As Hanuman Ansh adds shows, Yash-starrer Toxic has seen its screen count shrink following a strong ₹150-crore worldwide opening but weaker subsequent collections.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh confirms, “Yes, this is true. It’s a business at the end of the day. Earlier, there were multiple films: Awarapan 2, Spider Man: Brand New Day, and then Toxic, so there was no breathing space for Hanuman Ansh. The shows had come down to very few, and then the demand increased, and here, it’s all about the demand and supply.” Hanuman Ansh currently has about 1500 screens, and is also set to release internationally from September 11. Hombale Films is going to distribute it.
Toxic has also lost IMAX shows to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Across several Delhi-NCR and Mumbai IMAX cinemas, Toxic is currently down to one daily show, while The Odyssey is playing 3 to 5.
Theatre chains confirm that demand for Hanuman Ansh is leading to shows being added now. Gautam Dutta, CEO – Revenue & Operations, PVR INOX Ltd, “Some of the most exciting theatrical stories today are emerging from films that build momentum quietly and organically. Hanuman Ansh is a wonderful example, driven by strong audience appreciation and positive word of mouth. The film is currently witnessing occupancy above 50% at PVR INOX, while its biggest fourth week and strongest Tuesday performance yet underline the depth of its growing audience connection.”
What the director had said
Talking to HT City recently, Hanuman Ansh’s director Vishal Chaturvedi had commented on the screen crunch their film, based on Neem Karoli Baba, had faced initially, “For both big films (Batwara 1947 and Awarapan 2) our shows were reduced to just 25 screens but they kept running well. The audience wanted to watch but there were no shows, so people travelled 200-250 kms and posted on SM. There were videos that even after the film ended the audience were so emotional that they did not get up from their seats. Probably that all worked which no PR can do.”