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Why movie release dates keep reshuffling

Hindustan Times | ByShalvi Mangaokar, Mumbai
Sep 22, 2012 12:55 PM IST

Right through 2012, we kept hearing about movies reshuffling their release dates. And 2013 doesn’t look different either. Everyone wants their movie to do well. And producers in Bollywood seem to have found the perfect formula.

Right through 2012, we kept hearing about movies reshuffling their release dates. And 2013 doesn’t look different either. Everyone wants their movie to do well. And producers in Bollywood seem to have found the perfect formula: avert a release date clash with a movie that might prove to be tough competition.

“It’s not a particularly new trend,” says trade analyst Amod Mehra. He feels that “it’s more noticeable now with the number of films that release. It makes sense to avoid a clash with a bigger film to make good profits.”

Consider, for instance, the fact that three big festive week slots — Eid, Diwali and Christmas — have been booked for Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan’s releases respectively. Other producers are wary of releasing their films alongside these big guns. Mehra says, “Only if someone feels their film has the power to sustain will they try for an opening with the Khans.”

No wonder then that Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi altered the August 14 release to avoid clashing with Ek Tha Tiger.

Here are the recent reshuffles at the BO:

Joker vs Barfi!
Original date: August 30
Trade speak: Film distributor Akshaye Rathi says, “More than merit, the number of screens and the show timings matter for films. Both Barfi! and Joker were backed by UTV, so they avoided the clash.” It’s another matter that Joker didn’t work in spite of these calculations.
Films speak: Anurag Basu, director of Barfi! says, “It was UTV’s call. Since Joker was ready before us, they decided to go ahead with it first. It just gave us more time to work on postproduction and promotions.”

Heroine vs Ishkq In Paris vs English Vinglish
Original date: September 21
Trade speak: Mirani says, “Kareena Kapoor is the reigning queen and Heroine is backed by UTV and
directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. Naturally, it made sense to avoid any clash with this film.”
Films speak: R Balki, producer of English Vinglish, says, “It’s releasing in three languages. It’s a big film for us and we wanted some more time to promote it.”

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Kismet Luv Paisa Dilli vs Jayantabhai Ki Love Story
Original date: October 5
Trade speak: Amod Mehra says, “Both movies star Vivek, and he will be seen on-screen after long. So it makes sense to push one film to a later date.”
Films speak: Kumar Taurani, producer of Jayantabhai… says, “I’ve decided to postpone the release of my film. Amit (Chandra, producer), Vivek (Oberoi) and I had a meeting. We had to complete a song and few other sequences.”

Race 2 vs Shootout At Wadala
Original date: January 25, 2013
Trade speak: Trade analyst Vinod Mirani says, “Shootout At Wadala (SAW) wants a clear opening weekend. It's a huge film and they wouldn’t want to take any chances.”
Films speak: Ekta Kapoor, producer of SAW, says, “I want a five-day weekend. There’s no point clashing with another biggie that has the same actors. If both films release close to each other, the audience will end up getting confused.”

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