Aug 042017
 

JHMS-e-lIt’s not an uncommon practice to raise the prices of tickets when a film, headlined by big stars, is gearing up for release. However, if you thought that it deterred the audience from flocking to the theatres, you couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Sample this: A ticket of Shah Rukh Khan-Anushka Sharma starrer Jab Harry Met Sejal, which releases today, has been priced at Rs 2,400 at PVR Director’s Cut in Delhi.

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A quick online check will tell you that the amount is almost equivalent to a one-way air ticket from Mumbai to Goa.

But, looks like no price is too steep for Khan’s fans. The Imtiaz Ali-directed film saw a huge demand in advance booking at this theatre in Delhi. As a result, the love story raked in a whopping Rs 12,15,600 from this screen alone, even before it hit the marquee. At Rs 12.15 lakh, the movie has already matched the lifetime collections of indie films.

The situation isn’t too different in Mumbai either — another stronghold of Khan. A VIP/Gold Class ticket at PVR Icon in Versova has been priced at a cool Rs 1500.

Ask trade analyst Amod Mehra what drives the audience to pay such a high price to watch a movie and he reasons, “There haven’t been any good films in the recent past, which would have motivated the audience to spend money. So, people who have the money will not mind spending a huge amount on this one.”

Projects starring any one of the Khan trio — Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh — are mounted on huge budgets. No wonder then, the tickets rates shoot up during their film’s release.

However, Mehra points out that it is the distributors and not the producers, who are to be blamed for the hike. “The production cost of a film like Jab Harry Met Sejal is really high. So, to recover that cost, distributors tend to increase the rates.”

He cautions that it may not necessarily be a smart strategy. “On the contrary, I feel if they reduce the price, it will work as an advantage and will lure more people to watch the film.”

Another trade exhibitor, on the condition of anonymity, says, “Rs 2400 plus food and conveyance is really high. But then, the advance booking shows that people who wish to spend so much, have bought the tickets. I can get a premium membership of Netflix at the same price and watch so much of content. In the end, it’s all about what you choose.”

Jul 032017
 

Salman KhanSalman Khan

While promoting his recently released Indian war drama, ‘Tubelight’, Salman Khan found himself addressing questions on the likelihood of the film outshining SS Rajamouli’s critically-acclaimed ‘Baahubali: The Conclusion’. Little did he know that far from competing with the box-office favourite, ‘Tubelight’ would even fail to appeal to Bhai’s fans.

mid-day has learnt that select Indian distributors of the Kabir Khan-directed film are set to meet the actor in a bid to recover their losses. A distributor, on the condition of anonymity, told mid-day, “Salman’s films can collect Rs 100 crore in three days, but this time, ‘Tubelight’ reached the three-figure mark after a week. Single screen owners in small cities have suffered the most, with many incurring losses of over Rs 1 crore. The total loss amounts to Rs 40-50 crore. This is the first time we have faced such a situation. The distributors are hopeful that Salman will pay off their damages.”

ALSO READ: On day 10, Salman Khan’s Tubelight earns 107 crores, investors suffer massive losses

In a previous interview, trade analyst Amod Mehra had pointed out that distributors would suffer after Tubelight‘s debacle. “Salman is seen crying throughout the film and that’s going to be the case for the distributors as well. The cost at which the film was sold is high, so recovery is going to be difficult,” Mehra had said.

Pics: ‘Tubelight’ flickered, but Salman Khan gave us some glorious EidsPics: 'Tubelight' flickered, but Salman Khan gave us some glorious Eids

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