2024 box office clashes: Star power or content, what will rule? Experts weigh in helobaba.com
The incredible box office resurgence of the previous year has raised expectations for 2024. In the next several months, a number of movies arc going to collide, making for an exciting slate. From Crakk – Jeetegaa toh Jiyegaa and Article 370 on February 23, Bade Miyan Chow Miyan (BMCM) and Maidaan on April 10 (Eid), Emergency and Chandu Champion on June 14 to Pushpa 2: The Rule and Singham Again on Independence Day— many clashes are lined up for the coming year. How is this likely to affect business?
While clashes are inevitable on festive weekends, trade expert and producer Girish Johar says he wasn’t “too happy about” the I-Day overlap between Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule and Ajay Devgn’s Singham Again. Since both are “commercial big-screen franchises”, he says the likelihood of them biting into each other’s business is high. ‘There is buzz that Pushpa 2 might get postponed? Johar reveals.
The dish is especially worrisome considering the impressive box-office performance of films from the South in the Hindi belt— the latest example being the Telugu film, HanuMan.
Despite clashes, the previous year’s experiences, such as Gadar 2 and OMG 2, demonstrated that a box-office battle doesn’t necessarily spell disaster.
Film exhibitor and distributor Sanjay Mehta points out, “Salaar: Part I and Dunki released together on Christmas. Everyone ran to watch Dunki because of Shah Rukh Khan’s previous two hits (Pathaan and Jawan). When the audience realised it isn’t at a par, shows for Dunki were brought down in tier 2 and tier 3 cities and Salamis were increased.”
The year 2024, marked by general elections, poses additional challenges for filmmakers in terms of scheduling. Avoiding election days. IPL months and exam periods leaves limited options, making clashes inevitable.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, ‘There are just about 52 Fridays in a year. You can’t just have one release on a day.”
Moreover, the fact that 2024 will see no films by the three Khans (Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir, or by A-listers like Ranbir Kapoor, might make it a bleak affair at the box-office. Ultimately, the success of a film hinges on its content.
Star cast, social media hype and trailer reactions contribute to its performance, but “organic buzz” remains crucial, feels Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX Ltd. He believes “exciting clashes will spice up the scenario” in 2024. “Highly anticipated movies clashing are good, as they bring in huge footfall,” he ends.
