1234 Kolkata: After disappointing Eid sales, Bengal exhibitors rebounded with robust Poila Baisakh collections as theatres once again displayed ‘Houseful' boards.
Poila Baisakh Bengali releases are experiencing such demand that many theatres are withdrawing Hindi films to accommodate their additional screenings. The last time such an occurrence was witnessed only during Bollywood or south Indian blockbuster releases. "The collections are better during Poila Baisakh than Eid," said a multiplex official.
The total seating capacity at Radha Studio is 152, of which six are reserved for VIPs. Three films are being screened there since Friday. On Saturday, Srijit Mukherji's ‘Killbill Society' and Suman Ghosh's ‘Puratawn' sold 146 tickets each and ‘Chhaad' 43. Both ‘Killbill Society' and ‘Puratawn' maintained identical numbers, while ‘Chhaad' figure rose to 115 on Sunday. Monday, too, saw the same attendance for ‘Killbill Society' and ‘Puratawn'. "It is good to see these two films bringing audiences back to theatres. Houseful boards are back at Radha Studio. We started the preview theatre booking from April 2 and are receiving a splendid response from the film industry. We have secured three bookings for the preview theatre," said a Radha Studio official.
Exhibitors are delighted with the role reversal as unlike earlier times, when non-performing Bengali films would make space for Hindi films, this Poila Baisakh, Bengali films are nudging Hindi films out. "Screenings of Hindi movies are being replaced by Bengali films. This is a remarkable occurrence in present-day Bengali film circuits. We started with one show of ‘Killbill Society' and incorporated a second screening, given the ticket demand. We cancelled a show of ‘Jaat' to accommodate it. We are seeing consecutive full-house for Bengali movies. Priya and Star have increased their Bengali film screenings," said Navin Chowkhani of Navina. The scene outside the theatre has been electrifying at the end of every show. "It is remarkable to see 800 patrons exiting and another 800 waiting to enter. It is gratifying to witness such enthusiasm for Bengali films," he added.
The decision not to screen ‘Puratawn' on OTT in the next six months could be a game-changer. "I am happy he took this stand. Both films are doing well. The response to the Bengali films has been so good that I had to increase shows. This is rarest of rare cases in Kolkata's exhibition scene," said Arijit Dutta of Priya.