MUMBAI: One month after no new Hindi films have released in multiplexes across India… the stalemate continues! There seems to be no respite over the revenue sharing terms issue for movies that the multiplexes and producers have been flogged with over the last couple of months.
In the meeting that took place today between the two parties, no solution was reached. While plexes are sticking to their offer of 50:50 (multiplexes:producers), 40:60 and 30:70 revenue sharing terms for the first, second and third week respectively; the producers have put forth their terms of 50:50, 45:65 and 40:60. It may be recalled that the producers have forgone their demand for 50:50 revenue sharing terms for all weeks that was put forth initially.
Speaking to Businessofcinema.com, Inox director Deepak Asher said, "We have agreed to disagree. All I can say is that there has been no conclusion to our talks and we were not able to come to a mutual agreement over the revenue sharing terms for movies."
Sources inform that some of the representatives of the multiplexes staged a walk-out when the parties were unable to reach a consensus.
In the meanwhile, members of the United Producers and Distributors Forum will be chalking out a plan over the next 10 days to release movies in single screens and independent multiplexes across India.
A source says, "We will be deciding our release strategy in single screens across India. Once that is done, we will get an idea of the cluster areas in cities where we will be losing out on audiences due to the absence of single screens. After this, we will plan the release dates of the movies and keep a gap of at least two weeks between releases."
Some of the movies slated to release in the next two months are Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kambakkth Ishq (29 May), Studio 18’s Luck and Yash Raj Films’ New York (12 June), UTV Motion Pictures’ Kaminey and Eros International’s Love Aaj Kal (26 June) and Boney Kapoor’s Wanted (3 July). Additionally, some of the other films that are also ready for release are Sony Music and Vishesh Films’ Jashn, Karol Bagh Films’ Teree Sang, Mukta Arts’ Paying Guests, Reliance BIG Pictures and Vashu Bhagnani’s Kal Kissne Dekha amongst others.
Producers are expected to be ready with their strategy and release dates within the next fortnight. In the interim studios like Yash Raj Films, UTV Motion Pictures and Studio 18 are re-releasing their hit films in single screens; whereas Percept Picture Company has re-released Hanuman in multiplexes.
