The Hindu : New Delhi News : Bollywood deviates from Friday schedule

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 03, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Bollywood deviates from Friday schedule

Lakshmi B. Ghosh

The change has given us 8-10 extra shows, says a film distributor

NEW DELHI: It may have happened a little after Diwali and shortly before Id, but with Bollywood breaking its longstanding Friday "date" for the first time, history of a different sort was made in cinemas across the city this Wednesday.

Deviating from the normally followed Friday release schedule, at least three big films were released on Wednesday to ensure they fit the holiday plans of viewers better.

Although many films have been released on days other than Friday even before, it has always been for a certain region or a single film. This is the first time that three big movies have gone in for an all-India release on a day other than Friday.

While David Dhawan's multi-starrer "Shaadi No.1'' will once again put the king of comedy on test, competing with him will be another master of humour, Priyadarshan, who has two releases -- the Salman Khan-Kareena Kapoor starrer "Kyon Ki'' and John Abraham-Akshay Kumar's "Garam Masala'' .

The week of big films, Diwali and Id have traditionally been the favourite of most big films as the festive season ensures more holidays and thus better business at the box office. From films by Yash Chopra to Karan Johar, some of the industry's biggest hits have often been Diwali releases.

The decision to change the day may not have been easy, but once the Priyadarshan camp shifted its dates forward, the other side too followed suit.

"Id is considered a very good day for releasing films, but then we thought if released on Wednesday there were two more holidays in between Vishvakarma Day and Bhai Dooj, which in turn ensured an extended weekend for people,'' points out Sanjay Mehta, the Delhi-U.P. distributor for "Kyon Ki'' and "Garam Masala''.

But while cinema halls across the city may not have had any big films to refuse the offer, not everyone was convinced about the justification for the change. "There was some resistance in the beginning, especially in Delhi because we are used to a Friday-to-Friday release pattern. But then there was no rollover of films or any great business being done by any films, so eventually people agreed. The change has given us 8-10 extra shows, which is a lot in today's time,'' adds Mr. Mehta.

And if the first day's collections are anything to go by, the strategy seems to have worked.

As of now, the first day shows have shown a positive response, and if other directors decide to go the same way, Friday jitters may just be a thing of the past soon.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi

News Update

Stories in this Section