Four lessons Bollywood can follow for box office success

So, what are the dos that Bollywood can follow in 2018?

2017 signaled that the cost of making a film has no effect on movie goers and it is the content of the film that can give them strong numbers at the box office. Big budgets do not guarantee bigger returns and films like Tubelight, Jab Harry met Sejal were a proof of this last year. While the former minted Rs 114 crore with a budget of Rs 135 crore, the latter received only Rs 62 crore with  an investment of Rs 119 crore.

Mid-size films like Fukrey Returns which was made at a budget of Rs 29 crore amassed Rs 75.71 crore, Badrinath Ki Dulhania made Rs 114 crore with an investment of Rs 44 crore, both had a successful run hinting that low investment and high returns would be the mantra this year.

Film trade analysts have been pointing out for a year that good content can win hearts of the audience. And Baahubali: The Conclusion was one reason to believe that, as neither language barrier nor a non festival release had an impact on its collections.

When Hema Malini had produced her daughter Esha Deol’s 2011 film Tell Me Oh Khuda, little did she know that she will fall short of money to promote the film as the cost was too high.

Another advice that trade pundits have for the filmmakers is to limit the marketing cost. According to a Bollywood Hungama report, profit margins have been going down due to the rising print and advertising, marketing cost.

If box office is the king for the film industry then marketing is the queen. However, players in the field say that instead of clever marketing filmmakers end up over promoting their films that leads to increased cost.

Trade pundits say that release dates of films should be well planned and two films should avoid clashing on the same date. According to a Moneycontrolreport, same day releases has cost Bollywood close to Rs 250 crore.

When Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees and Hrithik Roshan’s Kaabil hit theatres on the same day last year, show timings, footfalls and audiences were divided between the two films. While the films could each have collected close to Rs 150 crore, both films ended up making Rs 225 crore in total.