MUMBAI: The extensive negotiations between Yash Raj Films and multiplex chains over Tashan revenue sharing terms have gone kaput.
As of Thursday afternoon, approximately 125 multiplex properties of chains like Adlabs, PVR, Inox, Fame India, Fun Cinemas, Movietime and Cinemax have not signed an agreement with Yash Raj to screen Tashan. Thus, implying that as of now, the movie will not be released in theatres on Friday. Even the single screens owned by these multiplex chains will not screen Tashan.
Earlier this week on Monday, Yash Raj and multiplexes settled for respective terms of 50:50, 45:55, 40:60 and 30:70 for the first four weeks for all multiplexes in Bombay city, which are the same terms as last year. However weak points in the negotiations were revenue terms for few cities like Kolkata, Indore, Hyderabad, Aurangabad and Chandigarh, Kanpur, Mangalore, wherein Yash Raj was asking for higher shares even as much as 55 per cent for the first week, which was not acceptable to multiplex chains. Therefore due to this non-agreement for cities outside of Bombay, as of now Tashan will miss its screening across the country.
At the time of filing this story, multiplex heads remained unavailable for comment.
Yash Raj Films director and CEO Sanjeev Kohli says, “YRF has not asked the multiplexes for any incremental terms from those concluded for last year. The terms being discussed are the same as those agreed upon for our films of last year. As done in the past, YRF will compensate the multiplexes in the event that a film does not perform to expectation; we have done this last year as well.”
This disagreement may also reflect on other Yash Raj movies including Kunal Kohli’s Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, Siddharth Anand’s Bachna Ae Haseeno and Roadside Romeo. Aditya Chopra directed Rab Ne Banaa Di Jodi was as it is not a part of this negotiation and was supposed to be looked at separately because Chopra was demanding a whopping 60 per cent share from Bombay city for the first week.
If no alterations and compromises are made in the negotiations with Yash Raj, this incident will go down as the most defining one in Bollywood, in the recent times. For long now, other corporates in Bollywood have held a grudge against multiplexes on not being given YRF terms for their big films. This will also go down as the first instance of unity amongst all the multiplex chains in India.
Prior to this, Welcome, Taare Zameen Par and Jodhaa Akbar missed their first day release on Friday at all multiplexes in India except PVR (which screened the movies), but terms were settled between the concerned parties late on the release nights and the movies were screened thereon.
Tashan is the directorial debut of Vijay Krishna Acharya and stars Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.
It remains to be seen if either of the concerned parties succumb to the Friday pressure.
