The ongoing tussle between exhibitors and producers has sparked conversations about declining theatrical revenues. As producer Bunny Vas rightly pointed out, stakeholders are fighting among themselves to share the already reduced revenues instead of addressing the root cause.
Producers are indeed relying on OTT platforms to recover budgets, and shorter digital windows are, in turn, hurting theatrical revenues and footfalls, creating a major problem in the ecosystem. Not just producers, exhibitors, and distributors, but top-tier heroes and other actors also need to step in to address this issue and help create a permanent solution.
The Remuneration Angle:
Film budgets have been skyrocketing lately, with virtually no upper limit in place. Since stars are charging mind-boggling remunerations upfront, producers are facing a massive burden in completing productions smoothly. While some fans may flaunt the three-digit paychecks of their idols, the reality is that these soaring salaries are causing more damage to the industry than good.
At a time when the industry is going through a deep slump, star heroes need to come forward and slash their remunerations for the greater good of the industry. They should follow the footsteps of their seniors who adopted profit-sharing models to reduce the burden on producers. To recover these massive salaries, producers are adjusting to shorter OTT windows and are forced to hike ticket prices unreasonably, ultimately keeping audiences away from cinemas.
The Excessive Obsession With the PAN-India Concept:
Not every film needs to be PAN-Indian. We have a lot of stories and genres to explore apart from the bloodbath and violence stuff. Many heroes are trying their hand at overtly violent subjects to gain an image among mass audiences, but after a point, they will surely bore audiences.
Genres like rom-coms, crime thrillers, horror mysteries, and many more are being largely ignored lately. In an attempt to capture a large share of the market, heroes are taking a long time to complete just one film, leaving theatres struggling for content. Only when we get a variety of stories and consistent releases will theatres have proper feeding, and star culture continue to exist.
At a time when the theatrical ecosystem is under immense pressure, star heroes must look beyond individual gains and take responsibility for the larger picture. If single screens disappear, the very star culture that elevated many of them could slowly weaken.