Cinema To Take 'Backseat' Amidst IPL And Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Experts Opine | EXCLUSIVE

cinema to take ‘backseat’ amidst ipl 2024 and lok sabha elections 2024, experts opine | exclusive

Shah Rukh Khan once cheekily said, “As a producer, I will think twice before releasing a film during IPL.” In India, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is always seen as a tough competition for the film industry, and this year, it’s double-trouble for the industry as the stakes have risen with the addition of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. After five years, we’re in the same situation, where these two huge events might shake up the movie release calendar and box office numbers for the coming months.

Will IPL reshape cinema calendars?

The IPL, which began on March 22 and continues until May 26, 2024, has become a major entertainment event in India, drawing massive viewership and engagement. The tournament typically spans over two months, during which time cinema halls often witness a decline in footfall.

Commenting on the current situation, in an exclusive interview with Zoom, Film Exhibitor and business expert Akshaye Rathi said, “IPL definitely does have some impact, but I don’t think in the overall longevity of a film, there are billions of people who are excited enough to watch a movie and not IPL, and that’s a large enough audience to cater to considering the demographic of India.”

“The finale or the semi-finals, if they are crucial, then it might create an impact on those films which are running at that point,” quipped Taran Adarsh, a film critic and trade analyst.

When asked if IPL matches will affect weekend box office collections, Producer and Film Business Expert Girish Johar explained, “A. There are no major releases anyway which are lined up, so how can IPL affect it? Yes, it might be for the other films which are being released or the medium ones. To me, I see IPL as a regular annual calendar event, and films have done well in the past; they have thrived with the IPL tournament going on. For example, if it’s Chennai vs Hyderabad or Chennai vs Gujarat, at that point of time for a couple of hours, Chennai as a city may get a dip in low connections at the box office. Similarly, Gujarat, Ahmedabad, or Surat may mint less, but Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and other regions’s box office collections remain normal.”

Impact of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on the Industry: Experts point of view

Every five years, the Lok Sabha Elections, the world’s largest democratic exercise, grab the nation’s attention. This year, it’s going to take place from April 19 to June 1, 2024. The election season, which lasts for several weeks, is characterised by intense political campaigning, debates, and discussions across media platforms.

Explaining the situation of the industry, Girish Johar went on to add, “All the major films from across the industry are no longer lined up in the coming weeks until the elections get over. I would rather say it’s not a clash but a backseat taken or planned in such a way that the releases are lined up post-election.”

Taran Adarsh said that in such a scenario, the only sensible thing to do is ‘wait and watch the situation.” Talking about the major releases, including Prabhas’ Kalki 2989 AD, Baby John, Srikhant, Bhaiyaa Ji and other films, which might get affected at the box office if they are released on the scheduled dates, he chimed in, “Kalki has been postponed. Everything is coming, but everything is a wait-and-watch situation right now. Let’s the producers officially announce it if the movies are at all postponed.”

Film Exhibitor and business expert Akshaye Rathi, however, pointed out, “Lok Sabha Elections draw attention across the country. It does have a significant impact on the voting days in the region where it’s happening. Overall, across the country, we can release the film while the elections are happening. The only impact would be massive around the date of results (June 4), and that is when we’ve to be very careful not to release something big ticket.”

Given the potential challenges posed by the IPL and Lok Sabha Elections, film producers and distributors often strategise their release dates to minimise the impact on box office collections.

“They are keeping the track in mind and the scheduling in mind. For example, if Baby John does release on the same date, they probably know, post-release, the elections will probably be down in the South are certain regions which are less in the TG audience zone for that particular film.”

He went on to add that with elections happening in phases across different regions like Maharashtra and the South, by the time certain films like Baby John or some other major releases, about 60-70% of the major election noise would have subsided, making it a strategic release date.

“That is the reason they are probably standing on that date. Woh strategy woh toh definitely unhone sochi hogi,” said Girish.

Finding a silver lining, Akshaye Rathi concluded by stating, “In the next few weeks, things may change. But I feel not the big-budget films, but mid-segment films should release, because they won’t get these free weeks empty after the elections.”

Following the Eid weekend releases of the action comedy Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Ajay Devgn’s sports drama Maidaan, the next big film on the horizon is Baby John, starring Varun Dhawan, slated for late May, and we’re still waiting for the revised date of Prabhas’ much-anticipated film, amid the rumours and reports.