Posted:
Innocent Bystander Padman Moves Away From Line Of Fire
Sunday 21 January 2017 12.45 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
The releases have been playing musical chairs due to the Padmaavat fiasco but Padman is now in an excellent position with it moving to 9th February even if other films come with it. The film was the first film to take the Republic Day week date with later Aiyaary also slotted for that date.
Then three weeks prior to release the controversial film Padmaavat was also scheduled to come on the same day and even this was fine as that film was likely to be banned by state governments and those states Padman would be dominating the market with 75% of the multiplex screens. Other places would probably be 40% but overall India it would mean around 50% which would be great for Padman. .
Then as soon as the Supreme Court verdict came the biggest film under threat was Padman. Not because of the screens as even 35-40% across India would do but now the makers of Padmaavat would attempt to release everywhere and the people against the film would try to block.
Here Padman would be the innocent bystander which would have got caught in the fire. The protests and violence looks pretty certain at the moment if Padmaavat is released at many places and this would either leave these affected multiplexes to shut shop at the time which means Padman also not playing. Then the other side is where the multiplexes are kept open with heavy security which will still keep the audience away especially the Padman target audience which is ladies and families.
Padman is now out of the line of fire so Padmaavat alone will suffer if there are problems and that is fair as these issues are related to Padmaavat and not Padman. There is a section of the industry which thinks that Padman should have kept the date as it will be difficult for Padmaavat to release at many places and its a big holiday but it would have been plain stupid after the Supreme Court verdict as the attempt to release Padmaavat in banned states will be there.
On top the February 9th date is actually better as there are two holidays and a Valentines Day plus Mahashivratri boost is better than a Republic Day boost by around 5-10%. Also as the studios of Padman and Padmavaat mutually agreed there is no chance now that Padmaavat will come on 9th February if by chance it is unable to release on Republic Day week. At least that much ethics should be there now. This fear would have been there if the decision to move Padman was made without a mutual understanding.
Aiyaary the other film involved in the musical chairs game attempted to come on Republic Day week when Padman moved probably as its a patriotic film but better sense prevailed and they decided against it. That film could come 9th February now or maybe moved forward.
The advance opened of Paadmavat yesterday at places like Delhi, Punjab and Bangalore where its a safe scenario for the film and for the limited shows it was extraordinary. The controversy has made a film which would have opened excellent (Mumbai, Central and South) and well at other places at places a potential monster.
But these groups which can also be called anti social elements (they are right about distortion of facts as its a big budget film so that will will be there but the way they deal with the problem is totally wrong) which have made Padmaavat this monster are still their fighting against it with exhibitors scared to release the film despite the Supreme Court giving the all clear. Being a Republic Day week release will also be a problem as national security will be the bigger issue rather than giving exhibitors security to release a film.
Only if these groups go out of the equation or they are quietened can the monster actually be unleashed as far as the ticket counter is concerned.
Mr And Mrs Parshuram
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