Bollywood releases and their Box Office clashes have become a ritual over time. Oftentimes, big production houses release their movies on the same day, resulting in just one movie hitting the top scores. Case in point — Stree 2, Khel Khel Mein, and Vedaa dropping on August 15, 2024. What was the outcome? The horror comedy continues to dominate the Box Office, overshadowing the other movies released on the same date. The same is likely to happen with the upcoming Bollywood releases this Dussehra and Diwali 2024. But why do filmmakers fail to plan a successful release calendar? Or are these clashes a deliberate choice?

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Steal the date

October is set to witness another Box Office clash with the release of Jigra and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video on the same date, October 11. Both movies follow unique storylines and a promising cast, but the scale appears to be tilted towards Jigra, with fans being more excited about the Alia Bhatt release. Several factors, including the film’s story, the team’s marketing campaigns, speculated earnings during the festive season and now, the rise in OTT platforms, contribute to the making of a movie’s release calendar.

Shrinking confidence

Some filmmakers might consciously release their movies on the same date as others due to a lack of confidence in their script and direction. They might be banking their hopes on festivals, thinking their movies might not perform well on a regular day. However, the production houses sometimes deliberately clash their movies with others to hamper their rivals’ business. It is equally counterproductive as neither gets the spotlight or outshines the other.

Tapping into the festive market

The date clashes for films released during the festivals have a different story. Productions coincide their release dates with others as they think they can be more profitable during the festive season compared to a regular Friday. Filmmakers might feel that even their weak storylines would overcome the festive vibe. And their audience will prioritise a theatre experience over a movie’s plot and other contributing factors. But in reality, festive time impacts the overall earnings as people fear theatres will already be crammed with a large crowd, spoiling the festive cheer. They drop all the plans altogether to have a house party instead. Then, how do some movies succeed in hitting the top charts during festivals?

Diwali shenanigans

The success of a movie is beyond the festival earnings and release clashes. It largely depends on the marketing campaign, trailers and promotions. Films releasing around Diwali or on that day usually follow two things – an engaging story and an exciting cast. Additionally, if it’s a new part of a movie series, the previous ones must be a hit. The upcoming Bollywood movies Singham Again and Bhul Bhulaiyaa 3 will be released this Diwali, November 1. But Singham Again‘s unnecessarily lengthy trailer has lessened the excitement for the film’s release as fans are now aware of the plot, climax and everything in between.

Diwali releases add to the performance risk because the target audience celebrates the festival. It leaves little to no time for them to watch a theatre release in a hectic festive week. However, there have been successful Diwali releases in the past, including Tiger 3, Sooryavanshi, Houseful 4, and Happy New Year, among others. What made them a big hit? These movies witnessed great footfall even on festive days as they aced the trailers and promotion campaigns. This compelled the audience to watch these movies as their previous parts were promising enough.

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OTT on the rise

Nowadays, the constant clashes in release dates are also due to the surge of OTTs. People prefer watching a movie on their TV screen to avoid the hassle of going to the cinema. Theatres witness a huge crowd only if there are great actors on the screen with extraordinary visual effects (VFX). Ludo and Monica, O My Darling are some of the blockbuster OTT movies that were released during Diwali in the previous years. The thrill of watching a movie has shifted to OTTs as it becomes a more homely affair during festivals.

Road to peace

Over a hundred movies are released each year, making it difficult to avoid clashes completely. However, Bollywood filmmakers should follow South Cinema’s tactics as they employ great strategies to avoid clashes. Suriya pushed his movie Kanguva to a later date, respecting Rajinikanth’s Vettiyan release scheduled on October 10, 2024. Bollywood must strategise similarly to give every movie its deserved success. Moreover, they will get real numbers and a chance to improve their script in the future. It will also bring potential storylines to light. Additionally, productions must bring their A-game to the marketing campaigns, creating a solid buzz among their fans. An organised release calendar will create a collectively stronger fanbase for the Bollywood industry without profiting individual filmmakers.

So, which Bollywood releases are you watching in the upcoming festival season of 2024?

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