Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently slammed theatres for prioritizing Hollywood's Obsession over his film Bandar and Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga, reigniting the debate on screen allocation in Indian cinemas. The incident highlights a systemic issue: small-budget, star-less films often struggle to secure shows, even when critically acclaimed.
The State of Small Films in Theatres
Week after week, except for rare crowd-pullers like Dhurandhar, cinema halls remain near-empty for most releases. Films like Vadh 2 require advance checks to ensure the first show actually runs. For a film critic, watching every release is a job, but for a cinema lover, seeing empty halls is heartbreaking. This is especially true for small films without star power.
Kashyap's Bandar, despite rave reviews and Bobby Deol's stellar performance, failed to attract audiences. He attributed the poor turnout to a lack of shows, claiming theatres gave precedence to the Hollywood small-budget film Obsession. Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga also opened low but has been picking up shows and numbers through word-of-mouth.
The Distribution Dilemma
Typically, films without big stars do not get enough shows unless word-of-mouth boosts demand. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the dynamics of filmmaking and distribution, with more films releasing directly on OTT platforms. Even Kashyap's celebrated Kennedy had its India release on Zee5. Streaming platforms have become a safe bet, but the question remains: are OTT viewers different from theatre-goers? Kashyap himself is puzzled why his fans, who love his kind of cinema, won't go to theatres for his films.
Can Hollywood be blamed? Should distributors prioritize desi cinema over Hollywood biggies? The same logic applies to regional cinema. Punjabi filmmakers have long demanded preference in Punjab, and in Maharashtra, caveats exist to protect Marathi films. But cinema distribution is a business enterprise. Unless the government intervenes with subsidies, theatres cannot be expected to support non-commercial films.
Hollywood's Growing Dominance
This is not the first time Hollywood has outshone Bollywood. India has become a huge market for Hollywood. Christopher Nolan's upcoming The Odyssey will have an all-India release with a star-studded premiere in Mumbai. Given Nolan's massive fan base in India—when the world watched Barbie, India was hooked on Oppenheimer—it's unlikely any Hindi film would dare to clash with it.
In an ideal world, Payal Kapadia's Cannes-winning All We Imagine As Light would have done roaring business. But cinema may depict utopian societies; the real world does not follow idealism. Audiences might criticize bad movies, but they don't necessarily support quality cinema if it doesn't appeal to their sensibilities.
No Easy Answers
No one can dictate audience tastes—not cerebral critics, not acclaimed filmmakers. If makers have the choice to create what they want, audiences have the choice to watch what they like. The buck does not stop at the distribution system. Kashyap will certainly find a place in cinematic history, but nothing guarantees box-office success for his qualitative cinema, not even more shows.
The only good thing is that filmmakers like Kashyap and Imtiaz Ali won't stop making the kind of films they believe in. Once in a while, audiences might resonate with them, rediscovering their magic in the second week or even during a rerun. But the mantra remains: 'jo bikta hai, woh dikhta hai' (what sells, gets shown).
