir. Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar points out that not just heroes, even the heroines are creating an equally strong buzz. “I think overall the industry is in a great phase. And both the audience as well as the filmmakers have reason to be excited. So, it’s a win-win situation for the people making the films as well as those watching it,” adds
Madhur.