Things are getting desperate for theatres in Tamil Nadu. Cricket and examinations have kept away the youth audiences from the cinemas. Added to that, Tamil cinema content has been bad. Now most of the theatres are showing ‘A’ films, which are dubbed from other languages.
The films have explicit adult content and caters to a particular segment of the market. Says a leading single screen theatre owner in Chengalpet area: After Pongal, there has not been a single weekend where we got a houseful show. Nobody is interested in seeing the recent crop of films, which get 40 to 50 per cent during weekends and 10 to 15 per cent on weekdays. Cricket and examination has eaten into collections!
Chennai and suburban single screens has switched to ‘unknown sleaze films’ like Thappu, Devadasiyin Kathai, Kabhi Socha Bhi Na Thaa etc. Says a theatre owner: “These films average an occupancy rate of 45 to 60 per cent every day, which is good in these hard days. Remember recent Tamil releases have averaged only 30 to 50 per cent on its opening weekend and then fall miserably”. Most of the theatres screening such films take them on Fixed Hire (FH) or get 60 to 65 per cent of the collections, which is a steal. Added to that the sales in theatre canteens are also high, and they can change the film every week! Such films will have a free run till world cup and examination season is over.
The films have explicit adult content and caters to a particular segment of the market. Says a leading single screen theatre owner in Chengalpet area: After Pongal, there has not been a single weekend where we got a houseful show. Nobody is interested in seeing the recent crop of films, which get 40 to 50 per cent during weekends and 10 to 15 per cent on weekdays. Cricket and examination has eaten into collections!
Chennai and suburban single screens has switched to ‘unknown sleaze films’ like Thappu, Devadasiyin Kathai, Kabhi Socha Bhi Na Thaa etc. Says a theatre owner: “These films average an occupancy rate of 45 to 60 per cent every day, which is good in these hard days. Remember recent Tamil releases have averaged only 30 to 50 per cent on its opening weekend and then fall miserably”. Most of the theatres screening such films take them on Fixed Hire (FH) or get 60 to 65 per cent of the collections, which is a steal. Added to that the sales in theatre canteens are also high, and they can change the film every week! Such films will have a free run till world cup and examination season is over.
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