NEW DELHI: Bollywood’s problems are getting worse as calls are made to boycott specific movies at a time when the business is battling to draw people back into theatres. Along with Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, Vikram Vedha and Pathaan by Hrithik Roshan have also been criticized on social media.
Laal Singh Chaddha’s topic did not resonate with youthful viewers and some trade experts claimed boycott calls made the situation worse. Others claimed that if the movie had resonated with viewers, it would have held its own.
According to independent trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai, “Social media is the most potent instrument to influence people nowadays, and Hindi films are seeing the direct impact of the boycott culture that’s here to stay.” Thugs of Hindostan, Aamir Khan’s most recent movie, earned more than 48 crore rupees on its opening day in 2018. Laal Singh Chaddha, in contrast, debuted at 11.50 crore. Trade experts claim that the Hindutva brigade, which Khan was the subject of for his allegedly anti-national sentiments made more than ten years ago, has had an impact.
Everyone is interested in entertainment news, thus it’s universal interest. The word-of-mouth for these movies is, however, somewhat mixed, and a family of four will always wait for reviews when they have to spend $2,000 on a single outing, “Pranav Garg, the managing director of Muzaffarnagar’s Maya Palace, a two-screen movie theatre, explained.
“Many people have trouble telling the difference between true and false news, labeling actors and filmmakers as being anti-national, “he or she added.
The majority of moviegoers are unlikely to be affected by what occurs on social media, that being said, “there is cause for shockwaves to reverberate throughout the industry if two of the country’s top actors fail to get an opening on a significant holiday weekend,” said film producer, trade and exhibition expert Girish Johar. “It shows that audiences, who are otherwise ready to come to theatres, are just not interested.”
According to Johar, people are sending a clear message that star power has diminished over the past two years and that big names can no longer draw crowds to theatres unless the content is compelling. This is in addition to unreasonably high-ticket prices and the assumption that the two would be available on streaming platforms like all films within a few weeks, he added.
According to Atul Mohan, editor of trade publication Complete Cinema, a lot of social media talk is generated by bots, and boycott tendencies are unlikely to be sustained. He added, however, that other reasons are damaging the chances of Hindi films. “People now form opinions after viewing the first trailer, and Laal Singh Chaddha received teasing from the very beginning. Additionally, a long weekend may signal a retreat from the city for many individuals, giving movies fewer opportunities to draw sizable crowds, the guy added.
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