Box Office Biggies Are Reconsidering Their Release Dates(Photo Credit: Poster From Movie)
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When everyone thought everything is getting back on track for Bollywood, we didn’t see the Covid spike coming. Yet again, the virus has spoilt the party, making biggies like Radhe Shyam and RRR reconsider their release dates. Can you imagine how much business will suffer if the Covid situation didn’t come under control? Below is all you need to know.
After the end of Covid’s second wave, Akshay Kumar’s Bell Bottom was the first biggie to see a theatrical release. However, the results were not bright. It was Sooryavanshi that put a big smile on exhibitors’ and filmmakers’ faces. Next came Spider-Man: No Way Home and Pushpa, which took the box office by storm. But who knew, all this number game was just short-lived.
With a huge rise in Covid cases across the country, many states have already tightened rules. And in the next few days, a total shut down of theatres is expected too. Many makers saw it coming, hence postponing their biggies with a cloud of uncertainty over the next release date.
As the current Covid situation is said to be the third wave of coronavirus, let’s assume that all biggies of 2022’s first quarter will postpone their dates. The first step has been already taken by the makers of RRR, which was supposed to release on 7th January. Even Radhe Shyam makers have announced their postponement. Also, films like Prithviraj and Gangubai Kathiawadi are reportedly reconsidering their release dates.
So, based on our estimations, the first quarter of 2022 is expected to miss out on over 1000 crores at the box office if all major releases move to the new release dates (which looks real for now). As per our prediction, RRR (Hindi) might earn around 200 crores, while Radhe Shyam (Hindi) has the potential of making 150 crores. Other biggies including Prithviraj (150 crores), Gangubai Kathiawadi (70-80 crores), Bachchan Pandey (200 crores), Shamshera (150 crores), Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (75-80 crores), and Jayeshbhai Jordaar (80 crores), sum up the business of over 1000 crores.
Not just that, but biggies moving out of the first quarter are expected to affect other important releases scheduled in the second quarter of 2022. Assuming all biggies are arriving in theatres only, a business of another 1000 crore is expected to suffer. Laal Singh Chaddha (300-350 crores),KGF Chapter 2 (Hindi)- (150-200 crores), Runway 34 (150 crores), Maidaan (150-200 crores), Heropanti 2 (100-120 crores), and a couple of other films might reschedule their dates and even move out of the second quarter of 2022, thus causing a big dent.
We hope the situation gets better very soon, but if things continue getting worse, the box office might suffer a dent of over 2000 crores during the first two quarters of 2022.
